If you live in Vancouver you probably noticed a surge in buff, international men and women roaming its fair streets – that is, of course, if you haven’t been hiding out under a nicely air-conditioned rock. The 2009 World Police & Fire Games, the world’s second largest sporting event, took the city by storm. Athletes from over 15 different countries including Sri Lanka, Greece, Iceland, South Africa, Philippines, Russia, and Trinidad & Tobago strutted their stuff right here on Vancouver’s home turf – an incredible feat in our recuperating global economy. This year, the Games posted a record number of participants with 10,577 athletes gracing over 60 events held at 40 plus venues across the Lower Mainland. Why the record-breaking figures? Some savvy Facebook marketing by Soya may have something to do with it.  Soya Marketing helped the 2009 World Police and Fire Games bring its brand alive online.

Need a lively example of how social media can build  real-life relationships? Look no further than the 2009 World Police and Fire Games Facebook page created in February which boasts over 4,150 fans joining in on the discussion from virtually every angle. The page take its aesthetic cues from the WPFG website with interactive content neatly boxed into different sections for quick and easy access. Fans can ask each other questions, comment and offer opinions, share likes and dislikes, and exchange rich content like photographs and video – all interactively and in real-time. Another interesting feature of Facebook marketing is that sharing in the WPFG experience is not limited to those physically in Vancouver; people around the world have joined in the fun and offered their support, contributing to the unfolding dialogue without missing a beat.

The significance of creating a Facebook community for the WPFG is that it translates directly into increased visibility, accessibility and connection.

For the WPFG, its first-ever foray into social media helped turn this into its biggest, most successful games ever.