B-to-C Events

Vans in the New Year is launching for a fourth season its Vans Custom Culture contest, a program that simultaneously honors the brand’s heritage as a shoe maker that promotes personal expression among its wearers, while getting thousands of consumers in its target market to create buzz around the product.

MetroPCS, the no annual contract wireless provider, on Black Friday went where its customers could be found on the day after Thanksgiving—on the lines outside of malls waiting for stores to open. The effort reached an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 people and helped boost Black Friday sales of the Galaxy S3 handset, a recent addition to the MetroPCS line-up, by 250 percent compared to sales prior to Black Friday. 

To encourage brand affinity and to provide an exclusive experience for its drinkers, single malt scotch whisky-maker The Macallan hosted free private tasting shows for consumers over four nights, Nov. 27 through Nov. 30, at The Altman Building in New York City. Each session of the Raise The Macallan event included about 250 consumers who registered or had attended the circa-1824 brand’s previous events. A select group of hyper-engaged consumers were invited to be VIP guests with access to the brand ambassador, fine hors d’oeuvres and a dram from a 12-year sherry cask.

Frank’s Red Hot, a product of Reckitt Benckiser, has just wrapped its first-ever mobile tour, the Frank’s to the People Tour, a 10-month journey across 25 states and more than 250 stops, designed to bring the sauce to underperforming markets and encourage trial with consumers who’ve not been introduced to Frank’s line of hot sauces. And, according to the early end-of-tour numbers, boy did it hit that mark.

Thinking that the 1,500 campers living in a tent city awaiting the premiere of “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” would want to stretch a bit after sleeping on the asphalt surrounding Los Angeles’ Nokia Place, Jamba Juice, the specialty-smoothie retailer, on Nov. 9 gave them the opportunity to do just that. The film is the final episode in the popular “Twilight” series that stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.