Mary De Paoli Makes Her Mark on Sun Life + Winning Brand Leaders at P&G, L’Oreal, Shoppers & Forzani

ROUNDTABLE HAVE WE STRAYED TOO FAR FROM MASS ADVERTISING?

MARKETER SURVEY SAYS AGENCY POWER SHIFT AHEAD

MARKETERS OF THE YEAR MARY DE PAOLI MAKES HER MARK ON SUN LIFE + WINNING BRAND LEADERS AT P&G, L’OREAL, SHOPPERS & FORZANI

DEC/JAN 2013 • $6.95

CoverDec12.indd 1 12-11-30 2:02 PM YOUR WIFE DOESN’T CARE, BUT YOUR CLIENTS DO.

THE WORK THAT WORKED

JANUARY 28, 2013 | THE RITZ-CARLTON, TORONTO | CASSIES.CA Gold sponsor Judging sponsor Bronze sponsor Patron sponsor

Creative sponsor PR sponsor Presented by

ST.22397.Cassies.ad.indd 1 12-11-29 4:36 PM DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013 • VOLUME 24, ISSUE 1 © Red Bull Media House

Felix Baumgartner personiﬁ ed Red Bull's identity with his extreme space jump stunt.

12 17 29 What happened to Marketers of the Year 2012 Marketer Survey advertising? Sun Life’s Mary De Paoli leads a pack The industry weighs in on everything A panel of experts debates the balance of overachievers from big brands that from salaries and job satisfaction to of mass vs. niche, and what it all span beauty, retail and CPG social media and Cancon means for brands

4 Editorial Do brands need a balance adjustment? • 8 Upfront Brands replace hockey with other hockey, wine tries unusual pairings and Simons heads West • 34 From McDonald’s transparency to the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s zombies, we curate the year’s most buzzworthy ideas • 38 Ikea and Reitmans’ new campaigns replace humour with real life, but do we miss the funny? • 47 Agency of the Year was quite the party, and we have the pictures to prove it • 48 Forum Andrew Barrett on how future apps should be family-oriented and Aldo Cundari on the other ROI – return on involvement • 50 Back page MacLaren McCann on awards that don’t exist, but totally could

ON THE COVER Don’t worry, Sun Life’s Mary De Paoli isn’t a tagger, but she is this year’s Marketer of the Year. While it may appear that she’s defacing public property, it’s actually clever camera trickery by motion graphics artist Alexi Parizeau from Capital C, who created the cover using video compositing tools. She does look pretty badass, doesn’t she?

December/January 2013 3

Contents.Dec12.indd 3 12-11-29 5:30 PM 2012’S TOP MARKETERS december/january 2013 volume 24, issue 1 www.strategyonline.ca Finding the sweet spot executive editor | mary maddever | [email protected] creative director | stephen stanley | [email protected] trategy’s overall Marketer of the Year winner, Mary De Paoli (p. 17), put managing editor | emily wexler | [email protected] S Sun Life at the top of the awareness battle in the insurance category news editor | megan haynes | [email protected] (beating out most banks), and is the irst woman and CMO on the global special reports editor | jennifer horn | [email protected] executive committee. She was nominated, and won, for injecting attitude into a copy chief & writer | grant surridge | [email protected] category that needed it. From the fun singing spots that signaled a new direction contributors | andrew barrett | aldo cundari | sandra tavares | to this year’s smile-inducing campaign, De Paoli (pictured below right at Canfar's jordan twiss Bloor Street Entertains) embraced brand advertising to imprint a new optimism executive publisher | russell goldstein | [email protected] on retirement planning. As L’Oréal Canada took irst place across all its categories this year, Marie-Josée account manager | neil ewen | [email protected] Lamothe made the top marketer ranks for digitizing the brand experience and account manager | kelly nicholls | [email protected] promoting L’Oréal brands with unique content around TIFF, marketing co-ordinator | aimee ross | [email protected] Montreal Fashion Week and Canada’s Got Talent – with no production & distribution supervisor | robert lines | [email protected] overt product-speciic pushes. senior manager, audience services | jennifer colvin | [email protected] Shopper’s Sandra Sanderson reached out beyond the manager, audience services | deborah brewster | [email protected] store, lyer and CRM channels this year with the largest

media buy to date for the uber-integrated 50th campaign. administration She also relaunched Optimum, with an eye to expanding president & ceo | russell goldstein | [email protected] the circle of Canadians addicted to racking up points. vp & editorial director | mary maddever | [email protected] Sport Chek’s Duncan Fulton, a passionate advocate of vp & chief information officer | omri tintpulver | [email protected] tech (currently plotting Canada’s most integrated digital vp administration & finance | linda lovegrove | [email protected] retail experience), also went from product-speciic pushes vp & publisher, realscreen | claire macdonald | [email protected] to doubling down on brand image advertising. vp & publisher, kidscreen | jocelyn christie | [email protected] And P&G’s David Grisim oversaw the multi-brand mega- Olympic program in Canada. He also saw the impact of a P&G brand-level push when how to reach us the online ilm thanking moms went massively viral and then to the masses via TV. Strategy, 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1R9 Tel: (416) 408-2300 or 1-888-BRUNICO (1-888-278-6426) Fax: (416) 408-0870 So it seemed like a good time to bat around an idea sparked by the www.strategyonline.ca overwhelming response to the P&G Olympic ilm: Has the industry as a whole customer care stepped too far back from mass emotion-inducing brand image advertising? To order a subscription, visit www.strategyonline.ca/subscribe. To make a change to an existing subscription, please contact us by email: [email protected]. This is not to say that all the transactional, targeted digital, social, experiential Tel: (416) 408-2448 Fax: (416) 408-0249. PO BOX 369 Beeton ON L0G 1A0. work is not valuable. It is. But it is part of a conversation that needs refueling from subscription rates time to time to reinforce feelings and welcome new people. STRATEGY is published 12 times per year by Brunico Communications Ltd. In Canada: One year CA$80.00 Two years CA $144.00 Mass advertising is obviously not just TV spots, it’s any piece of an integrated (HST included. Registration #856051396 RT) campaign. But while judging the Epica Awards, I noticed many Online Film entries Single copy price in Canada is CA$6.95. Please allow four weeks for new subscriptions and address changes. were more suitable for Integrated – and often more stunt summary than engaging. copyright and trademark Maybe transmedia mastery hasn't kept pace with volume, and budgets don’t cover STRATEGY and the tagline “Bold vision brand new ideas” are trademarks of Brunico excellence across the ever-growing touchpoints. But since you may only have one Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced from STRATEGY in whole or in part without written permission. Reprint requests should be sent to shot, shouldn’t each element be powerful enough to stand on its own? [email protected]. © 2012 Brunico Communications Ltd. Which brings me back to ilm, and yes, TV. I asked senior ad execs if the focus postmaster notification Canadian Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Strategy, PO BOX 369, on product-speciic quarterly objectives and new niche initiatives has tipped the Beeton ON L0G 1A0 [email protected] balance too far away from brand advertising. The answer was yes. But, if an agency U.S. Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Strategy PO BOX 1103 Niagara Falls NY 14304 Printed in Canada. Canada Post Agreement No. 40050265. recommends TV to brands that need to push mass emotional buttons, they could be ISSN: 1187-4309. perceived as money-grabbing dinosaurs. Marketers also face a hard budget battle. Member of So at the risk of sounding not on-trend, our roundtable (p. 12) explores this issue, with some ROI evidence showing “commercials” get shorter shrift than is bottom-line wise in our quest for the new. We acknowledge the ﬁ nancial support of the Government of Canada through Congrats to all the Marketers of the Year, who have found a sweet spot in that the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. balancing act, and happy holidays to all! Using FSC certiﬁ ed products supports Cheers, mm responsible forest management. Mary Maddever, exec editor, strategy, Media in Canada and stimulant

4 www.strategyonline.ca

EditMasthead.Dec12.indd 4 12-12-03 12:04 PM The New Audit Bureau of Circulations

ALLIIANCE FOR

WE’VE CHANGED OUR NAME. NOT WHAT WE STAND FOR.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations is now the Alliance for Audited Media. An alliance for informed decisions, more intelligent data, and industry professionals who know smart media is audited media. It’s all about publishers, advertisers, and agencies coming together to bring accountability and conﬁdence to the new world of media. To ﬁnd out what the Alliance for Audited Media can do for you, visit auditedmedia.com/TheNewABC

ST.22184.ABC.indd 1 28/11/12 4:37 PM december/january 2013 volume 24, issue 1 www.strategyonline.ca

