JADE & MATT PINKERTON
Case Study
Legend Academy of the Performing Arts | Cambridge, Ontario
Background
Jade and Matt Pinkerton were professional performing artists with long resumes in musical theatre, dance and commercial work, when in 2020, their performance careers came to an abrupt halt due to the pandemic. They returned to Cambridge to assist with Jade’s family-owned dance studio, a 35-year institution in the Waterloo Region. In the Fall of 2022, Jade and Matt acquired the business and embarked on a massive overhaul, including extensive renovations, program overhaul and a full rebrand. They officially launched Legends Academy of the Performing Arts as an inclusive, family-centred studio for students of all ages and levels, along with the Legends Company for competitive dancers looking for professional-level training.
The Challenge
While Jade and Matt both had extensive dance experience across North America, they needed to establish the new brand in the Waterloo Region, in order to attract new registrations. They were not only launching a new business but working to reestablish a student base post-pandemic.
They also face an extensive roster of competing studios in the area, so positioning themselves and their unique value proposition was important. We not only needed to establish credibility as dance teachers and studio directors, but gain visibility for the brand as a whole.
Action Plan
Wiltshire Media created and executed a strategic media campaign, specifically targeting local media within the Waterloo Region to assist with registration numbers, as well as top-tier provincial and national outlets for positioning, branding and visibility within the dance community.
We also served as a consultant on their overall marketing strategy, including messaging and content creation, and advised on social media content relating to PR coverage. We created a variety of video and image-based content, including Reel and YouTube content, to promote their TV appearances.
The Results
The campaign has been hugely successful in gaining a broad scope of media coverage, generating social media content, and increasing registration for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 dance seasons. This campaign is currently ongoing.
Jade and Matt have appeared in top-tier outlets including, CityNews, RogersTV and CHCH Morning Live. Jade and Matt have also made three separate appearances on Breakfast Television, Canada’s #1 morning show. Two segments were for the “Moving in the Morning” spot, which featured a variety of Legends Company members, and one segment was a feature spot on the topic of “Inclusivity in Dance.” All three segments included performance opportunities. One segment was picked up by MSN.
