On the screen, the toddler offers the bit of food in his hand to some grazing sheep. “Num … num,” he insists. The sheep, unimpressed, bleat in the background. This slice of rural life, captured in a Twitter post, was part of a radically new marketing approach for equipment manufacturer John Deere. Founded in 1837, the company is known for its big machines, from tractors and combines to bulldozers and backhoes. But through its work with Quarry, the award-winning St. Jacobs-based advertising agency, John Deere Canada discovered an underserved market for its smaller equipment and used digital media to reach them in meaningful ways.

The manufacturer of un-smashable, un-drownable wearable action cameras seems to believe strongly in the old saying that a picture is worth a 1,000 words, as it actively encourages and shares user-generated content. Go Pro has essentially mastered the content marketing game: The California-based camera manufacturer keeps its 2.3 million-strong audience entertained and informed primarily through its YouTube channel while hyper-engaging on Instagram and keeping busy on Facebook. GoPro enables the company’s fans to evangelize on its behalf. All GoPro needs to do is provide the camera.

ModCloth comes from humble beginnings in a dorm room. The company, founded in 2008, has grown in leaps in bounds since its inception. Including a 600% growth rate over the last two years and an annual revenue of over 150 million in 2014. One of the mainstays of ModCloth’s expert marketing strategy is their customer engagement. The company leverages their brand advocates and creates inclusive social media communities where fans can review products, post pictures of themselves wearing Modcloth apparel, take part in the design and purchase of inventory, and discuss all things ModCloth.