In 2019, the Toronto Raptors were entering the NBA Playoffs with momentum. With a bolstered roster featuring one of the best players in the NBA, Kawhi Leonard, fans had reason to be excited. That said, Raptors Republic, a Toronto-based fan blog, didn’t yet have the audience to play a significant role in the conversation, facing tough competition from larger, conventional media outlets. The agency saw an opportunity to place Raptors Republic at the heart of fan culture in Toronto while also helping to position the city as legitimate, top-tier fans of a world-class team, recognition that Toronto has struggled to achieve.

Surrounding this momentous playoff season was the looming discussion about whether the Raptors’ best player would stay beyond this season. It was this uncertainty that provided the chance for Raptors Republic to give Toronto fans, via their favourite restaurants, a pulpit to express their support in a unique way.

With that opportunity in mind, Ka’Wine and Dine was born: an initiative wherein restaurants placed a badge in their windows, pledging to give Kawhi free food for life if he re-signed to the Toronto Raptors. The campaign leveraged Instagram as a central hub for awareness and promotion and also included KawineAndDine.com, where businesses could download and print the stickers for free.

Just days after its launch, this fan-driven campaign exploded. In less than one week, Instagram followers entered the thousands. In less than two weeks, nearly five hundred businesses had made the Ka’Wine and Dine pledge, expanding beyond the restaurant realm. The initiative was endorsed and shared by the Mayor of Toronto, and subsequently several other municipal and provincial politicians across Ontario and Canada. Badges were spotted as far away as Shanghai. To keep up with demand, additional badges were created to include shops, car sharing, and charitable giving.

The success of Ka’Wine and Dine was attributed in large part to the nimble approach taken with social media, focused on Instagram in particular. Constant social engagement featuring tagged posts and stories encouraged to fans to acquire the badge and display their commitment online, using #kawineanddine.

Ka’Wine and Dine was a huge success for Toronto fans, venues, and ultimately Raptors Republic. The campaign was reported in the media for fifty-four consecutive days, including TNT, ABC, ESPN, TSN, and more. Instagram fan sites such as BleacherReport (a CNN partner with 10.5 millions followers) covered it, as well as fan favourite House of Highlights (13.6 million followers). The BBC called it one of the top five stories for the entire playoffs this year. Impressions went well into the seven figures. Raptors Republic gained credibility, with retired basketball players and current commentators like Jalen Rose and Charles Barkely praising the initiative on their broadcasts. The company saw website traffic grow 959% during the campaign, and their Instagram account, a primary conduit to their fans, was able to reach over 70 million accounts organically.