Founder Maria Varvarikos has always been discerning about her client partners, but over the last couple of years, Canada-based ZOÏ Agency’s roster has grown to include more luxury names and brands with strong social responsibility. The team – which works out of Montreal, New York and Toronto – recently started working with fashion behemoths GUCCI and Christian Louboutin, as well as B Corp Certified brands (GOODEE, Kotn, Nespresso) and social enterprises (Fogo Island Inn, Fogo Island Workshops). Also of note is their renewed partnership of 13 years with Tiffany & Co.; following the LVMH purchase of the brand, new ownership reviewed all partnerships and decided to only renew with two agencies – ZOÏ being one of them. To attract and retain their roster, the agency has begun offering new services including strategic consulting, crisis PR, content creation and social media management. Varvariko sits on the board of the DESTA Black Youth Network in Montreal, and the agency partners with the organization in various ways, including recruitment through DESTA and Black student and alumni associations at partner universities.
Leadership team:
Maria Varvarikos, Founder
Notable long-term clients:
H&M, COS, Tiffany & Co., Johnson and Johnson, Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards, FENDI
New client wins:
GUCCI, Christian Louboutin, Fogo Island Inn, Club Med, Stila Cosmetics, Estiatorio Milos, Nespresso, Gray Collection Hotels
Highlight any particularly successful client campaigns and their outcomes.
“As a new brand in an increasingly competitive space, we wanted to quickly establish GOODEE's credibility. Our strategy was to place the brand's founders, Byron and Dexter Peart, at the forefront and highlight the strong reputation they had built over their 20 years in the fashion industry. We organized meetings with editors and speaking opportunities that allowed media and consumers to get to know the founders, building greater trust, credibility and brand affinity. We also ensured that we were active in communicating GOODEE's impact, and communicated key milestones, such as when they secured B-Corp certification. Lastly, we helped to coordinate and promote strategic partnerships with reputable organizations, such as The Whitney Museum, The Phi Centre, and Nordstrom. We successfully secured multiple in-depth brand features with top-tier publications such as ELLE Decor, Fast Company, Vogue.com, and The New York Times, that told the brand's story and highlighted its impact. As a result, this has created tremendous momentum, which continues to result in ongoing organic placements and mentions. The earned media coverage we have generated through our PR efforts continues to drive strong traffic and conversion, as well as interest and inquiries from prospective partners.”
