so.da And Twitter Announce Seventh Series To Launch As Part Of ‘twitter Originals Fueled By so.da’ Partnership

so.da AND TWITTER ANNOUNCE SEVENTH SERIES TO LAUNCH AS PART OF ‘TWITTER ORIGINALS FUELED BY so.da’ PARTNERSHIP

#ShopSmallStories Profiles
Canadian-Owned Small Business, Inspiring Canadians to Shop Local 

 Available @AmexCanada’s Twitter Handle and on the Global TV App

Watch Episode 1 here, and Episode 2 here

To share this release socially use: bit.ly/2QSwPja

For Immediate Release

TORONTO, September 3, 2020 – The award-winning team behind Twitter Originals fueled by so.da, announced its seventh original branded content series #ShopSmallStories with @AmexCanada in support of their Shop Small program. Bringing small businesses to the forefront, the series, produced in-house by so.da, is inspired by the movement to support local Canadian-owned business within communities. In each episode, Canadians see how small business owners run their shops, and learn how they serve their communities with resilience and hard work. The first two episodes of the four-part series are available now on @AmexCanada’s Twitter handle and the Global TV App.

“#ShopSmallStories showcases the passion, creativity and diversity of local businesses, while highlighting the uniqueness of what Canadian culture is all about,” said Dervla Kelly, Senior Vice President of Marketing and so.da, Corus Entertainment. “We’re honoured to work hand-in-hand with these merchants, AMEX Canada and Twitter to share some of the amazing stories and inspire Canadians to #ShopSmall.”

The content series, in collaboration with American Express Canada, was created in support of their Shop Small program, a national advertising campaign, backed by a Cardmember offer, to encourage Canadians to get behind their local small businesses and help support communities.

Showcasing locally diverse businesses across Toronto, #ShopSmallStories features merchants from eco-friendly living to food and beverage and hair care. Local businesses featured in each episode include:

Mofer Coffee (@mofercoffee)
Episode available here
From crop to cup Mofer believes in coffee excellence. Mofer sources their beans from the birthplace of coffee: Ethiopia.  Naturally sun-dried, they roast their beans in small batches in their Toronto store locations. Milkyas Tefera both owns the Café and is the importer.

The Green Jar (@thegreenjarshop)
Episode available here
Reducing single-use plastics is a top priority for The Green Jar. Here you can find a range of products to help you reduce waste every day. Their refillery is stocked with a curated range of personal care and household products to make package-free purchasing easy. This Black-owned business supports eco-friendly living and has been a lifelong passion for The Green Jar team.

Manstop Barbershop (@manstopbarber)
Episode debuts September 5
Manstop is a refreshingly comfortable barber shop for busy urbanites searching for expertly executed haircuts and beard trims. Located on vibrant Queen Street West, Manstop has developed a loyal following throughout the years offering quality services to its clientele. In this episode, owner and barber Tin Rodriguez speaks about her inspiration to follow her dreams and grow her business in a predominately male-lead industry.

Boukan Restaurant (@BoukanR)
Episode debuts September 10
Boukan means campfire. Before the Haitian Revolution, the “Boukan” was used as a stove to cook food. These Boukans were also home to campfire gatherings where disenfranchised Haitians would bond together over good food, conversation and dancing, creating a memory and a symbol of happiness, joy and togetherness in the midst of oppression. The goal of Boukan restaurant is to express the rich culture of Haiti and Creole food in a sophisticated and modern way, sharing not only the rich flavours of the creole cuisine but also the unifying and inspiring vibes of a Boukan. Award-winning Chef Marc-Elie has been cooking since childhood in his Haitian household. He loves dishes not just rich in flavour but also in history.

In addition to the #ShopSmallStories series, Twitter is supporting the Amex Canada Shop Small program with three additional initiatives aimed at bringing more awareness to these local businesses. Throughout August and September, Virtual Pop-up Shops for each business will be featured on @AmexCanada’s handle for Canadians to learn more about their offers and products. Then in a Twitter first, Amex Canada will provide the opportunity for the small business to speak directly to their Twitter audience through Twitter Takeovers – giving these small business owners a megaphone to showcase their business, while educating Canadians on the importance of shopping local. Twitter NEXT, the company’s internal creative team, will also be providing Brand Workshops to all participants, offering a 60-minute training and on-boarding session on how to set up successful business accounts and best practices on the platform.

“More and more Canadians are Tweeting about small business in 2020 — Tweet volumes rose by more than 200% this spring alone,” said Michael Palombo, Head of Entertainment, Twitter Canada. “We are proud to be tapping into those conversations with our partners at so.da and AMEX Canada via our latest Twitter Original series, inspiring Canadians to support local and #ShopSmall in their communities.”

“Our Shop Small program is all about supporting the small businesses that are essential to the fabric of our communities,” said David Barnes, Vice President of Advertising and Communications at American Express Canada. “This content partnership puts these unique small businesses in the center of the storytelling to remind Canadians that when they shop small, they support the passions of our local business owners.”

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About so.da
so.da is a full-service, specialized social digital agency offering strategy, community management, content production, analytics and social listening, talent and influencer integration. In addition to managing Corus’ vast portfolio of brands in the social space, including Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, Global TV, Slice and W Network, so.da works with many of Canada’s leading brands to support their social strategy and content production. The agency’s deep understanding of the space has led to above average engagement rates, watch times and lower CPEs. Last year alone, so.da content was viewed over four billion times. www.soda.corusent.com

About American Express in Canada
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. American Express was established in Canada in 1853 and offers a variety of consumer and business products. Learn more at Americanexpress.ca and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

About American Express Shop Small
Shop Small is a national movement founded by American Express to ignite passion for small businesses, call attention to the valuable contributions they make to their communities and the economy, and encourage shoppers to support them. Shop Small celebrates small businesses ranging from retail stores and restaurants to fitness studios and salons, and everything in between.

Visit www.Americanexpress.ca/shopsmall and follow #ShopSmall for more information.

For more information on #ShopSmallStories, contact:

Catrina Jaricot
Corus Entertainment
416.479.6397
Catrina.jaricot@corusent.com