Welcome to 2013 UPCOMING EVENTS

ormally, I’d be using this space to list off “what’s up” at strategy TORONTO | RITZ-CARLTON | JANUARY 28, 2013 N magazine, but with the end of the year closing in, it’s difficult to be anything but reflective. As a publisher of marketing and entertainment trade magazines (our parent company, Brunico, also publishes Playback, Realscreen and Kidscreen) I like to think we know a thing or two about dealing with disruptive forces. Not only do we navigate the myriad complexities of digital technology and a connected ENTRY DEADLINE | FEBRUARY 1, 2013 global society, but the industries we cover could very well be the poster children for change in this brave new world. That said, the reality is that no business will remain unaffected. Are your customers increasingly popping up as competitors? Is your business model under siege? Is your brand equity at once everything and TORONTO | HILTON | MARCH 4 & 5, 2013 nothing? If none of this sounds familiar, then give it time. It’s coming. The current global business environment is forcing organizations to do things they could never imagine. From government to non-profit to private enterprise, we are developing ecosystems of deep relationships to help us compete. Even the largest players need more scale, breadth of expertise and nimbleness to survive. Never has the imperative to partner, ALSO IN THIS ISSUE... integrate and collaborate been greater. And quite simply, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship are the new currency of success. Perhaps because of our unique position at the epicentre of much of RETAIL ADVERTISING’S SECRET WEAPON this change, it is here that we at strategy feel most at home. This is why LIVING AN we bring forward concepts like the AToMiC Awards. They are exclusively ORGANIC LIFESTYLE focused on identifying the best work from the quickly evolving advertising ecosystem. Winners can come from anywhere. We recognize those who BABY ON THE WAY! drive innovation in the mediascape, including production companies, LIKE TO SHOP, agencies, tech companies, and media cos – the partnerships and LOVE TO SAVE

collaborations that create new ways for brands to reach audiences. NEED THE If you think this kind of stuff isn’t happening in Canada with any scale, LATEST TECH guess again. It was local prodco Temple Street Productions that pitched

SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT P.S40 Loblaw to create the Recipe to Riches reality competition show. With the resources of Shaw Media it then became a hit in Canada and is now being sold internationally by the world’s largest TV distributor. Not your typical UPCOMING SUPPLEMENTS brand platform, then again it was not your typical ROI. Retail.Advertising.Slug.indd 1 12-11-29 11:43 AM Sound complex and difficult to navigate? Welcome to 2013. february 2013 Premium Digital Content Networks Russell Goldstein Commitment date: December 14 Executive publisher, strategy, Media in Canada and stimulant Contact: Russell Goldstein [email protected] or 416-408-2300, ext. 700

6 www.strategyonline.ca

Publisher.Dec12.indd 6 12-11-30 4:28 PM The AToMiC Awards are designed to showcase projects that challenge the status quo and celebrate groundbreaking partnerships between advertisers, media and content creators.

JUDGING CHAIRS:

Mark Bishop Mark Childs Partner and Lauren Richards VP of Marketing, Executive Producer, Media Consultant Campbell Canada marblemedia

Categories span all media universe areas, so anyone can enter as long as it’s AToMiC in nature – content that blows up conventional thinking in a potent cocktail of advertising, media, technology and creativity.

HERE’S WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: Truly forward- thinking programs and media-centric ﬁ rsts from media agencies, digital agencies and AORs.

Mediacos that take content platforms and models to a new level – whether it’s an alternate reality game or an exceptionally transmedia property.

And technology breakthroughs – platforms, tools, metrics – that help reach & engage consumers.

ENTRY DEADLINE IS FEB. 1 atomicawards.strategyonline.ca

Produced by Presenting sponsor

ST.22398.Atomic.indd 1 30/11/12 1:56 PM RED BULL’S PLAYGROUNDS By Jordan Twiss

Playing into Red Bull’s extreme sports connections, and its own sports-related content, the brand unveiled a new app to help users scout local sports and entertainment spots across Canada. CAMPBELL CROWDSOURCES The Red Bull Playgrounds app, By Jennifer Horn created with Secret Location, allows users to share content with friends n the beginning, the ad world was governed (for the most part) by Mad and add favourite locations to the map. I Men. But it’s since become a place for consumers to try out for the part of “We’ve been producing events creator, as brands jump on board with crowdsourcing initiatives. and supporting the leading athletes Campbell Canada is among the brands looking for an outside perspective and last across snowboarding, skiing and year began working with Mofi lm (a crowdsourcing contest that connects brands with skateboarding, so we have very over 50,000 amateur fi lmmakers) to source TV creative for its new Cracker Chips. deep ties to Since November 2011, Campbell has submitted three briefs for entrants to create all of these video spots. Another 20 brands have participated in the competitions, with fi lmmakers communities,” awarded prizes (such as a trip to Chicago’s Lollapalooza or a safari in Africa) and given the says Lubor chance to have their creative used in a commercial. Keliar, director Online testing via Ipsos showed impressive consumer engagement with the fi rst of comms, Red Mofi lm-made Campbell spot to make it to TV, which showed a man enjoying the Bull Canada. healthy chips to his signifi cant other’s disbelief. “The interaction with the product Red Bull has was so compelling that the brandsell almost happened without there even being a tapped sports brandsell,” says Mark Childs, the brand’s VP of marketing. pros, including “This is an opportunity to embrace a new avenue of creative expression,” he says. X Games star “While Mofi lm is a crowdsourcing model, they have a roster of high calibre fi lmmakers. Ryan Decenzo, So you’re almost guaranteed to get back some great work.” to design venues such as an indoor skate park in Toronto called The Skate House. UNILEVER GETS GROOMED “What’s been missing is a way to At Andrew Richard Designs’ gallery in Toronto, upcoming A-lister capture where these communities play, celebrity stylists, including Fashion Police co-host George and a social platform to share the best Kotsiopoulos, discussed hot upcoming trends and dished on celebs spots, images and videos,” says Keliar. to 100 beauty, fashion and entertainment journalists. The event Media was handled by Touché!PHD, was hosted by Unilever to showcase its new 2012 products, as with Red Bull using various digital well as highlight some upcoming ones for 2013. While the CPG co. networks, including Redbull.ca, previously used an earned-media marketing approach, this was the YouTube and Red Bull TV to create and fi rst time it conducted a press event of this scale. distribute content. From left: “In the past we have had events on a smaller scale and not quite as inclusive of our Ads have been placed within the app, Kotsiopoulos, stylist innovation,” says Sharon MacLeod, VP marketing, Unilever. “Hopefully we’re giving the and sports publisher SBC, mountain Kristin Ess, makeup press really interesting content that includes the brand launches and also adjacent things biking outlet Pinkbike and Vice Media artist Amy Nadine, MTV Canada host to write about in terms of trends in beauty and grooming.” have also partnered to contribute Aliya-Jasmine Sovani The mass event was a culmination of multiple new products and lines brought into additional content, including sports and and MacLeod. Unilever’s portfolio over the past year, she says, including the Clear Scalp & Hair line and entertainment spots. Dove’s Purely Pampering body wash. The crowd was able to sample products, watch demonstrations and even mingle with the beauty experts. MH

8 www.strategyonline.ca

Upfront.Dec12.indd 8 12-11-29 6:13 PM BRANDS REPLACE HOCKEY…WITH HOCKEY By Grant Surridge

Brands use hockey to sell Canadians everything from chocolate bars to guys’ skin care products. And many rely on the National Hockey League as a key marketing vehicle, through sponsorships or promotions. But in the absence of big league pro hockey, some have had to fi nd a new game plan, and many are simply using other levels of hockey to fi ll the gap. As the weeks ticked by on the NHL’s lockout-stalled season, the folks at Kraft Canada needed to make a decision about their high-profi le Hockeyville contest. Run in partnership with the CBC and the NHL, Hockeyville saw Canadian communities compete to win upgrades to their local arena and to host a pre-season NHL game. VINO’S STRANGE BEDFELLOWS By Megan Haynes Traditionally wine is paired with different dishes, but wine marketing is moving towards more unique partnerships, from the logical progression of wine with chips to more off-beat combos, such as wine and ties. Most recently, Constellation brand Inniskillin, with help from Narrative PR, partnered with luxury jeweller Birks on a snowlake jewellery and ice wine pairing, giving Inniskillin new promotional channels, such as a Birks gift catalogue and in-store displays, says Franco Timpano, The brand says its sales generally jumped 4 to 6% during the program. In the end, director of marketing for national VQA at Constellation. Kraft stuck with hockey and will donate $1 million to volunteers at minor hockey This follows a successful PR partnership with another associations via a new program called “Hockey Goes On.” Constellation brand, Le Clos Jordanne, and Harry Rosen, “It was an easy leap for us to go from Kraft Hockeyville to recognizing [hockey] to pair wines with ties for Father’s Day, resulting in volunteers across this country,” says Jack Hewitt, VP of marketing insight and 60 million impressions. services at Kraft Canada. “Traditionally, outreach is to the wine writers only,” he Molson Coors, a big sponsor of the league, delayed some NHL marketing and says. “A lot of marketing in this industry has been around shifted dollars to promotions tied to lower level pro leagues and amateur hockey. the product [such as] telling people our Chardonnay is the “We all miss the NHL, but right now we’re focusing a lot of our sponsorship most awarded in the world. But our approach has become attention on other levels of hockey,” says Molson Coors spokesman Gavin Thompson. very occasions-based. When you move into the lifestyle For example, Molson Coors is ramping up its in-game promotions and arena and entertainment segment for wine, you start talking to advertising around the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies franchise. The [new] consumers.” brand has also run contests during Ryerson University men’s hockey games that Because wine is being consumed at a greater volume promote responsible drinking, called the “Responsible Ram of the Night.” than ever, it’s an attractive partner, Timpano says, pointing Molson Coors has shifted some focus away from the ice, however, boosting to talks with luxury brands for more cross-promotions. marketing activities around the National Basketball Association’s Toronto Raptors Meghan Merkler, marketing manager, Miss Vickie’s and the 100th Grey Cup celebrations. “We do have other properties that we’re at PepsiCo, agrees, highlighting its recent promo with able to leverage during [the NHL lockout] and maybe even give them a bit of extra Australian wine-maker Rosemount Estate. attention,” says Thompson. The summer campaign by Capital C celebrated Miss And while NHL rinks have fallen silent, some brands sought ways to keep leveraging Vickie’s 25th anniversary and drew on the insight that their presence. NHL sponsor Sport Chek recently teamed up with the Scotiabank 60% of its consumers were already making chip/wine Saddledome in Calgary and the Air Canada Centre in Toronto to let youth players use pairings. Rosemount bottles were featured on Miss Vickie’s the ice at both venues. The youngsters received spotlight introductions from the arena packaging and vice versa, while POS materials directed to announcers as they skated onto the ice, with their names fl ashing on the scoreboard a Facebook page detailing wine-and-chip lavour pairings. above. The brand engaged its target – parents buying hockey gear – by playing up the More than 100,000 people engaged on Facebook, says NHL dreams of their children even though the pros are nowhere near the ice. Merkler, and the campaign will likely be repeated next year.

