Facebook Canada calls on local businesses to enter Grand for Good

Program pairs GTA businesses with Canada's top media agencies to kick-start their marketing

TORONTO, Aug. 12, 2013 /CNW/ - Facebook® Canada is calling on local businesses in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to join Grand for Good, a program that pairs small business owners with Canada's top media agencies to kick-start their marketing.

As part of this program, Facebook is pairing teams from 10 of Canada's top media agencies with a local business in the GTA. Each team will take time to get to know their local business partner, build a strategy and then use Facebook advertising credits to build their business using Facebook marketing solutions. Over the course of six weeks, agency teams will compete to see which team can build the most effective Facebook presence that helps business be more discoverable, find customers and build better relationships.

"Grand for Good is a unique initiative that will give GTA businesses the chance to work with Canada's preeminent advertising agencies, while giving agency participants the practical opportunity to apply what they learned from the Facebook Studio Edge curriculum," said Alfredo Tan, Group Director, Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook Canada. "Grand for Good is the first program of its kind for Facebook globally and we are excited to have a positive impact on local businesses."

A local business that wants to join Grand for Good must:

• Be Canadian-owned and based in the Greater Toronto Area
• Serve customers of all ages and be non-partisan
• Be independent and non-franchised, but multiple locations are fine
• Have fewer than 300 'Likes' on its Facebook page

Businesses can apply on the Grand for Good Facebook Page until Friday, August 23, 2013. Qualified businesses will be selected and notified by Friday, September 6, 2013, at which point they will be paired with a team from one of Canada's leading media agencies. Each of the teams will complete Studio Edge, a social learning and recognition program that keeps agencies up to date on the latest Facebook's platform has to offer. Participating media agencies include:

• M2Universal
• MEC
• MediaCom Canada
• Mindshare
• OMD Canada
• PHD Network Canada
• Starcom Mediavest Group
• UM Canada
• Vision7 International (Cossette and Jungle Media)
• ZenithOptimedia Canada

Facebook recently announced that there are 1 million active advertisers on the platform, many of whom are small to medium sized businesses using Facebook to communicate more effectively with their customers. In the US and Canada approximately 70% of users are connected to a local business on Facebook.

Additional quotes supporting Grand for Good:

Satinder Chera, Vice President, Communications at Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)
"As the backbone of the GTA economy, small businesses are increasingly looking for online tools to market their goods and services to consumers. A pioneer in the online marketing space, Facebook's Grand for Good program will give entrepreneurs access to marketing resources to reach and engage with over 18 million Canadians who are active on Facebook every month."

Bruce Neve, CEO, Starcom Mediavest Group (SMG)
"Grand for Good is an industry leading program that will allow teams of agency professionals to give back to the community by lending their time and expertise to local businesses.  With 18 million monthly active users in Canada, Facebook is one of the most important places for businesses to reach the people who matter to them. SMG is pleased to be one of the first media agencies to participate in this program and we are excited to partner with Facebook Canada to make this a success."

Caroline Moul, Vice President, Digital and Emerging Media at PHD Network Canada
"By participating in Grand for Good, everyone involved has the opportunity to contribute to the overall success of their company, increase their level of marketing expertise on the world's most popular social network, and ultimately be a better resource for their clients and customers. We are excited to work with Facebook Canada on this program and look forward to meeting our local business partners."

Robin Hassan, Senior Vice-President, Digital Strategy at MediaCom Canada
"The Greater Toronto Area is becoming one of the largest and most innovative hubs for small businesses to launch and grow. We are excited to help some of these businesses leverage our paid, owned and earned media planning expertise to reap the benefits that Facebook can provide in terms of awareness and engagement."

Founded in 2004, Facebook's mission is to make the world more open and connected. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what's going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.

SOURCE: Facebook® Canada

Claire LaRocca
High Road Communications
[phone] ext. 207
[email protected]