Challenge

Build the Toronto Raptors global brand and fanbase to maximise engagement and drive commercial revenues.

Transformation

To maximise impact and drive brand fame, we decided to give the NBA’s only Canadian franchise a voice, a brand platform for fans to engage with but also that sponsors and partners could buy into and leverage.

‘We The North’ was that statement. More than a campaign, it’s an example of how an identity-shaping truth can spark a brand crusade and ultimately get firmly rooted in the culture of not just a city, or even the a whole country, but the entire planet. 

After defining an identity and a rallying cry, the new anthem of the Raptors was deployed across the entire Toronto Raptors ecosystem: stadium, merchandising, social media, content strategy, partnership strategy, media campaigns, influence strategy.

It reached across the planet to capture the collective imagination and was adopted by people and brands everywhere who felt compelled to appropriate it and make it their own.

Impact

And it delivered in a major way:

• The value of the franchise increased from $500k to over $2bn
• Sponsorship revenue up 17%
• Engagement levels over 300% higher 

We also saw our movement make its mark in culture – following the historic NBA championship win, ’We The North’ day was proclaimed by the President of Canada. 

It transcended other sports too, with ‘We The North’ becoming ‘SHE the north’ for tennis fans after Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu won the 2019 US Open.

And we are continuing to see the benefits of Sid Lee's community marketing approach with lower marketing spend now required, greater loyalty amongst the fan base, higher frequency and intensity of purchase and overall marketing efficiency from the network effect.