December/January 2013 9

Upfront.Dec12.indd 9 12-11-29 6:13 PM SIMONS BRINGS FLUID RETAIL DESIGN TO EDMONTON By Emily Wexler

hen 172-year-old Simons, design aspects. For instance, young consoles built into the wall. It’s one W a Quebec fashion retail female shoppers enjoy the low way of keeping the attention of this institution, decided price points and abundance of demo that isn’t always engaged with to venture outside of its home options from stores like Forever the shopping experience. To make province, it didn’t set up shop in its 21 and H&M, however a vast sea it easier for them to try things on bilingual neighbour of Ottawa or the of choice can be overwhelming. To (and catch their eye), itting rooms counter this, the Twik resembling porta-potties were area is divided into placed in the department. compartmentalized On the Twik side, Figure3 also spaces with their came up with the concept of own design aesthetic, “pop-down” itting rooms, which while still keeping an are suspended from the ceiling overall look. and can be brought down by staff “We’re entering with a remote control, allowing for this omni-channel more convenience during busier world and there will shopping periods. be a luidity to how we To target the slightly more design spaces, taking mature demos with Icone, into consideration Contemporaine and Le 31, “valet- the greater retail inspired” rooms offer places to world around us,” put everything (from cell phones says Andrew Gallici, to sunglasses and purses) and director of retail staff on-call to assist them, while design, Figure3. evoking a “curated boutique Simons is environment” with white glass and not-too-distant Toronto. Instead, it connecting the in-store experience light oak inishes. opted for a market less saturated to the outside world by encouraging The store’s design harks back to with fashion choices, and opened a social media sharing. “Photostar Simons’ association with the artistic location in the West Edmonton Mall. booths” that resemble giant iPads, community in Quebec (it supports “We really felt that Edmonton which appear in the Twik and Djab orchestras, museums and operas), was an underappreciated market,” departments, link customers to the which it’s bringing to Edmonton says president Peter Simons. “There Simons social media sites and allow through elements like an installation was space in this market for a store them to tag photos of themselves by Canadian artist/architect Philip like ours and our product offering.” in the clothing to their own pages. Beesley, to be unveiled in January. Simons worked with design They can therefore get feedback “It blends well with what we’re company Figure3 to maximize the from friends who aren’t with them. trying to do, because we’re trying store’s appeal to its six main targets, “We knew that people’s to create beautiful things,” says categorized by Simons’ private label experiences started well before Simons. “Edmonton is reconirming brands: Twik, young women in their they got to the store and ended well that people appreciate unique late teens to mid-20s and its male after,” Gallici adds. “And to [ensure] experiences.” equivalent Djab; Icone, the “lovers they continue to come back, you The store launched in October of fashion,” and the male version need to be able to speak to them with a campaign by Cossette Le 31 urban; Contemporaine, for outside of the context of coming to Montreal that featured murals with more traditional, less fashion- the store.” QR codes that linked to a microsite concerned women, and the men’s Another way Simons is engaging and chances to win gift cards. It Le 31 traditional. young shoppers is through gaming also included print and online, with Research by Figure3 gleaned stations in the Djab department, plans to do more direct marketing in insights that informed many which consists of screens with the future, says Simons.

10 www.strategyonline.ca

Upfront.Dec12.indd 10 12-11-29 6:13 PM SOUL OF THE CITY SERIES: THE RED ROCKET. AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?

SOUL OF THE CITY TORONTO STAR

“More subways!” It’s a refrain heard over and over, while the plan calls for more LRTs. The future of streetcars is far from certain, but the place they hold as a symbol of a people-friendly city will remain forever – perhaps because looking out a subway car offers just a flashdance of grey concrete streaming by. For charm, and the view, the Red Rocket wins, hands down. It’s got soul. The Toronto Star knows its readers, many of whom ride “The Better Way.” Check it out: 70% more women and 48% more 25-54 year-olds read the Star than our closest competitor.* When the spread in readership is that great, you can bet advertisers know it too. When you place your media, place it where the people are. Advertise in the Toronto Star and on thestar.com

*Source: NADbank Fall 2011/Spring 2012, Toronto CMA, Weekday Readership

ST.22401.TorontoStar.indd 1 12-11-28 4:40 PM what happened to

ADVERTISING? BY MEGAN HAYNES Brands have so many new opportunities to create personalized experiences that engage their core demo, and many appear to be choosing several smaller-targeted executions instead of a powerful mass-media push. But then this summer, P&G’s Olympic online-turned-TV mass-reaching “Thank You Mom” tearjerker campaign highlighted the moms behind the athletes to industry accolades. It sparked a conversation. With so much focus on individual, niche experiences, are brands losing mass audiences because they’re too focused on micro ones? Strategy assembled a panel of experts to ask what happened to mass advertising.

MODERATORS PANELISTS

Joan McArthur, president, Joan David Grisim, associate Matthew Litzinger, David Crichton, partner, Grip Jennifer Davidson, VP marketing, McArthur Training & Consulting marketing director, P&G co-CCO, Cossette domestic brands, Molson Coors

Mary Maddever, executive Lauren Richards, Claude Carrier, president, Mallika Kazim, brand Glen Hunt, consultant editor, strategy communications consultant DentsuBos marketing director, LG

Maddever: Are brands missing people growing up now. I don’t not an apples-to-apples comparison. an opportunity to reach the know if the criteria by which you A person’s involvement with a brand widest audience possible when judged 20 years ago is the criteria changes the criteria by which [it spending money on all these other by which you judge now. communicates with consumers]. In programs? It’s not a question of all early stages talking at them matters or nothing – but has the balance Richards: I don’t know if brand because it’s just the brand’s voice. shifted too far? Am I going to feel advertising is the iconic television Five years later, it becomes “what a brand is iconic if I don’t see a spot. All the ways we’re connecting is that brand associated with?” commercial for three years? with consumers are brand Ten years down the road, how the advertising, but to a smaller group. brand behaves matters more. If it’s Litzinger: Is that because [a It’s not necessarily as fast, but a brand like Sapporo that’s new, commerical is] what you thought maybe it’s more engaging. then it makes more sense to do a branding was growing up? Because 30 [second TV spot] that’s a “pay there’s a whole new group of Litzinger: [TV versus experiences] is attention-to-us” basic.

12 www.strategyonline.ca

RoundTable.Dec12.indd 12 12-11-29 6:24 PM P&G’s “Thank You Mom” was its ﬁ rst mass-reach halo campaign.

Kazim: My category is youth centric. out of it. We need to distinguish medium for them share it on. But What we’ve seen is that unless between controlling the story and is it TV the medium we’re talking you’re the huge brand in your controlling the relationship. about, or is it content? category, kids still look at TV as the credibility that gives your brand Crichton: We had a situation with Maddever: It’s advertising. It could presence. If you don’t establish that KFC where a guy said he was be magazine, online, ilm, anything. you’re a big brand or differentiate breaking up with his girlfriend A lot of the stuff you see in mass yourself on TV, you’re missing [the because he’s in love with KFC. Our now is a piece of something else target]. You may think you can get community manager wrote back, that doesn’t stand alone. It’s all away with social and digital in the “Thank you very much, but we’re great, but is it diluting the essence superphone category, but you still not ready for a serious relationship by having all these transactional need that balance. We anchored at this time.” Then a dialogue elements? Are we stepping away our latest campaign with TV then begins. But you’re only going to get from “What is my brand?” tied it into digital very tightly. there if you set it up as a brand. Davidson: Good content is good Grisim: Even before we went on Carrier: I go to Starbucks and have a content, whether it’s a commercial TV [for “Thank You Mom”], we total brand experience every time or an experience. You’ve got to pick had several million views of our I step in. I’m not surprised that your medium. It’s got to be the different digital content, and Starbucks doesn’t do a a lot of TV right content and the right insight. over a third of those that viewed advertising. When I get a Coke, I it shared it. When we do niche need someone to remind me exactly Hunt: That’s the idea of integration. targeting, you still need to tell what the story is. The Olympic It’s a campaign. There needs to be the story and create that equity campaign made me feel good about “air support” and “ground troops.” around the brand, otherwise it’s Coke again, even though it’s a brand When a bunch of divergent pieces lazy marketing. If you just create I’ve known my whole life. speak with separate voices there’s this stunt – we’ve been guilty of no unity, it’s wasted effort. Think that many times too – you think McArthur: What do you make of the of a brand like Red Bull. Felix awareness is building equity or the Chrysler campaign “Imported from [Baumgartner] goes up to the brand story. It’s not. Detroit” [with Eminem]? top [for a stratospheric skydiving stunt], Red Bull gives him wings. Carrier: If you want to build a Hunt: That’s a very speciic occasion But that’s a one-hour program brand, you have to have a POV, a where everybody was waiting across the entire world owned by difference, a story and a way to for them to say something. We Red Bull. I wouldn’t call it a stunt. tell it. A TV spot was one way to wanted to hear their manifesto. It’s a brand personiied. tell it. Online video was another. They needed to do nation building. It’s always the same job. You It wasn’t just selling a vehicle, they Richards: We had a huge reliance need to make it relevant. If you had something really powerful on TV as the only place to build a don’t do that, you get nothing to share and [TV] was the right brand. Leaving TV was like, “Oh my

December/January 2013 13

RoundTable.Dec12.indd 13 12-11-29 6:24 PM Depends on where I am. All of it is TV in a way. When I watch online or on my phone, I’m using the new toys, but I’m using video.

