Context
For years, Little Brothers has been working to combat social isolation among seniors aged 75 and over by providing meaningful companionship and lasting support. In September 2026, the organization reached a new milestone with the opening of its fourth charity thrift store, its first on Montreal’s South Shore, in Greenfield Park.
The objective: raise awareness of this new location, shine a light on the organization’s mission, and rally the local community around three key actions: donating, getting involved, and shopping at the store.
To turn this opening into an opportunity for meaningful visibility and engagement, Franchir rolled out a comprehensive communications strategy: a community outreach team connecting directly with local residents, a grand opening celebration, public relations and influencer marketing initiatives, creative mailers, and targeted promotion in local Facebook groups.
An integrated approach that transformed the discovery of a new thrift store into an opportunity to support a cause that truly matters.
Communications Objectives
Raise awareness of the new thrift store among communities on Montreal’s South Shore.
- Raise awareness of the new thrift store among communities on Montreal’s South Shore.
- Increase awareness of Little Brothers’ mission and its efforts to combat social isolation among seniors.
- Generate media coverage and digital visibility to amplify awareness of the store opening and the organization’s mission.
- Encourage community engagement through donations, volunteering, and visits to the store.
Franchir’s Areas of Expertise
Communications Strategy: Developed an integrated approach to raise awareness of the new thrift store and engage the local community.
- Communications Strategy
Developed an integrated approach to raise awareness of the new thrift store and engage the local community. - Event Production
Planned, organized, and coordinated a grand opening celebration attended by nearly 60 guests. - Public Relations and Media Relations
Conducted targeted media outreach, invited journalists to the grand opening event, and secured local, regional, and national media coverage. - Influencer Marketing
Identified and engaged content creators, managed invitations to the grand opening event, and distributed curated discovery boxes to spark conversations and encourage donations even before the store opened. - Experiential Marketing and Field Activations
Deployed a community outreach team at strategic locations across Montreal’s South Shore to introduce the store and encourage donations, volunteering, and visits. - Community Engagement and Digital Outreach: Store opening promotion through targeted content shared in relevant local Facebook groups and online communities to generate word-of-mouth awareness.
Results
- Six media mentions, generating more than 750,000 media impressions.
- 43 social media mentions, reaching more than 250,000 people.
- 475 meaningful face-to-face interactions through the community outreach team.
- Store opening announcement shared across nine local Facebook groups, reaching a combined audience of 102,300 people.
- Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier visited the new thrift store and shared an Instagram Story highlighting her experience.
Credits
Client | Les Petits Frères – Little Brothers
Event Production, Media Relations, Influencer Marketing | Franchir
Photographer | Philippe Latour
Catering | Grazing Mesa
DJ | DJ Nalee
