Cosmetics company Kao Canada has selected Corus Entertainment’s social and digital agency So.da to lead the social presence for the John Frieda brand.

As part of the new assignment, So.da will manage social media strategy, analytics, community management and content production for the premium haircare brand. A press release from Corus says the agency will take a “data-driven approach to strategy and creative,” utilizing its in-house studio to create original content year-round for the brand, with a particular focus on building long-term relationships with consumers.

Lori Bianchi, senior brand manager for John Frieda at Kao Canada, said So.da was selected for having strong competencies in social marketing and the beauty category. Dervla Kelly, who was named SVP of marketing and social digital agency last summer, adds that the agency will be focused on creating social content in order to build an engaged community for the brand.

So.da was launched by Corus in 2012 and now employs roughly 40 staff. Much of its work since then has been with Corus-owned properties such as Food Network Canada, HGTV, Global TV, Slice and W Network (including brand integration content), though it has also worked with other brands including RBC, Marshalls/TJX, Wendy’s, Skip The Dishes, Kraft, Mondelez, Remax and Benjamin Moore. In November, it hired Mindshare’s former content lead Darcy MacNeil to head up the studio.

In 2018, the John Frieda brand worked with Blue Ant Plus – a social content studio owned by Blue Ant – to create, produce and manage social media content as part of an assignment that also included Kao Canada’s Bioré and Jergens brands. A spokesperson for Corus says that while So.da pitched on the business, there was not an official review for the assignment, which is effective immediately.