WXM Tech’s Sunny-Weather Escapades Inform Future Experiential Endeavours

For creative technology company WXM Tech, there isn’t really a quiet time of year. From experiential asks to innovative applications of hardware, eager agencies are always looking to take their executions to the next level, guided by the keen eye of founder Damian Wright.

With that said, summer was especially busy for the business this year. Tasked with tackling several major campaigns in a very brief window, it’s only been with the arrival of colder weather and shorter days that the team has finally caught its breath.

“It was a crazy period,” Damian recalls. “While being an agency partner working with innovative technology means we’re consistently asked about unique and exciting ideas, it felt like our limits were pushed in the best way possible across those months.”

Specifically, two primary campaigns stand out to him as having defined the season: President’s Choice’s ‘Bookable Backyards’, and a live drone show created for insurance company Pets Plus Us. Both challenges required WXM to offer up reliable programme management, and this slight reprieve has given Damian a much-needed opportunity to reflect on the work, as well as key takeaways worth carrying into future endeavours.

“We want to learn from every project,” he continues. “While we’re proud of our work, there are lessons which come with every campaign, and applying those to future undertakings is how we push our craft to the next level. That should always be the goal.”

Blazing Backyard BBQ

Reflecting on the first of the two campaigns, Damian asserts that this, by nature, was a logistical challenge above all else. Having been tasked by creative agency Zulu Alpha Kilo and retailer President’s Choice to provide groups private spaces for summer barbecuing, the team was quick to start sourcing private backyards across Toronto and Vancouver, before furnishing them with PC products to subsequently be booked.

“Finding homes within specific communities that fit the budget was by far the biggest challenge,” he says. “Instead of simply renting backyards through location websites that are very expensive, we launched a direct leaflet campaign featuring door hangers that directed homeowners to a website (which we built) for more information and to submit applications. This initiative was highly successful, allowing us to secure multiple homes in both cities quickly.”

The difficulty didn’t end there, however. To really bring this offering to life, WXM was responsible for curating each experience with trained brand ambassadors, providing mobile security, managing and delivering food orders, home cleanup, and insurance coverage for all involved parties.

To this end, across the programme’s four weekends, the company handled the logistics by providing a city manager in each location, along with a team – about 12 in each city – for collection, delivery, setup and teardown. A decision which provided a single point of contact for the campaign’s partners, this streamlining act distilled the actual execution into a game of timing.

“It was essential to ensure that we allowed enough time for everything, while also planning around test runs,” Damian explains. “One of the best decisions we made was to ship and assemble all products in our city storage facilities as soon as possible. This allowed us to identify any damage to specific items, enabling us to plan for the replacement of parts as needed.

“As a team, we also drove the routes, walked through the backyards, and measured the width of the entrances to ensure that all products would fit. We even took photos of the backyards to create mockups of the installation setup. Going through this process gave everyone peace of mind, knowing we’d minimised the chances of any issues.”

That isn’t to say it was smooth sailing the entire way through. According to Damian, most campaigns feature last-minute requests and realisations, and this was no exception.

Notably, WXM would encounter a payment processing issue when the credit card company mistakenly flagged its food orders as fraudulent, resulting in a panic. Fortunately, this is where pre-testing proved its merits, as the issue was identified with time to spare, and a backup plan was implemented to collect directly from the store and hand-deliver, thereby preventing a significant setback.

“One thing that really frustrates me is when a simple test run could provide valuable insights, yet some people are unwilling to invest the time to rehearse and refine their approach,” Damian emphasises. “Look at the difference it made here! By planning, testing, and doing run-throughs, we flagged the problem ahead of time, and ensured it all ran smoothly on the day.”

A Drone Show… For Pets?

While handling logistics is something WXM has plenty of experience with, the challenge provided by PR agency Weber Shandwick and Pets Plus Us challenged the company in unique ways. Keenly aware of the threats fireworks pose to people’s animal companions, the aim of hosting a drone show on Canada Day long weekend meant that the creative technology shop was once again responsible for sourcing locations, but this time… in the sky.

“Every year, we collaborate with numerous locations, which helps us streamline the process of sourcing venues, understanding costs, and managing permits,” Damian says. “When it comes to a drone show, our team prioritises submitting information to the aviation authority early and securing the necessary permits efficiently. So, within just a week, we identified several potential sites across multiple cities. However, our Toronto location, featuring the iconic CN Tower as a backdrop, was simply too good to pass up.”

From there, the company would once again source and train brand ambassadors and security, handle insurance coverage, and provide a dedicated team onsite for setup and management, serving as a single point of contact. But, in addition to this, WXM also handled video and still capture based on Weber Shandwick’s shot list, utilising drone-on-drone footage to get it done.

“We have extensive experience with UAVs, having successfully delivered brands like Bick's and REESE’S to some unexpected locations,” he explains. “However, this was indeed challenging. Our solution lay in conducting test runs with our second drone to ensure the framing met the creative director’s expectations, and fortunately, the city backdrop helped us capture the perfect image.”

This would pan out nicely. In conjunction with pet-friendly ice cream and activities – also curated by WXM – the day came off without a hitch, and the wider event was successfully live-streamed for those unable to attend. Something Damian acknowledges as a highlight of the summer, for him, it was simultaneously affirmation of his company’s methodology, and a spectacle for the eyes.

“I enjoy all our unique projects, but the drone show was something truly magical because of its location and stunning backdrop,” he notes. “Watching the show with the CN Tower and high-rise buildings in the background was an incredible experience.”

No Substitute for Live Events

Although WXM’s capabilities extend well beyond event logistics and management, the value of a detail-oriented process is, according to Damian, essential in any kind of work the creative technology company undertakes.

Reflecting on lessons learned this summer, he maintains the value of paying attention to little details, which, in this case, allowed agency partners to focus on the big picture due to the confidence instilled by the team’s process.

“You need to thoroughly address every aspect of the event,” he says. “Each step should be examined without assuming that something will work as planned. The more diligent you are in your preparation, the better the outcome of your event will be each time.”

This is especially important to Damian, given his belief that now more than ever, there’s a need for meaningful live events in the world.

Referencing an Oasis concert which he recently attended, the founder emphasises that in an era of AI, the costs of traditional digital production decreasing, and content production becoming quicker, no digital experience “can compare” to an unforgettable live event.

“People are overwhelmed by the abundance of digital content, advertisements, and social media,” he concludes. “They’re seeking more tangible experiences; they want to see things in real life, feel them, and smile because of them. Experiential activations, clever product development, and activations are revenue streams that all agencies should focus on, and we, as experts, are here to help. I’m excited to see what this winter brings!”