Richards: One of the great ways we can evolve building brands is for marketers to really embrace experiential. It’s so much more Chrysler’s 2011 Super about a brand building experience Bowl spot rallied Detroit than being served a passive and the nation, and was commercial. The attitude is credited for triggering the brand’s sales that if we don’t do that as the turnaround. underpinning, then we have an issue. It’s very expensive to meet God. You cannot do that.” But yeah, Hunt: We’re asking: what’s the people in a multi-pronged, engaging you can. There are other channels. brand’s core truth, what’s its event, but I think the power of that The consumer is different. essence? When asked, “Which is kind of communication is fabulous. the most inluential medium?” Kazim: In my industry (electronics), 36% of Canadians say TV – more McArthur: But the Chrysler TV spot I don’t think anyone still has a than any other medium. Fifty-three was perfect. I don’t know how else budget to do pure brand spots. percent say they were impacted you do that than on a mass scale. Everything I do has to move boxes. in the last 12 months to make a The big brand stuff isn’t necessarily purchase by television. People Litzinger: They got my attention but transactional. You have to have a tend to overestimate the impact I then go to the website and there’s tie-in, which is why we’re seeing for new mediums at the beginning, no mention of it. Do I now think more of these pieces as part of a and then underestimate it later on. they’re full of shit? Is it a miss? If greater campaign message, and Right now, we’re in a state of lux I had to chose between all of the maybe a bit more transactional. as there are some discretionary touchpoints doing pretty good or dollars to try something different. one doing amazing and the rest Richards: Tactics often drive business But what we ind is a lot of people suck, I would chose all of them strategy instead of “How do we want can’t infuse the brand into those doing pretty good. Because now I to serve our messaging and create messages, and then come back to think they lied to me. engagement?” Because there’s so the areas that work best for them. much attention on new technology, Maddever: Is it that transmedia hasn’t so many people are putting tactics Crichton: It’s funny we’re talking been mastered? Is there a way to do irst instead of thinking how they about TV. There’s an interview something as powerful as Molson’s strategically connect. with William Bernbach, back in “I Am Canadian Rant” if there were the early ’70s where he’s asked “Is better understanding of transmedia? Carrier: The economic climate this the demise of early advertising doesn’t help. It went from very and branding?” TV, at the time, was Crighton: When online advertising brand-driven to very transactional- going through a transition of fast showed promise, people said, driven. We make up our minds cuts. You’d swear he was talking “What is this thing, what do we do?” through the emotional connection. about the internet today. He was I’m not sure if the talent has caught If you look at things that are more talking about TV being the demise up with the spend for the amount of transactional oriented, it may of branding or great advertising, stuff that loods through. You now generate some quick sales, but we’re talking about TV being the see kids out of school that think it doesn’t do the rest. Red Bull medium of great advertising. in a different way. I think it went worked because it was a very through a long period where the strong emotional trigger. There’s Carrier: TV has a bad rap. I think talent just wasn’t there. nothing wrong with using tactics it’s unfair and it’s based on the when they drive an emotional deinitions in our mind of what TV Davidson: What we’re talking trigger. It’s when they don’t that is. Is it a ixed thing [in a house]? Is about, whether it’s “The Rant” or you’re not building the brand. it my laptop? My tablet? My phone? the Chrysler spot, has very high

14 www.strategyonline.ca

RoundTable.Dec12.indd 14 12-11-29 6:24 PM production values and packaged go, “Hey look, a purple cow.” We the core, why we could love it. content where you have a lot of have to create “purple moments.” Unfortunately, we don’t love a lot control around your voice. You But if it’s not tied to the core of of telecoms. [Telus, for example] put it on TV and shortly after it’s the brand, it just creates a sugary has a purpose devoid of the on YouTube, so de facto, it’s being veneer and we forget the purpose. product, which is the “The future shared. When it is a little more In the case of “We know drama,” I is friendly.” And it works for them. subtle like an experience or the don’t remember the name of that It’s like a relationship. I don’t ask conversations we have online, particular company. We have to do for the sale the irst time I meet you’re not beaming anything out. a better job at connecting it. you. I introduce myself and once You’re listening. we have that rapport, we work our Davidson: For most big [Molson] way towards that. Litzinger: The format with brands that have the budgets, TV which television presents its is still our largest medium. But we Carrier: What’s hard is we live in the entertainment is still the best way have begun to shift things. We do era of immediate ROI. Now, as soon for people to consume a message. more digital and social media. But as we do a spot, the following day There was something for TNT it really does depend on the brand they start sending sales reports. done eight months ago, and the objectives and the insight. It’s a You’re being judged on that. line for it was, “We know drama.” balance. A really engaging television They had some hidden cameras commercial is the beginning of a Crichton: It comes back down to the set up in a market square and a conversation, not the end. people. I was talking to a luxury whole bunch of crazy shit happens car manufacturer who was given to unsuspecting people. The McArthur: It’s also about the kind the opportunity to do something ambulance comes, football players of brand you’ve got. Beer is very that was interesting and turned run out, a motorcycle drives past. much a badge product that needs it down. The guy said, “We don’t It was an experience maybe 12 a fair amount of imagery around it really believe in branding because people had [but it] had 27 million to be effective. Whereas say, a big this market is so small for us. We views [and it] didn’t go on TV. But telecom company – I’ve seen tactics can put our most expensive cars that’s a TV commercial. all over the place. into China and 200 million people will buy them simply because of the Hunt: People used to be held Crichton: We were doing branding name.” What he doesn’t realize, is captive. Now, it forces us to be for Bell all around “We are that before him, the brand was built more captivating because we connected.” But we had a client who up. It’s short-term thinking. don’t hold people to that space. saw the beneit of that. He really In some case, we’re creating Seth understood that they had a voice. Maddever: In light of decreased Godin’s Purple Cow [theory]. The budgets, is there a sense of need idea is, there’s a lot of cows, but Hunt: Every brand could be at the brand level for continuing to if you saw a purple cow you’d personiied. There’s a reason at build brand equity? All the money that went into different programs, is any of that coming back into advertising?

Kazim: We were heavy on brand advertising and brand equity was going up, and then we stopped and it leveled off. And [people ask], “What happened?” A lot of brands chasing the smaller pieces may Molson’s “The Rant” have experienced a level or a dip touched a chord and will come back to centre. My with its nationalistic gut is that in a year or two, you manifesto, upping the might see budget going back to brand’s identity with brand advertising. I don’t think Canadian pride and is remembered over a anyone has [budget] allocated right decade later. now because we’ve been chasing

December/January 2013 15

RoundTable.Dec12.indd 15 12-11-29 6:24 PM [sales]. New media is cheap. It’s consumers to remember. Whatever easy to try stuff on Facebook. we can do to help them is huge.

Grisim: We’re much more accepting Davidson: A brand like Coors Light of poor quality content in the is a great example. It’s rocky digital space that we would never mountain, it’s cold, it’s refreshing. consider in other media. That’s driven the brand in Canada for 10-plus years. It might have a LG’s latest campaign was anchored in TV and tied to Hunt: We’re obsessed with the new. slightly different voice, but at the digital, upping the emotional connection after equity It almost puts less weight on us levelled off during a break from brand advertising. heart of it is an organizing idea to do something interesting in an that comes through. We might have existing medium. If I can make it it’s society. We’re all personally walked away from it, maybe brought cool, different and new, I don’t have guilty of that. You start one thing in new brand people, but then to work very hard to make it good. and then go on to another. someone comes in, dusts things off and has the courage to go back. Grisim: We get tired of a great idea Maddever: We’ve done polls asking way faster than the consumer does. consumers which new campaign Litzinger: [Despite] our supposed We have lost a bit of the art of the they liked or drove them to action. courage of breaking new ground, it campaign. It’s partly driven by The “not aware of that campaign” may take just as much to look back. horrible clients who say, “I want a percentage was surprising. return,” and they get what they ask Grisim: There’s a great opportunity for. We’re not thinking long-term. Richards: With so many people to create more of a purpose behind tuning out, if you can crack through our brands, speak in that consistent Kazim: Isn’t that just being good and make them know who you voice and have it be at the core of brand stewards versus not? Maybe are, that’s powerful. It’s hard for what our brand stands for.

