Aboriginal Employment Services (AES) Inc

In the face of extensive bureaucratic hurdles, many employers were losing interest in applying for grants. Our mission was clear: we needed to persuade skilled trades employers seeking first-year Red Seal apprentices that AES’s Apprenticeship Support Project grant stood out for its straightforward application process, sparing them from the exasperating red tape that often accompanies such endeavours. AES not only simplified the process but also prioritized swift processing, ensuring that employers received their grant

As Easy As

After discovery sessions, we created a campaign positioning the AES grant as easy to sign up for, choosing the “As Easy As” concept from three strategic directions: “It’s Easy,” “It’s Convenient,” and “We’re the Best.” We chose activities like axe throwing, fishing, and hockey—interests of our target audience—to craft engaging visuals with phrases like, “As easy as hitting a bullseye the size of a barn” and “As easy as scoring on a goalie in an oversized hockey net.” These photo-realistic visuals were designed to capture attention and boost engagement across various campaign touchpoints.

An Integrated Campaign

The “As Easy As” concept was extended across multiple campaign touchpoints, including social media ads, e-newsletters, display ads, pull-up banners, step-and-repeat backdrops, handouts, magazine ads, direct mail, posters, marketing emails, and radio spots. We even brought a popcorn machine to an expo to create a memorable experience. Each element reinforced the simplicity and accessibility of the AES grant, driving home the message that this grant was different—easy, fast, and effective.

A Testimonial from Annie Randell, President of AES Inc.

“Even though AES is a technology company we had little experience with social media and less with marketing. We hired Upstream Marketing, and I can honestly say, they did an awesome job!

They take time upfront to understand the company, owners and their business. They provide ideas for target populations, they do ALL the work to get an idea to the finish line. They don’t just stay with current trend marketing, for some projects what worked in the past, is still best, like radio and I can’t tell you how many clients commented on the catching radio ad we had. And they also know the social media business, what works, what doesn’t and the value of investment into an idea.”

Radio Ads

 

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