3 Reasons Why Taking Creative Risks on Social Still Works According to Sean Beckingham
By Sean Beckingham, Co-Founder of Branding & Buzzing
We’re back working with one of our very first clients, Toronto Festival of Beer, and this year feels like a reintroduction.
With a new identity, a refreshed approach, and a strong relationship built on trust, it’s the kind of project that reminds me why I got into this business in the first place.
This isn’t just another event campaign. This is a chance to move fast, think differently, and create the kind of content that feels real, immediate, and effective.
Why I Still Love This Account
Most marketers know: creative ideas often get filtered through rounds of approval. But that’s what makes this project with TFOB so refreshing. We’re trusted to lead, test, and execute on ideas quickly…without layers of delay.
This past weekend, we ran a spontaneous social giveaway. We wrote “FREE TICKETS” on an envelope, hid it somewhere in the city, filmed the drop, posted it on Instagram, and told people to go find it.
Here’s the twist: anyone who found the envelope and posted a photo tagging two friends? We gave them two more tickets.
It worked. The tickets were claimed, content was posted within minutes, and the momentum felt real and not staged.
It’s a reminder that sometimes the best campaigns don’t come from over-planning. They come from being in the moment. Those times when the audience feels like they’re part of something happening right now.
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3 Things to Remember About Social Media Marketing in 2025
Whether you’re marketing an event, managing influencers, or building community, here are three takeaways from our latest TFOB activation:
- Real-Time Content Wins
Not every post needs to be perfect. The most engaging moments are often the quickest to do when something is happening and your brand responds right now.
- Creative Trust Leads to Better Work
When clients give you room to try new things, you get better results. Quick-turn ideas are only possible when there’s confidence behind the collaboration.
- Social Should Still Be Social
Social media wasn’t built to be overly polished or stiff. It was built to be human. Less prescription, more personality. That’s where the connection lives.
A Look Back: Where It All Started
Toronto Festival of Beer was one of the first brands that believed in Branding & Buzzing — way back in 2011.
Les Murray gave us a modest budget and the freedom to try something completely new at the time: use Twitter to promote the event. This was before “influencers” were even called influencers.
We invited active Twitter users (aka “tweeters”) to the festival in exchange for tickets. We created a Social Media Lounge to welcome them, where we treated them like VIPs — the first time many of them had ever been acknowledged as media.
They showed up. They shared content. They built buzz. And some of those people are still creating today.
It was 144 characters, tags, and TwitPics — and it worked.
That foundation is why campaigns like this weekend’s giveaway still feel so true to the brand. The tools have changed, but the mission hasn’t.
Watch the Reel and See the Winning Ticket
We’re posting the giveaway video and a photo of the winning envelope over on Instagram. If you were part of our original social crew back in the day — send us a DM. We’d love to reconnect.