RoundTable.Dec12.inddST.22348.Pareto.indd 1 16 12-11-3012-11-28 3:024:41 PM MARKETER OF THE YEAR

THE CLASS OF 2012 BY GRANT SURRIDGE

How does one become Marketer of the Year? This year, you simply had to lead a category-topping corporation through an impressive transformation. To select the winners, strategy editors reviewed a year’s worth of work, consulted industry pros and narrowed down to a shortlist. To determine the overall winner, each marketer’s accomplishments were judged by their peers, who also weighed in on the state of the marketing world (the results of that are on p. 29). So what was so great about our marketers? Take Duncan Fulton. He orchestrated Sport Chek’s overall rebrand and is charging into a digital- heavy future. P&G’s David Grisim led the CPG giant through its largest multi-brand campaign for the Summer Olympics. L’Oréal Canada’s Marie- Joseé Lamothe hauled the cosmetics brand to number one in several product categories, while Shoppers Drug Mart’s Sandra Sanderson spearheaded its mega-integrated 50th anniversary celebration. Our overall winner, Sun Life’s Mary De Paoli, became the ﬁ rst woman (and ﬁ rst marketer) to sit on the 150-year-old insurance company’s global executive committee, gave Sun Life’s advertising an irreverent tone and pushed made-in-Canada marketing into key Asian countries. As you can see, being a strategy Marketer of the Year is no cake walk. Read on to learn what it takes.

December/January 2013 17

MOY.Dec12.indd 17 12-11-29 4:42 PM THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY DE PAOLI Sun Life’s CMO brings soul to insurance

BY GRANT SURRIDGE

un Life’s EVP and CMO Mary the Canadian insurance market, along with a marketing staff to close to 150 people, De S De Paoli has a lot on the go. Manulife and Great-West Life, although Paoli recounts her team’s biggest success In fact, Tony Chapman, the competition comes from virtually any this year: BrighterLife.ca. A content president of Sun Life’s agency of record company that offers fi nancial products, be marketing website centred around personal Capital C, says she runs the largest it independent fi nancial advisors or low-fee fi nance subjects (with articles like “Go portfolio of anyone he’s dealt with during banking services. De Paoli says Canada’s green and save this Christmas season”), his 30 years in the ad business. A large Big Five banks heavily outspend Sun Life on it’s a Canadian success story after one Above: De Paoli chunk of that responsibility comes from marketing, yet the insurer’s internal research year. BrighterLife.ca has won international penned a unique Sun Life’s decision this February to make has it ahead of its two major rivals and marketing awards and the idea has been sponsorship deal with her the fi rst woman in the Toronto-based trailing only RBC and TD in terms of unaided exported to Indonesia, one of Sun Life’s the CFL. brand awareness among its target. most important international markets. The Right: Sun Life insurer’s roughly 150-year history to sit on advertising promotes a the company’s global executive committee. site now generates about 30,000 unique worry-free retirement. But more importantly for De Paoli, it’s viewers every month. also the fi rst time a chief marketing offi cer The site eschews heavy-handed sales was named to that role. She leads a global techniques, its intent is to get potential marketing team of roughly 300 people customers sharing their fi nancial questions worldwide, a stark contrast to the four with others in their social network. The idea employees she had on her team in Toronto being that when it comes time to actually when she was promoted to CMO in 2007. purchase a fi nancial product, Sun Life will “The thing that meant most to me was that be at least on the mind, if not top of it. in a company that is largely dominated by Bill McCollam, VP digital strategy at Sun actuarial and fi nancial expertise, there is Life, says site traffi c is generated by paid now room at the table to look at marketing media on properties like CNN.com (Sun Life as a key strategic contributor,” she says. tries to associate BrighterLife adverts with “That was the proudest part of all of this.” Sitting in a conference room on the related content whenever possible), search De Paoli leads the marketing efforts for seventh fl oor of the Sun Life building in engine marketing and various social media. a company locked in a three-way battle for downtown Toronto, where she has built out Beyond a display ad linking to other Sun

18 www.strategyonline.ca

MOY.Dec12.indd 18 12-11-29 4:42 PM De Paoli brought a lighter tone to Sun Life’s advertising, as seen in the insurer’s recent TV spot.

Life web platforms and a banner ad at the De Paoli notes another Sun Life success, and worked to recruit former players into its bottom, there is little to indicate the site is the “Unretirement Index,” a branded ranks as fi nancial advisors. connected to Sun Life. annual survey it has released for the past The CFL partnership led to a unique De Paoli says BrighterLife.ca’s three years that shows how the concept agreement with Nestlé (also a CFL sponsor) international success is an example of of retirement is changing among North that opened Sun Life to a marketing innovation in an industry not typically Americans. The Index has garnered more channel not normally associated with known as fertile creative ground for than 200 million global media impressions fi nancial services. The brand partnered with aspiring marketers. “Unlike a lot of in that time, including media outlets like the the CPG company on an in-store contest, multinational corporations that import New York Times and CBS. Local versions of donating prizes such as $50,000 worth of global creative into Canada, we go the the report are now unveiled in Hong Kong advice from a Sun Life advisor. This put the other way,” says De Paoli. “We are now an and the Philippines. Sun Life logo on 10 million POS displays exporter of ideas.” Over the past year, De Paoli has also across Canada in major retailers like The focus on lifestyle jives with taken steps to refi ne Sun Life’s strategic Longo’s, Loblaws and Walmart. messaging from Sun Life’s latest campaign. sponsorship opportunities, moving beyond Despite leading a marketing team that Under De Paoli’s watch, Sun Life ushered in simple stadium naming rights or putting won numerous accolades over the past a sense of irreverence in its advertising and a corporate logo on a sports team’s jersey year, De Paoli ably defl ects the importance a new attitude toward how the insurance to deeper programs. A three-year deal of her own contributions and credits the giant packages fi nancial services products. signed with the Canadian Football League team she works with. According to Chapman, she humanized in 2011 has already increased Sun Life’s She says the biggest challenge any the idea of selling insurance. “The Sun Life brand awareness by 8% due to tie-ins such marketer in her category faces is consumer brand today under her watch has got a lot as giving away worn gameday jerseys in confusion, which can tip over into more soul to it,” he says. “It’s a human side. a Facebook contest. De Paoli describes indifference. Consumers still struggle to It’s a Modern Family kind of humour.” it as a great way to engage CFL fans with understand what insurance products they The new television spot promotes a the Sun Life brand as part of a digital need and when they need them. Battling worry-free retirement – with scenes of a activation that drove traffi c to other branded this information gap remains De Paoli’s couple hanging out with their grandkids – online properties. (However, she notes biggest focus moving forward. and moves the focus from saving money the logistics around unpacking boxes of “What we are doing is creating an to enjoying the golden years. It plays off unwashed, two-day-old football uniforms improved user interface at every single the company’s tagline “Money For Life” will likely change for future contests.) touchpoint,” she says. “It does come down and reinforces in consumers’ minds The brand also partnered with the to that. It’s the moment of truth every time the association between Sun Life and a CFL’s players’ union to offer seminars on you talk to us.” pleasant retirement. managing their post-football fi nancial life,

December/January 2013 19

MOY.Dec12.indd 19 12-11-29 4:43 PM Sid Lee would like to congratulate Duncan Fulton for being named one of Strategy Magazine’s Top 5 Marketers of the Year. Well played.

N100000_SidLee_StrgyMagAd-RUNNER_UP-v2.inddST.22351.SidLee.indd 1 1 12-11-2312-11-28 12:27 4:42 PM DAVID GRISIM’S GOLDEN YEAR The team leader behind P&G’s biggest multi-brand campaign for the Olympics tackles diversity and inclusion, and pushes retail collaboration

BY JENNIFER HORN

avid Grisim didn’t follow in the division. His job as P&G’s associate the video with their social media cohort. D footsteps of his parents, nor marketing director entails “developing and “We realized very early on that people was he guided by an aptitude centralizing all expertise in the marketing wanted to do something [more than] just sit test to pursue a marketing career. Grisim’s and delivery of go-to-market plans,” which on their sofa and watch [the commercial] moment of truth arrived when the phones is a new development for the company. on TV,” he says, adding that by housing it at Mandrake Management Consultants “Historically the company developed the online, consumers were able to pay tribute (where he began his career as an executive entire market strategy [of each category] to their own moms by sharing the video. recruiter) wouldn’t stop ringing with inquiries independent of each other,” explains P&G spent 18 months planning how to about a former P&G marketer he had just Grisim. “By creating a bigger brand get the promo inside the stores of partner interviewed. “They all wanted to meet him,” operations organization [which handles retailers such as Shoppers Drug Mart, he recalls. “That was when I realized the multi-brand scale, shopper marketing and Walmart, Costco, Sobeys, Jean Coutu, power of P&G marketers in the industry.” media for all P&G brands] we’re able to Metro and Loblaws. On the surface, the Since 1996, Grisim has steered create better [holistic] tools than we could if in-store promotions seemed simple, customer business development at P&G we did it by category only.” giving away Olympic-themed merchandise Canada and fi rst occupied the role of This evolution is best exemplifi ed by supplied by the Hudson’s Bay Company category brand manager for the company’s P&G’s “Proud Sponsor of Moms” Olympic to customers who purchased P&G total hair colour business, followed by oral initiative, the largest multi-brand campaign products, says Grisim. But the company care. His original plan, after departing to ever come out of the company over its further leveraged the asset by building a from Mandrake, was to graduate from 175 years. It was designed to give props comprehensive in-store plan that resulted the University of Toronto with an MBA in to the moms behind the athletes, and was in the largest display, special pack and shelf marketing, land a starter position at P&G the fi rst time P&G went out into the market presence of any program in P&G’s history. and move on to other challenges after a as a collection of brands with individual “It was about building joint value with few years. Easier said than done, he says, communications tied together under a [retailers] and their needs to build equity admitting that he underestimated the common banner, says Grisim. with their shoppers,” he notes. “I think we pull of the company, its culture and the The CPG company donated $500,000 made a step change in the way we roll up marketers he works with on a daily basis. to fl y the moms of Canadian Olympic and our sleeves and work with our retailers to Over the years, Grisim moved between Paralympic athletes to London to see their co-develop the best ways to communicate Canada and the U.S., working on the children compete. Further, P&G launched with shoppers.” European and North America business, a two-minute “Best Job” online video the Juggling numerous in-store and media before settling north of the border in 2010 same day (created by Wieden + Kennedy activations for the 30 P&G brands during to co-lead (with fellow marketer Esther Portland), and received over 1.5 million the Games was no easy feat for Grisim and

