My Friends
Special Olympics Hamilton
Jay has proudly volunteered with Special Olympics Ontario and Special Olympics Hamilton to support their mission of empowering athletes through sport and community. Jay's work has combined marketing, event promotion, sponsorship coordination, and entertainment planning to ensure that each initiative not only raised awareness and funds but also created meaningful experiences for athletes, families, and supporters.
Marketing Work
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Event Marketing & Promotion
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Designed and ran marketing campaigns for the Special Olympics Hamilton Basketball Clinic.
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Created posters, social media content, and email promotions to recruit participants, secure donations, and increase visibility.
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Managed ticketing and donation pages through CrowdChange, embedding links in posts and websites.
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Coordinated Facebook and Instagram campaigns, including organic promotion.
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Benefit Concert Marketing
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Leading all marketing for the Special Olympics Ontario Benefit Concert at Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. (Oct 19, 2025).
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Built artist profiles, posters, and CrowdChange ticket/donation links.
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Coordinated social media collaborations with featured artists (Ira Walker, Jeff Gunn, Dwayne Morgan, Caroline Wiles, etc.).
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Drafted and distributed press releases, partnership pitches, and sponsor communications.
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Community & Sponsorship Work
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Secured sponsorships and in-kind donations for SOO Hamilton events.
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Coordinated with local businesses for cross-promotion and support (restaurants, breweries, etc.).
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Built sponsorship tracking system for donors.
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Strategic & Consulting Work
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Provided website consulting on integrating donation/ticketing systems (e.g., CrowdChange).
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Built a framework for case studies and testimonials from events to strengthen future marketing.
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Music & Entertainment Work
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Booking Artists & Entertainment for SOH events.
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Negotiated and confirmed performances for the Benefit Concert lineup.
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Provided sound and equipment planning lists for events.
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Sport-Specific Contributions
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Organized and promoted the Special Olympics Hamilton Basketball Clinic with coaches from McMaster, Mohawk, and local networks.
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Balanced skills development, teamwork, and fundraising goals in marketing campaigns.
War Child Canada
Jay Erlich brought his passion for leadership and service to War Child Canada as the President of McMaster University’s chapter. In this role, he oversaw marketing, event promotion, and concert organization, helping to raise both funds and awareness for War Child’s mission.
While at McMaster, Jay completed two internships at War Child’s Toronto office as part of his Honours Communication/Philosophy and Peace Studies minor. These experiences deepened his commitment to charitable work and community impact. Inspired by McMaster alumni Dr. Samantha Nutt, Jay worked closely with his executive team to host fundraising concerts during both the fall and winter semesters, engaging the student body and the wider community.
Through this work, Jay discovered a true passion for fundraising and marketing for charities. Year after year, he dedicated his music to supporting important causes, performing at multiple benefit concerts. These experiences continue to shape his vision for the future, applying the lessons learned from War Child to make a lasting difference through music, marketing, and advocacy.
My Best Friends Records
Jay is an independent musician who released his first studio album in 2025 through his record label, Best Friends Records. After going through the process of creating and releasing his own music, he developed the skills needed to guide other artists through every stage of their careers. From planning an album launch to building a professional presence online, Jay brings hands-on experience and creativity to help musicians share their work with the world.
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Through Best Friends Records, Jay offers a full range of music marketing and business support. He helps artists design release strategies, distribute their music on major platforms, and develop the visual identity that makes their brand stand out. He also creates press kits and artist bios, plans social media campaigns, and produces engaging content such as lyric videos, performance clips, and behind-the-scenes footage.
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Beyond digital promotion, Jay supports musicians with the business side of music. He has experience in concert and event promotion, booking shows, building partnerships, and securing sponsorships. He also assists with grant applications, email marketing, and website development to ensure artists are positioned for long-term success. With a strong network of producers, designers, and collaborators, Jay offers mentorship and guidance to help musicians grow both creatively and professionally.
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Music Therapy Academy
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Jay Erlich has collaborated with the Music Therapy Academy, where the Owner has served as both a mentor and coach, guiding Jay in exploring the therapeutic power of music. Through studying the Academy’s webinars, Jay applied music therapy concepts directly into his own songwriting practice, blending creativity with healing approaches.
