Content Works: What helped this award-winning B2B content campaign generate big impact?

How do you turn a province’s recycling problems into a personal challenge?

That was the question that took Content Works’ campaign for The Alberta Beverage Containers Recycling Corporation (ABCRC) from campaign concept to award-winning execution.

Winner of a silver medal at the 2025 Canadian Online Publishing Awards and shortlisted for the Best B2B Campaign category at the Native Advertising Institute’s Branded Content Awards 2026 Global Edition, this campaign had impressive results and big impact.

ABCRC’s 2025 Corporate Brand campaign aimed to elevate awareness of Alberta’s beverage container recycling system while driving measurable engagement across key stakeholder groups. A major focus was the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) sector, which plays a critical role in scaling recycling efforts to meet future demand.

To support this, we developed a three-part branded content series and a webinar:

· Part 1 (April): Addresses population growth and the need for scalable infrastructure.
· Part 2 (June): Explores the importance of end markets and circularity.
· Part 3 (October): Addresses challenging materials and makes a business case for container recycling

Webinar

These dynamic web pages served as anchor content for ABCRC’s broader media strategy, amplifying initiatives across paid media, influencer campaigns, webinars and stakeholder engagement.

Senior producer, Peter Vamos, managed the content campaign and sat down to tell us a little about the approach and his work at Content Works.

What was the client hoping to achieve with the content?

Alberta’s population is projected to hit 7.5 million by 2044 up from 4.7 million today. Many challenges come from such rapid growth, including maintaining and enhancing recycling infrastructure. Today, Alberta leads Canada with an 85 per cent recycling rate but maintaining that success as the population climbs will present a series of challenges.

ABCRC identified the ICI sector as a prime target to help boost the provinces overall rate of container returns. ABCRC wanted to connect with Alberta’s ICI sector to help these businesses better understand how the recycling system works, build trust, correct misconceptions and give stakeholders clear, practical reasons to care about recycling beyond just the environmental message. It also wanted a mechanism to help them better understand barriers faced by businesses so that it could frame solutions and drop barriers to participation.

How did you approach the content strategy?

Content Works developed a strategy around one core insight: for professional audiences, sustainability alone isn’t enough. We needed to present a clear business case. We built a strategy that focused on real-world pressures like infrastructure strain and highlighted economic realities and opportunities within recycling. We invited participation with interactive elements and videos rather than passive reading. We also made sure the content tied into ABCRC’s broader campaign ecosystem, so it felt like one cohesive conversation happening across channels.

Tell us about the content

We created a three-part interactive content series utilizing dynamic web pages with each diving into a different piece of the recycling puzzle. These pages combined long-form storytelling with animated explainer videos and interactive infographics such as a clickable “Hollywood Squares” modules exploring different container types and a “choose your own journey” experience that walked users through various container recycling processes.

To deepen engagement, we embedded ICI-focused polls throughout to gather insights directly from the audience. We also produced a webinar featuring Alberta-based sustainability bloggers to discuss the challenges and opportunities of sustainable practices in everyday life. Each chapter built on the last – starting with population growth, moving into end markets (what actually happens after recycling), and finishing with tough-to-recycle materials and the business case for solving them.

How did the content meet the client’s marketing goals?

The campaign drove:

• • 123K+ visitors
  • 139K+ page views
  • 55K+ video plays
  • Nearly 2,000 poll responses
  • Strong paid performance, including a 4.23% CTR (well above B2B benchmarks)
  • It also hit the qualitative goals with interactive elements helping surface real insights from ICI audiences, like common barriers (cost, logistics, bin access) and persistent misconceptions about recyclability.

What stood out to you once the content was published?

One of the biggest surprises was how many misconceptions still exist, even among professional audiences. Things like what’s actually recyclable, where materials go or how refund systems work weren’t always clearly understood. The polls were especially interesting because they revealed patterns around operational challenges, beyond just awareness gaps. That kind of insight is gold for a client like ABCRC because it directly informs future strategy and messaging.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m based in Toronto and currently a senior producer at Content Works. I’ve been here for two years, working on a mix of branded content campaigns including features, video productions and larger-scale interactive builds like this one. This is actually my third go-around with Postmedia properties, having previously worked in Postmedia editorial and at Toronto Sun.

What is your favourite type of content to work on?

I gravitate toward video. I took so many film courses in university that I ended up with a double minor in economics and film, so I come by this passion honestly.

What is your biggest learning from working on Content Works content campaigns?

Simplicity and clear messaging help lead to better engagement. You can take a complex topic (like recycling infrastructure!) and make it resonate, but only if you break it down in a way that feels relevant and useful to your audience.

When do you feel the proudest of the content you've made?

We work very hard to understand our clients’ needs and strategies but sometimes when the campaign is over, we don’t hear how the content was received by the client, even when the data shows strong engagement. But when a client renews with us, that’s a pretty clear indication that the content resonated with both the audience and the client. That’s when I feel proudest. ABCRC renewed for 2026, so that was a great feeling.

What helps you be the most creative?

Finding inspiration in other forms of content whether it’s reading, listening to music, enjoying a podcast or going to an art gallery.

What are you excited about when it comes to branded content?

Traditional advertising doesn’t always have the same impact that it once had. But great stories have always resonated with consumers. It’s exciting to see more brands understand that they have their own stories to tell.

What advice would you give to brands wanting to make amazing content?

Tell your story. Every brand has a story to tell. Find the angle that makes your brand unique and come up with an ecosystem of ideas and media to help tell that story.