Store Openings

In 2023, 27 international brands—including many from the U.S.—made their Canadian debut. Since its inception, The PR Department has been a trusted partner for international brands looking to successfully enter the market in English and French Canada. Adapting an international brand’s messaging to resonate with Canadian audiences is critical for success. Authenticity, cultural relevance, and multilingual communication are often the deciding factors. Research shows that 88% of Canadians consider authenticity a key factor when choosing brands, while 71% value consistent, trustworthy branding. We ensure your story is told in a way that connects — earning attention, building trust, and turning first impressions into lasting relationships.

CASE STUDY: INSOMNIA COOKIES CANADIAN DEBUT

The Brief

When American cookie giant Insomnia Cookies tapped The PR Department to open its first Canadian store at York University, we knew this was about more than one store launch — it was the official introduction to a brand famous for conquering late-night cravings in the US.

The challenge:

  • Create buzz on and off campus, driving attendance to the late-night PJ party grand opening on a slim budget.
  • Differentiate Insomnia from other cookie brands — including a major US competitor entering Canada with a much bigger budget.
  • Reinforce Insomnia’s positioning as the cookie brand for students, night owls, and afterparty crowds.

The Strategy

We leaned into Toronto’s “cookie invasion” narrative, positioning Insomnia as the go-to for the sleepless, the studious, and the afterparty-ers, with warm cookies and buzzworthy ice cream delivered until 3 a.m.

We hosted a late-night PJ party celebration for campus insomniacs, complete with a DJ, party under the stars, and endless cookies.

We activated during Frosh Week as a cost-effective way to build hype, with cookie sampling at on-campus events leading up to launch. After the grand opening, our PJ-clad team hit downtown Toronto’s Frosh Week parties, handing out cookies to students waiting in club lines.

We developed a media list of 100+ contacts and staged three waves of cookie drops to print media, influencers and broadcast contacts. These drops included a branded box of cookies with a printed press release to spark coverage and social sharing.

We booked radio and TV appearances, including a live cookie giveaway on CP24, Toronto’s largest morning show. Our media seeding sparked playful on-air moments, such as Virgin Radio’s Deepa Prashad raving about Insomnia’s cookie’wiches, and CHUM FM’s team pranking a cohost into thinking the cookies were “edibles.”

The Results

  • Media & Influencer Reach: 182 clips and 51 607 388 impressions — enough to reach the entire GTA 7.7 times.
  • Social Media Impact: 125 social shares, generating an estimated 7.1M impressions.
  • Product Sampling: 6,370 cookies distributed on campus.
  • Broadcast Wins: Live mentions and coverage on CP24, CHUM FM, Virgin Radio, Q107 — with multiple brand shoutouts during peak listening/viewing times.