Beyond his personal development, Jay has contributed as a marketing consultant, supporting the Academy with its marketing needs and offering fresh strategies for growth. His relationship with the Academy also extended into education: Jay was invited to deliver a guest lecture in a McMaster University music therapy class, sharing his insights and experiences.
This opportunity sparked a new passion for teaching and mentorship. Inspired by the experience, Jay hopes to expand his role in music education and therapeutic practice, continuing to combine his skills in music, marketing, and leadership to positively impact others
Fearless Meat
During his time in the Sport and Event Marketing program, Jay completed his internship with Fearless Meat, a Toronto-based restaurant. The internship provided hands-on experience across several areas of marketing strategy, digital promotion, and brand development. Many of the initiatives Jay contributed to during this period remain in use today, more than five years later.
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The internship began with an emphasis on market research and competitive analysis. Jay identified and profiled other local restaurants, analyzing their menu offerings, pricing strategies, customer value propositions, and digital footprints. This benchmarking provided Fearless Meat with actionable insights on how to position itself within a competitive food service market and differentiate its brand.
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Jay also gained experience in digital marketing and content strategy by helping manage Fearless Meat’s social media platforms. His work included creating engaging content, scheduling posts for optimal visibility, and monitoring audience interaction. By leveraging social media analytics and engagement metrics, he was able to recommend strategies that improved brand awareness and drove customer engagement both online and in-store.
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One of the most significant contributions of the internship was the website redesign project. Jay collaborated on a complete overhaul of the restaurant’s digital presence, beginning with content creation and brand storytelling. This included photographing every food item with an eye for consistent lighting, composition, and visual appeal. These images were integrated into the redesigned website, ensuring that customers could visually connect with the brand’s offerings. The redesigned website remains in use today, serving as a testament to the long-term impact of his work.
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Throughout the internship, Jay also applied concepts of integrated marketing communications (IMC) by aligning social media, web content, and local outreach under a consistent brand message. This holistic approach reinforced Fearless Meat’s identity and helped build loyalty with its customer base.
Discovery Ink and Art
In 2023, Jay volunteered with Discovery Ink and Art to help launch their business and establish a strong online presence. Discovery Ink and Art offers a unique combination of tattoo artistry, original artwork, and their own clothing line.
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Jay developed and executed a variety of tailored marketing strategies designed to drive sales and accelerate business growth through social media. These strategies included content planning, branding alignment, and engagement tactics that connected the business with both local and international audiences.
As a result, the campaign led to a measurable increase in followers, improved brand recognition, and international exposure. To date, Kansinee (lead artist of Discovery Ink and Art) has built a thriving community with over 14,000 followers across her social media platforms.
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Building on this success, Jay has continued his marketing work with Kansinee, supporting her through important business decisions such as relocating Discovery Ink and Art. By providing insight and strategic guidance, Jay helps evaluate opportunities and determine how best to integrate the business into new markets, ensuring sustainable growth and long-term success.
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Her work can be viewed here:
Kincardine Fall Fair (2020-2021)
In 2020 and 2021, Best Friends helped lead the marketing and sponsorship campaigns for the digital Kincardine Fall Fair. With the event shifting online during the pandemic, we developed an integrated digital marketing strategy that combined sponsorship acquisition, community outreach, and media promotion to ensure strong engagement and visibility.
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Our work began with identifying and approaching local businesses, creating tailored value propositions that highlighted both community impact and digital brand exposure. We designed sponsorship packages with tiered investment levels, each offering defined deliverables such as logo placement, media mentions, and promotional recognition. This gave sponsors clear options that matched their budgets and objectives, while also maximizing the fair’s fundraising potential.
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To expand the reach of the fair, we coordinated with local media outlets—including radio, newspapers, blogs, and online news platforms, to increase awareness and credibility. On the digital side, we launched a combination of social media campaigns, email marketing, and geo-targeted outreach to connect with residents and drive online participation. Sponsors were also integrated into these promotions, ensuring their brands received consistent visibility across platforms.
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Finally, we tracked key engagement metrics such as impressions, clicks, and conversions to measure the effectiveness of our campaigns. This reporting allowed us to demonstrate the return on investment for sponsors and reinforced the value of supporting the fair. Ultimately, our work helped sustain the Kincardine Fall Fair during the pandemic years and showcased how community events can use digital transformation, sponsorship strategy, and integrated marketing communications to thrive in a changing landscape.
