Case Study: Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) achieves customer growth in Ontario and Quebec with Hootsuite

How MEC Grew Their Customer Base with #GoodTimesOutside

Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) is a Canadian outdoor retail co-op with 4.3 million members and a mission to get people outdoors while protecting the environment. Faced with data showing many urban Canadians spend very little time outside, MEC aimed to raise brand awareness, inspire city dwellers to try low‑barrier outdoor activities, and grow its customer base in under‑penetrated markets such as Ontario and Quebec.

MEC launched the #GoodTimesOutside microsite featuring hyperlocal activity guides and paired it with Hootsuite‑driven organic and paid social, geotargeting, event promotion, real‑time monitoring, and user‑generated content. The campaign drove 75% of microsite traffic from Ontario and Quebec, reduced bounce rate by 20%, generated roughly 70,000 hashtagged posts, and became a permanent part of MEC’s brand.

MEC

Ryan McKee

Brand Engagement Director