By Sean Beckingham It was near the end of the 2011 Toronto Festival of Beer and I was in the Social Media Lounge. It had been a whirlwind weekend. Huge bands. The Sheepdogs coming through the lounge. Photos everywhere. Tweets flying. We were trending on Twitter. Remember when...
By Sean Beckingham It all started when I put up my hand and said, “I’ll learn it.” It was 2010, and I was the Creative Director at Bamboo Magazine, an online publication focused on sustainable clothing, food and travel. Looking back, maybe we were a little ahead...
Sean Beckingham Food & Beverage Marketing Strategist [caption id="attachment_14842" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Sean Beckingham, Partner & Food & Beverage Marketing Strategist at Branding & Buzzing[/caption] I’ve spent more than 15 years helping food and beverage brands figure out how to get people to pay attention — and where to...
Why I’d Put $40K Into Content Before Chasing the Next Big Idea View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aliya Gulamhusein (@stylebyaliya) By Sean Beckingham We recently had a cheesy breakfast casserole Reel generate 1,300 engagements, 354 shares and a 12.7% engagement rate. Not exactly a revolutionary idea. And...
Why Simple Food Content Still Works View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aliya Gulamhusein (@stylebyaliya) By Sean Beckingham I’ve been doing food marketing for a long time, and one thing keeps proving itself: food content doesn’t have to look like an ad to sell the brand. We...
If You Have a $150,000 Food Marketing Budget, Stop Treating Every Post the Same If you're a food brand spending $150,000 a year on digital marketing, one of the easiest mistakes to make is expecting every piece of content to do the same job. It won't. We've been...
Beyond the LCBO: What Canada's New Interprovincial Alcohol Trade Means for Brands, Consumers and Importers By Sean Beckingham, Founder & Partner, Branding & Buzzing, and Partner, Juicy Wine & Spirits For as long as I can remember, Canada has had one of the world's most unusual alcohol...
CASTING CALL: CONTENT CREATORS, INFLUENCERS & UGC TALENT WANTED - British Columbia <<APPLY HERE>> At Branding & Buzzing, we're always looking for fresh faces, unique personalities, and talented content creators to join our growing network of collaborators. Whether you're an experienced influencer, a rising UGC creator, a food...
[caption id="attachment_14803" align="aligncenter" width="819"] Today's diners often become your best marketers. User-generated content and food photography help restaurants reach new audiences organically.[/caption] When people think about marketing, they often assume the same rules apply across every business. They don't. After more than a decade working with restaurants, food...
Every few years, a new content style emerges that completely changes how people engage on social media. Right now, one of the most effective formats we are creating for clients is what we call Employee-Generated Content (EGC). If you've spent any time on Instagram or TikTok lately,...
Casting Call Brief GADWALL WHISKEY – FALL CONTENT SHOOT Seeking: 2 Male Models (35–55) 2 Female Models (35–55) For a lifestyle whiskey campaign being photographed in Prince Edward County. Must be comfortable: Appearing in photo and video content Walking, talking and interacting naturally on camera Outdoor sunset shoot Date: September...
From Roaring Twenties to Digital Dominance How One Contest Would Have Been Advertised Across 100 Years Contest marketing has been one of the most effective promotional tools for over a century. From newspaper giveaways in the 1920s to influencer campaigns and AI-powered targeting today, contests continue to...
By Sean Beckingham Over the years, one thing became very clear to us at Branding & Buzzing: great marketing doesn't stop at social media, PR, content creation, or advertising. Brands need experiences. Sometimes that experience is an influencer campaign. Sometimes it's an event. Sometimes it's a memorable gift...
From the Stands to the Strategy: How We Built a Toronto Blue Jays Contest Campaign Across Canada By Sean Beckingham If you've worked with Branding & Buzzing for any length of time, you already know one thing about Marian and me: We're Blue Jays fans. Not the "we'll watch...
Every few years, a new content style emerges that completely changes how people engage on social media. Right now, one of the most effective formats we are creating for clients is what we call Funzee Content. If you've spent any time on Instagram or TikTok lately, you've...
At Branding & Buzzing, we spend a lot of time talking about community, hospitality and the power of bringing people together around food and experiences. Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to experience all three firsthand at “An Evening with Jim Cuddy,” a sold-out...
Juicy Wine & Spirits Club Expands Ontario Portfolio with the Addition of Krasna Hora Winery Ontario, Canada — Juicy Wine and Spirits Club has officially expanded its curated international wine portfolio with the addition of Krasna Hora Winery, bringing a new selection of premium European wines...
There’s something about summer in Prince Edward County that goes beyond food, wine, and patios. It’s about moments. The kind you remember because they felt real, local, and shared. That’s exactly why Branding & Buzzing is proud to support County Shakespeare Company this season. We’ve worked alongside...
20 Things We’re Looking At Right Now To Improve Your Instagram Feed By Sean Beckingham Recently, I sat down with our ads specialist — someone who’s been with us for over five years. She runs our paid, builds our reports, and more importantly, she’s now helping guide...
Your Social Feed Isn’t a Museum. It’s a Storefront. By Sean Beckingham Recently, I sat down with our ads specialist — someone who’s been with us for over five years. She runs our paid, builds our reports, and more importantly, she’s now helping guide what we do...
Instagram Stories Are the Front Door Now. Use Them. By Sean Beckingham It’s no secret — we love Instagram at Branding & Buzzing. Our clients do too. It just works for food. Always has. Also, we also pay a lot of attention to Adam Mosseri. He puts out regular...
By Sean Beckingham What Big Food Brands Actually Do Better Than Everyone Else There’s a misconception in marketing that big food brands sit in boardrooms and “come up with ideas.” They don’t. At least not the good ones. What they actually do is build systems where ideas get tested, refined,...
Short-form video keeps evolving, and Meta continues to add tools designed to help creators produce stronger content directly inside its ecosystem. One of the latest updates is the Freeze Frame feature inside Meta’s Edits app, a mobile editing tool built to support Instagram Reels creation. While the...
When is the best time to activate influencer marketing? Most brands ask this question like there’s a perfect date on the calendar. There isn’t. The best time to activate influencer marketing is when you have something real to say — and a clear market you want to...
What Leon’s Bagels NYC Gets Right About Lifestyle-Led Food Branding By Sean Beckingham, Branding & Buzzing I recently went down a rabbit hole on the Instagram account for Leon’s Bagels NYC, and it’s one of the best examples I’ve seen of a food brand fully understanding who...