PHOTO BY JENNIFER HORN BY PHOTO Benzie) the company’s brand operations views with one in three Canadians sharing his team of 38. But the payoff, measured by

December/January 2013 21

MOY.Dec12.indd 21 12-11-29 4:44 PM a 35% increase in sales as a result of multi-brand a small request [for an employee], could end scale programs and the uncovering of a collective up resulting in a lot of work behind the scenes. insight (moms celebrated as the unsung heroes of Once the direction is clear and everyone has the athletes), made it worthwhile. “There’s something capabilities, skills and training, I let them do their about a universal consumer insight that gets the thing.” Grisim works through this challenge by hair on the back of your neck to stand up,” says facilitating the company’s mandatory “winning Grisim. “When you can [fi nd] something that really employee moments of truth” training program, in resonates and creates action, that’s the kind of thing which he educates managers on how to improve that gets me motivated. That’s why I love what I do.” performance through support of diversity and Grisim says he also takes pride in his personal matters. involvement in leveraging diversity and inclusion P&G made its presence known in stores with prominent As for what’s next, Grisim predicts more in the workplace, from how the company recruits displays and special packs during the Summer Olympics. innovation and reinvention. Not just with product to its participation in the community. Each year, development, he says, but in how P&G goes to Grisim and P&G staffers organize events to raise company to valuing diversity in its broadest sense,” market and collaborates with its retailer partners. money for the United Way and spend “days of he says. “Part of our overall efforts is to make sure “We’re a large company, but we’re still only a caring” with members in community organizations. that we’re recruiting people who represent the full tenth of the size of the U.S., so we can be nimble, He also sponsors a network of gay, bisexual, spectrum of our consumers. It’s important for a agile and fl exible in meeting our customers’ and and lesbian employees (GABLE) at the company global company to be able to represent the people retail partners’ needs,” he notes. “We will continue and participates in targeted recruiting events such that we serve more broadly.” to maintain our commitment to innovation, as “Out on Bay Street” in Toronto where LGBTQA The American-born marketer admits he’s diversity and inclusion, and collaboration with our students, young professionals and organizations sometimes challenged with knowing when to retail partners. Whenever I think that we haven’t come together to promote change and openness. step aside to free his staff to do their best work. done as much as we could in those areas; that’s “I’d say that P&G, over the time that I have been “I have a sign in my offi ce that reads ‘mind your when I start to lose sleep.” working here, has made tremendous progress wake,’” he explains. “Sometimes as a leader I from being a pretty conservative Cincinnati-based have to be cognizant that what may seem like

L’ORÉAL ADS ALWAYS FEATURE A STAR. TODAY IS NO EXCEPTION.

CONGRATULATIONS MARIE-JOSÉE LAMOTHE 2012 Marketer of the Year

from

MOY.Dec12.indd 22 12-11-29 4:46 PM ST.22346.Marketel.indd 1 28/11/12 4:37 PM MARIE-JOSÉE LAMOTHE’S DIGITAL DOMINATION L’Oréal’s CMO conquers the beauty market with a content-driven, digital-ﬁ rst approach to marketing BY MEGAN HAYNES

ife is beautiful at L’Oréal which have been at L’Oréal. “I think the cost The videos were viewed more than L Canada. of not being there is enormous.” 300,000 times over two weeks, boosting its The Montreal-based Under her leadership, L’Oréal boosted Facebook fan base by 48,000, while sales company has been Canada’s top beauty its Canadian-specifi c Facebook presence rose almost 9% following the promotion. brand for years in terms of sales and to more than 20 brands, up from three a The push included special partnerships market share, with a portfolio of 31 skin year ago, building a fan base of more than with Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart for care, makeup and hair care lines. Overall, 1.5 million. Going forward, the focus won’t in-store promotions, traditional OOH and the company maintains an estimated 33% TV, and pop-up lounges in Toronto offering market share of the beauty industry in free manicures and other touch-ups. Canada, up from 20% in 2008. “We used to give access to maybe 60 But VP, CMO and chief communications VIPs to come see [TIFF]. Now you can give offi cer Marie-Josée Lamothe has a access to 550,000,” she says. Right: Canada’s Best new victory to celebrate. This year the A similar push was behind its Montreal Beauty Talent crowned international company captured the Fashion Week sponsorship, capitalizing Caylee Wasilenko (left) number one spot in each of the channels on the “Catwalk to sidewalk” theme for best beauty insider. its brands compete in (such as Maybelline, be on increasing those numbers, she says, Maybelline by putting makeup artist Grace which topped P&G’s CoverGirl in mass, admitting some of the brands aren’t ready Lee on-site to do interviews, offer trend Lancôme in luxury and Biotherm in skin). to have a Canadian-specifi c Facebook reports and reconstruct certain looks. The So what’s the secret? This past year presence, rather it will be on building videos were viewed more than 300,000 L’Oréal’s roughly 150-person marketing engagement with consumers. times, while Facebook fans grew by 18,000. team, led by Lamothe, alongside its To do this, Lamothe says L’Oréal has And while she can’t currently attribute 15 agency partners, such as Agence taken a content-creation approach to make market share growth directly to social Tuxedo and Publicis for creative and it worth following, based on the specifi c media activity, Lamothe says the two must ZenithOptimedia for media, shifted focus DNA of each brand. be related. toward community-building campaigns, “For instance, L’Oréal Paris is what we “When we mobile and e-commerce. It also changed call ‘red carpet marketing,’” she says. “So started its approach to sponsorship with content we signed L’Oréal Paris with TIFF, which [distributing creation-driven activations at TIFF and is, in our opinion, the red carpet event relevant Montreal Fashion Week, and kicked off in Canada. And [we were] on-site, content], a unique promotion with Rogers and meaning we had a mic on the carpet Canada’s Got Talent. interviewing the stars, exactly like This all boils down to Lamothe’s “digitize eTalk. All the videos were broadcast on everything” approach. Her role was created Facebook and YouTube.” two years ago with digital in mind, she says, carrying a mandate to remove silos between brands, share best practices and bridge the gap between marketing and communications. L’Oréal also brought Martin Aubut on board as director of e-business intelligence to manage everything from e-commerce to interactive marketing and social media. “There’s no question we need to be on social media,” says Lamothe, a 20-year- veteran of the marketing industry, 10 of

December/January 2013 23

MOY.Dec12.indd 23 12-11-29 4:46 PM ST.22346.Marketel.indd 1 28/11/12 4:37 PM we saw a huge turnaround,” she says. “L’Oréal great!’ We never put the product at the centre of Paris is now the number one beauty brand on anything,” she says. “What was central was the Facebook in Canada. Maybelline is the number one Canadian talent and how to achieve the looks.” makeup brand.” She further points to how each of Going forward, she sees mobile as a huge L’Oréal’s brands have topped their markets as a opportunity. L’Oréal’s six e-commerce websites – for sign the digital-ﬁ rst approach is working. brands such as Kiehl’s and Biotherm – will roll out “Social media is the best focus group,” she says. mobile versions in the next six months, and two “You realize every community has something in more brands will launch e-commerce sites. common and if you talk to them about stuff that’s “We want to be available anywhere the consumer wants us to be, at any given point,” she says. super relevant, you become useful and interesting. L’Oréal Paris was on the scene at TIFF with cameras rolling. Through social media, we better understand what Lamothe also aims to compile a critical mass those communities are interested in.” websites where viewers could buy the products. of data to better target consumers as they migrate L’Oréal tapped into this community-focused The promotion was supported through Rogers’ between brands, as well as provide targeted approach for its partnership with Rogers to launch owned Hello, Flare and Chatelaine, as well as sampling efforts through social media channels. an innovative web series. through all the various brands’ social platforms. She says they’ve tested out geo-location promotions Approached by Rogers this past year to sponsor Over 162,000 people watched the web series for Kiehl’s, and are developing a social media ROI Canada’s Got Talent, Lamothe wanted to delve during its April 8 to July 2 run (exceeding the target measurement dashboard to be rolled out globally. deeper than logo placement, opting instead to of 150,000 views), with more than 57.7 million “I have no pretense of being everywhere we have L’Oréal co-produce a web series that aired impressions overall, including increased awareness want to be yet,” says Lamothe. “I’d say we’ve built concurrently. Canada’s Best Beauty Talent, hosted and purchase intent for the featured products (in the foundation and now we’ve started nurturing by Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha, invited the case of L’Oréal Paris, the purchase intent was it with content. We have to continue to invest in industry folks to create looks and compete to be as high as 79% following the show). Lamothe technology – we’re trying hard and fast.” named the top Canadian stylist or beautician. attributes that success to the fact that the show Five L’Oréal brands, including Lancôme and never “sold” people on the products. L’Oréal Paris, were featured, with links back to the “In no way did we say ‘Look at this product. It’s

Congratulations Marie-Josée on being named one of Strategy Magazine’s Marketers of the Year. Wishing you continued success, your team at ZenithOptimedia.

