Smoke’s Poutinerie has tapped Toronto agency Rack & Pinion Creative to oversee a broad range of marketing activities that includes video content, web design and development, and food photography.
The assignment comes as Smoke’s is in the midst of a rapid expansion and ongoing push into the U.S. market. It currently has stores in Berkeley and Hollywood, as well as concessions in two NHL rinks: The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Amalie Arena, and the Arizona Coyotes’ Gila River Arena.
“Smoke’s is at a place where they’re blowing up,” said Rack & Pinion’s managing director Deryn Robson. “They’re opening up new locations left, right and centre [40 in the past four weeks alone, according to founder and CEO Ryan Smolkin], and needed someone to come in and help with their content to make sure they look like the growing Canadian brand that they are.”
Smoke’s marketing has traditionally focused on a combination of social media, PR and events – most notably the World Poutine Eating Championships. Its image is built around a combination of Canadiana, 1980s hair metal and its mythical namesake Smoke, who Smolkin insists is ultimately responsible for the company’s direction.
Smolkin, who operated the graphic design and branding company AmoebaCorp before launching Smoke’s and is actively involved in the company’s marketing efforts, said there are no plans to change the company’s approach.
“That’s been our backbone since day one,” he told Marketing from the company’s 10,000 square-foot headquarters in Ajax, Ont. this week. “It’s just the basics on the marketing side.”
Rack & Pinion has overseen a redesign of the websites for the core Smoke’s Poutinerie brand, as well as its offshoots Smoke’s Weinerie and Smoke’s Burritorie. The agency is also revamping Smoke’s food photography and creating social media video content.
The three-year-old agency has extensive experience in the food sector, having worked with clients including Bento Sushi and Extreme Pita, but has evolved beyond its origins as a food content agency. Its client roster also includes the moving company AMJ Campbell, the sports performance drink BioSteel, and New Era.
“The brand is quite remarkable,” said Robson of Smoke’s. “Any company that opens a second location dreams of the type of franchising opportunities that Smoke’s is getting into. What’s exceptional about them is that they’ve essentially created a new category and they’re owning it.”
The announcement comes on the eve of Smoke’s 2016 World Poutine Eating Championships, which has grown into the second-largest eating event in the world behind the famed Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
This year’s event at Toronto’s Yonge Dundas Square is expected to attract 15,000 people, as well as four of the world’s top five competitive eaters. New this year is a CEO competition featuring Smolkin and leading executives from several of Smoke’s suppliers and business partners.
Smoke’s currently has 20 employees, which is expected to grow to 50 by 2020, as what Smolkin fondly refers to as the “gravy train” rolls on towards a planned goal of 1,300 locations.
“It’s happening brother,” said Smolkin. “I’m conducting and fuelling the fire.”
