A journey from awareness to conversion

Leveraging social media, search, and a modernized website to drive customer engagement and revenue

EDO, known for blending traditional Japanese Washokuwith French-European techniques, offers a unique culinary experience. However,their digital presence was falling short of connecting with both existing andnew customers. We helped EDO optimize their online touchpoints, track customer journeys, and build an engaging, measurable digital strategy that drives both awareness and revenue.

The "Who"

The EDOGroup is a hospitality company operating restaurants, catering, QSR, and entertainment venue food services in the Greater TorontoArea. With over 30years as a a multi-generation family operated business, EDO offers a unique dining experience by blending two culinary traditions: Washoku, the authentic flavours of traditional Japanese cuisine, and Seiyo-Ryori, a fusion of French-European techniques with Japanese influences. This carefully crafted fusion sets EDO apart, creating a distinctive and ever-evolving menu.EDO’s commitment to its community and its craft is evident in all the awards and celebrations it is regularly invited to participate in.

The "Why"

EDO approached us with the concern that their digital presence wasn’t connecting with existing clients or reaching new customers in a meaningful way. Management wanted to expand awareness of the business and its offering, and to try and connect the user’s awareness of one location to another. For example, if you experienced EDO at a hockey game, did you know you could also have the same experience at your office for a catered event? Or even a private dining experience at one of their physical locations? Their online representation wasn’t current enough to resonate with those familiar with their brand, and certainly not with those who had never experienced EDO before.

We discovered that EDO had no insight into the journey of potential customers, from the moment they first encountered the brand online to their decision to visit, order take-out, or experience EDO at Scotiabank Arena. Our goal was to map digital campaigns to measurable customer experiences—ensuring every stage from awareness to conversion was tracked and optimized. In conversations with EDO management, it was also determined that the original web experience was focused on education first, and conversion second. Knowing that conversion was key, the decision was made to reinvent the online experience.

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The "What"

Our first challenge was educating the client on a comprehensive approach to marketing. While their primary goal was always an increase in revenue, we needed to introduce them to a more nuanced approach—one that recognized the importance of awareness, consideration, and conversion stages.

Additionally, we needed to help EDO catch up to the way their customers interact with digital platforms daily. EDO’s digital touchpoints were outdated, and this gap in customer interaction was preventing them from leveraging opportunities to engage and convert new clients.

The "How"

We started by conducting thorough research and strategy sessions to better understand EDO’s brand and position in the market. This included:

Understanding all the business elements that drive revenue for EDO, and where there were cross sections to capitalize on.
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‍Keyword research: We identified the search terms that potential clients were using.
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Competitor research: We analyzed how competitors were presenting themselves online and discovered areas where EDO could stand out.‍
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Audience insights: We found that attracting new clients and engaging with existing ones were key drivers of success.

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Based on these insights, we recommended a shift in focus toward tactics like social media, search, and email marketing to build awareness and engagement. However, before any paid search campaigns could run, we identified that EDO’s website needed to be updated to ensure tracking and analytics were properly set up.

The strategic plan involved starting with social media branding efforts to build momentum while the website was being developed. We developed content pillars that EDO was passionate about and began testing on social media to determine what would have the greatest levels of engagement (images and copy). We then mapped the campaign elements to track customer interactions from awareness through conversion, ensuring that every effort was measurable.

The "It"

After securing the client’s approval, our team moved forward with translating the new brand identity into several key components:

A responsive, updated website that aligned with the both the updated branding and the flip of conversion first, education second

Copy and images were implemented based on success markers from the original social campaigns
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SEO was implemented to focus on keywords we saw audiences focusing on
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A refreshed social media presence to better engage with both existing customers and attract new ones
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New email templates designed to communicate with EDO’s membership base and share updates on events, offers, and news

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Due to circumstances beyond our control, we pivoted quickly and made the decision to prioritize social media branding first instead, launching it several months ahead of the new website. This allowed us to build momentum and maintain engagement. Once the website launched, it provided the foundation for subsequent email campaigns tied to key tentpole activations, which included pre, during, and post-event communications.

We also educated the client on the methodology behind these efforts, ensuring they understood how each touchpoint fit into the larger strategy. As a result, the brand gained exposure through local coverage, including a blog feature on BlogTO, further expanding EDO’s reach.

The "Results"

The results of our efforts were clear and measurable:

‍Social Media:
- Data showed that social media engagement and reach successfully aligned with the KPIs we had set, driving awareness and consideration.
- Always on social media had consistent results, but spikes came in traffic and conversion when campaigns were in play (Mother’s Day, Valentines Day etc.)
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Email Campaigns: Our email CRM campaigns tied directly to revenue, demonstrating the effectiveness of the approach.
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Website: The new website provided a seamless customer experience, allowing for better tracking of user behavior and conversions.

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The combination of these efforts ensured that EDO not only gained visibility but also improved customer engagement and increased revenue, validating the success of the digital transformation we helped them achieve.

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