MOY.Dec12.indd 24 12-11-29 4:47 PM Loreal_Congrats_Ad_Marie.inddST.22203.ZenithOptimedia.indd 11 11/28/1212-11-28 11:25 4:43 AMPM SANDRA SANDERSON KEEPS SHOPPERS FABULOUS BY MEGAN HAYNES PHOTO BY JENNIFER HORN BY PHOTO The SVP marketing celebrates the pharma-retailer’s half-century birthday with a streamlined approach

andra Sanderson likes complex Sanderson is gearing up for increased approach – a cross-department steering S things. Early in her career – competition from Target and a renewed committee of 30 people from different before she joined Shoppers vigour and expansion plan from the Katz backgrounds (including merchandising, Drug Mart as SVP marketing – Kraft made Group of Companies, which operates legal and PR) was established a year before her its youngest director, and her boss Shoppers’ main competitor, Rexall. the promotion to maintain consistency challenged her with a beefed up portfolio of Shoppers has slowed its year-over-year across all consumer touchpoints. more than 10 categories. It was the biggest expansion, which in the past had seen The campaign ran in two phases. The portfolio in the company at the time. up to 100 new stores a year, down to an fi rst, launched in August, was a digital “And it made me better,” she says. “I average of 15, says Tammy Smitham, VP hub by Toronto-based Trapeze, inviting think it made me very comfortable dealing communications and corporate affairs consumers to share their memories of the with complexity. I love integrating all the (resulting in 80 HQ layoffs – mostly in the retailer. The second phase in September various pieces to deliver an experience that real estate division). Neither Sanderson’s included the company’s largest media buy really resonates.” team of 65 nor her budget were affected by ever by Aegis, with creative centred around Her ability to mesh marketing efforts the cuts, but she acknowledges the market a red gift box and messaging focused on seamlessly propelled Sanderson to one will be tougher. the three Shoppers pillars: health, beauty of this year’s Marketers of the Year, as Sanderson says Shoppers won’t and convenience. she fi ghts to keep Shoppers in the top change its strategies in 2013 because “We didn’t want this to just be a sale, pharma-retailer spot. (It’s the largest in the foundation to compete is solid. This we wanted to really go back to our brand, Canada, with 1,300 stores and more than well-oiled infrastructure was apparent in which is taking care of the whole you,” 90% of Canadians living in close proximity the chain’s largest integrated campaign Sanderson says. to a location, and the third largest retailer ever, celebrating its 50th year. Everything The push coincided with the Toronto in terms of revenue, behind Walmart from online and on-air, to in-store decor and International Film Festival, and Shoppers and Costco.) This year, she rebranded its anniversary-themed packaging (specially tied its red gift box theme with red carpet Optimum program, made signifi cant digital produced by select CPG manufacturers), opportunities via a partnership with Shaw headway, and hosted a giant birthday bash put Shoppers’ “Fabulous 50” front Media’s ET Canada for on-air shout-outs. for the chain’s 50th anniversary. and centre. Sanderson attributes the Consumers had a chance to win one of And while 2012 was a banner year, cohesiveness and impact to a streamlined 50 grand prizes, such as trips and cars,

December/January 2013 25

MOY.Dec12.indd 25 12-11-29 4:47 PM Loreal_Congrats_Ad_Marie.inddST.22203.ZenithOptimedia.indd 11 11/28/1212-11-28 11:25 4:43 AMPM each time they made a purchase. In store, aisles to pull out their loyalty card, which may be were decked out in celebratory decorations, a addressed as Optimum moves to smartphones. hugely popular move among its employees. Shoppers also ventured into e-commerce, using “I heard anecdotally that stores didn’t want to its luxury boutique Murale to test the waters. take down their POP,” says Smitham. Sanderson says it’s been a great success as they’re “I knew that was going to happen,” Sanderson fi nding new ways of reaching audiences giving says. “Next year, we’re going to be 51, but the the boutique (which only has six brick-and-mortar stores will still say 50.” locations) a national reach. Further, it’s a good The campaign exceeded expectations with testing ground for different promotional efforts, more than 900,000 contest entrants, 71,000 new such as timed promotions and user targeting – Shoppers blanketed aisles and storefronts in celebratory gift learnings they’ll eventually take to a Shoppers Facebook fans, more than 253 million impressions box signage. overall and a market share boost of 40 points. Drug Mart e-commerce site, if and when that is The organizational groundwork was laid in 2010 personalities that existed (such as hoarders or ready to launch. when Sanderson began planning for Optimum’s closeted members). Sanderson says they’re also examining 10th anniversary campaign, which until this year This year, the team unveiled a new identity for the shopper marketing campaigns that help build the held the title of largest promotion ever undertaken rewards program, “Free feels good.” The colourful basket, building more personalization into the by the brand. campaign plays up the emotional connection, Optimum program and fi nding ways of localizing “I remember, we were sitting in Deon [Alhadeff, shifting communication away from the more rational marketing efforts. director of marketing, Optimum]’s offi ce and we message around the card’s rewards. “We believe our strategies are right,” she says. took every [campaign] out and it looked like 20 The promotion increased new member sign-up “We have a very strong brand and an engaged different projects. Which it was,” she says. “And by 20%, which is signifi cant considering 64% of customer. The foundation is there.” it wasn’t consistent, so we weren’t getting the Canadians are already members and 84% are full impact.” aware of the program. Going forward, Sanderson A steering committee mapped out the entire points to opportunities in the youth demo and campaign and focused on the different Optimum increasing membership among men embarrassed

MOY.Dec12.inddST.22436.Unilever.indd 26 1 12-11-2912-11-28 4:474:44 PM PHOTO BY JOHN HRYNIUK PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN HRYNIUK BY PHOTO DUNCAN FULTON RETELLS SPORT CHEK’S STORY Forzani’s chief marketer takes the brand to a digital frontier

BY GRANT SURRIDGE

f there’s one thing a career in at FGL and also serves as SVP of Sport Chek to enter brand image advertising I political PR taught Duncan communications for Canadian Tire, which territory. The change appears to be working, Fulton, it’s that the public purchased FGL last spring. The new parent as FGL saw a 4.8% increase in same-store constantly judges your brand. This lesson company recently announced plans to sales during the second quarter of 2012. still serves the CMO of Forzani Group make Sport Chek the “super brand” under The Sport Chek rebrand kicked off this Limited (FGL), who spent the early part its umbrella of sporting goods retailers, summer with a campaign called “Your of his career working for New Brunswick which includes Atmosphere, Athletes World Better Starts Here,” building off the idea Premier Frank and Nevada Bob’s Golf. And as part of this people participate in sports to either look or McKenna and process, FGL banners like Sport Mart, feel better. It was FGL’s fi rst multi-platform Prime Minister Athletes World, Hockey Experts and Fitness campaign since being acquired by Canadian Jean Chrétien, Source will be either converted to Sport Tire. The campaign includes a high-profi le before moving Chek outlets or closed by early next year. TV spot featuring hockey star Sidney Crosby into private As it stands now, Canadian Tire and and “getting better” as a major theme: sector PR, and Sport Chek occupy the top two positions it focuses on his intense rehabilitation fi nally marketing. in the Canadian sporting goods retail to overcome career-threatening injuries. Lessons learned category, with competition spread out amid The campaign included OOH executions rallying people a vast array of higher-end specialty shops targeting consumers at their gyms and at around causes that cater to various niches in the market. transit stops close to popular sport venues. and ideas have From that perspective, Fulton’s job The new strategy includes a heavier been instrumental became about how to take a category- emphasis on digital content, as FGL for Fulton over leading brand and strengthen its position market research showed that 80% of the past year he’s further. “[Sport Chek] was number one the company’s potential customers were spent rebranding from a market share perspective but we under the age of 45 and spending a lot Sport Chek sought FGL’s fl agship retail chain Sport Chek. “We found the brand didn’t really resonate with of time online. One example of this shift to inspire consumers see a general inability of sporting goods consumers,” says Vito Piazza, VP and is the company’s signing of popular Blue by featuring hockey retailers to inspire their customers,” says partner at Sid Lee (Sport Chek’s AOR) in Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie to a star Sidney Crosby’s rehabilitation efforts. Fulton. “When you inspire someone, you’re Toronto. “The fi rst time he called us he said sponsorship deal. Sport Chek immediately connecting at a more emotional level than by he wanted to redefi ne the [Sport Chek] pushed out several videos featuring the just completing a transaction with them.” brand from A to Z.” So after taking over as popular slugger on its YouTube channel, And looking ahead, he plans to turn the CMO last year, Fulton devoted a quarter of including some where he responds to Sport Chek retail experience into what he Sport Chek’s total marketing budget to the tweets from random Twitter users. calls “the most digitized retail environment brand itself, fi ve times what it was previously. In addition to the Sport Chek rebrand, in Canada and maybe North America.” That broke from the traditional focus on Fulton has also beefed up FGL’s focus on Fulton leads a team of 45 marketers product-specifi c marketing and allowed big data. He is completing an MBA at the

December/January 2013 27

ST.22436.Unilever.indd 1 12-11-28 4:44 PM MOY.Dec12.indd 27 12-11-29 4:48 PM University of Western Ontario’s Ivey School of itself will feature prominently throughout the new Business and his analytics class has reinforced his locations. The fi rst fl agship digital store opens in view on the benefi ts of drilling into vast amounts early 2013, and will serve as a laboratory to test of information about customers to better tailor various digital design experiences within a smaller marketing efforts. footprint of about 20,000 square feet. Subsequent He hired what he refers to as “two Moneyballs” urban stores will be larger at around 60,000 to (after the popular baseball movie of the same name) 80,000 square feet. to his marketing staff and gave them carte blanche Fulton says the challenge is to seamlessly to sift through data collected from consumers to integrate the new experience with current digital help the marketing team make better decisions marketing. He says the majority of customers about deploying ad dollars. “I think there’s sort of who walk into a Sport Chek are involved in an unforgettable experience when new people work physical activity, and that the best way to capture with him for the fi rst time,” says Piazza. “It feels like that excitement and emotional connection to a you’re shifting into another gear.” particular sport is through striking the right use of Fulton says he wants FGL to be at the vanguard video and sound. “Any idiot can buy 300 TVs and of Canadian retailers when it comes to ROI analytics, put them in a store,” he says. “We have to be a even if that means a few stumbles along the way. In a recent Sport Chek campaign, people are meant to imagine destination that excites people.” “We have established a test-and-learn culture, and themselves competing on empty playing fi elds. the risk is that if you’re not in the right mindset, than found in existing Sport Chek locations. Sid learning can sometimes look like failure.” Lee Architecture will design the new outlets, Sport Chek and another FGL brand Atmosphere and Fulton says to expect a lot more screens and (which specializes in outdoor adventure gear) plan in-store digital content. Think digital kiosks that to open almost 100 new stores across Canada not only display different products but also offer over the next three years and many of these will information on sizes and colours available in the offer a signifi cantly different retail experience store. Digital ads from vendors and Sport Chek

MOY.Dec12.inddST.22194.NorthStrategic.indd 28 1 12-11-2912-11-28 4:504:45 PM 2012 MARKETER

SURVEY BY EMILY WEXLER How has the marketing world changed in 2012? Well, a year ago we didn’t have Instagram in our survey. Last year, shopper marketing had just started to assert itself and now it’s the big buzz, and mobile has also gone from theoretical to something that can’t be ignored. This year, the outlook is sunnier and the world is more social. So does this mean the tough ﬁ nancial times are ﬁ nally over? And why aren’t more of us on that Instagram thing? Read on for a year’s worth of insights…

MOBILE GAINS MOMENTUM When it comes to increasing marketing focus, Social media is still the leader when it comes to where marketers are increasing their focus, but two factors have slowed its rise. First, many in 2013 brands will spend more on: money brands are now fully entrenched in social (just look at how many are on Facebook and Twitter on p. 33), and second, other areas are gaining speed. 24% DOWN from 41% last yr Social media The most noteworthy is mobile, with an 11% jump. “We’re seeing more and more of our clients take that fi rst look at mobile,” 21% up from 10% last yr Mobile says Derek Bhopalsingh, VP, managing partner of MEC Interaction, the media agency’s digital, search and direct discipline arm. “It’s becoming essential 14% Broadband advertising (videos, webisodes) within the marketing communications mix in [Canada].” Bhopalsingh says MEC client Molson Coors is at the forefront of making 13% up from 8% last yr Content mobile its main pillar of communications planning with apps like a branded patio-fi nder. He also pointed to Microsoft’s recent giant tablet out-of-home installations as a good example of making mobile central to a campaign. 7% Shopper marketing But while brands are showing more interest in mobile, they aren’t necessarily backing those inquiries up with budget, yet. “We’re getting a 7% PR lot of requests for presentations and workshop sessions, and usually the money follows that,” says Melanie Varley, chief global strategy offi cer, MEC. 4% Innovative tech (AR, ARGs, 3D, etc.) Expect more giant tablets coming our way.

This year’s survey asked approximately 200 Canadian marketers about the state of their nation. While some things stayed the same, like work/life balance being the biggest job stressor (despite the fact that 55% of respondents said they work a reasonable 41 to 50 hours a week) and ROI pressure remaining the biggest issue facing the industry, there was still plenty of new data to mull. Respondents once again skewed female (67%), with the majority (65%) aged 26 to 45. The most common title was VP or director of marketing, with 25% claiming to make $101 to $150K (22% made $56 to $75K and 20% made $76 to $100K). Salaries generally experienced an increase, with 59% getting a raise of up to 20%, while 20% stayed the same and 18% got a big boost (of over 20%). When it comes to budget, most stuck with the status quo, with 45% responding that it hasn’t budged, while 37% claim it’s increased up to 20%. Only 11% experienced decreases of up to 20%.

December/January 2013 29

MarketerSurvey.Nov12.indd 29 12-11-28 4:01 PM MARKETER SURVEY SAYS…

VS. Stressors at work: 2012 2011 44% The majority of respondents have of respondents say that LIFE high job satisfaction the greatest stressor is WORK and more are highly satisﬁed work/life balance this year than last year ABOUT THE JOB

64% 15% 14% 10%

50% 48% Staying current on Delivering on ROI Keeping motivated/ industry trends or tech inspired 32%

(e.g. commute times, people 9% 8% management and turnover, 4% Budgetary Other multitasking and convincing the 2% old guard on the value of new tools)

High Average Low

Attractions when planning a career move:

The biggest More marketing departments shrank in size attraction is Support of senior the opportunity for Chemistry management for and fewer this year professional development with co-workers grew marketing department

52% 38% 39%20% 17% Increase in the number of employees

Remuneration/ Company’s reputation Opportunity to beneﬁts for innovative marketing advance quickly Decrease in the number of employees 11% 10% 3% 8% 21% INFORGRAPHICS BY SANDRA TAVARES BY INFORGRAPHICS

30 www.strategyonline.ca

MarketerSurvey.Nov12.indd 30 12-11-28 3:57 PM The majority of respondents say that more than half describe the relationship with their principal of their marketing strategy and brand creative agency (including their creative and assets come from global HQ 85% strategic input) as good or very good 56% 52% 16% of respondents say ALL comes from global HQ 29% 13% 21% say NONE 2% comes from global HQ Very good Good Average Troubled

ABOUT THE BRAND When marketing is led from global HQ, 25% of respondents say Canada-created strategy/creative is on the rise However 9% believe that there is less scope for Cancon lately What respondents want from their principal creative agency: 43% 23% 14% More strategic Better creative More integration across Issues facing the marketing industry: insight marketing disciplines

ROI pressure 39%

Not enough time to manage multi-channel, RELATIONSHIPS ABOUT THE AGENCY multimedia-centric programs 17% 12% 4% 4% More cost-effective More senior-level Better collaboration with Media fragmentation/costs 11% solutions involvement media agency/dept.

Integration 10% Big data (gathering info without being creepy and using it well) 8% Almost seven-in-ten (69%) say the 23% say it’s increased Developing analytics for new types of marcom 7% involvement of their Marcom breaking through 6% media agency 8% say it’s has stayed the same during the last year decreased

The majority of respondents believe that their The top priority for brand development and reaching the consumer is media agency’s strategic input strategic partnering is as important as their principal creative agency’s input 18% VS. 76% Media innovation/ 2012 2011 65% earned media 35% Strategic partnering 14% Social strategy 6% Innovative research 24% 13% (beyond focus groups) 15% Product innovation 11% 29% 6% 8% Other (incl. digital strategy Shopper marketing and integrating multiple channels) Less important Same importance More important

December/January 2013 31

MarketerSurvey.Nov12.indd 31 12-11-28 3:57 PM THE RISE OF PR Move over, media agencies. While still a critical partner, media Other than their creative agency, respondents say that the took a back seat to digital and PR agencies (both up 9% from last most important support to their brand this past year was: year) when marketers were asked which partners were becoming increasingly important to them. There’s no question that these days 30% Digital Agency

digital is top of everyone’s minds, but why the rise in PR status? up from 21% last yr “I think our time has come. For a long time, PR teams both on client side and on agency side have been vying for that seat at the 17% PR table,” says Krista Webster, president of PR agency Veritas, which works with big brands like Target and the CBC. up from 8% last yr “Why has PR become the belle of the ball? Because they are seeing results, and a lot of those results are being measured 15% Media Agency [through social media], where you otherwise couldn’t,” she says. DOWN from 30% last yr “Social media allows us to quantify something that we always knew worked but was very hard to [prove] offl ine.” Webster notes that social media has also diluted the conversation, 8% 8% 6% 5% Social media Tech/media Research agency Design making it more diffi cult to identify who the actual infl uencers are. agency companies This is where fi rms like Veritas come in. This year they implemented programs for brands like Subway, tapping multiple infl uencers, 5% 4% 2% Promotional Retail agency Direct marketing including the Canadian dietitian community, to redefi ne “healthy” agency based on each person’s nutritional needs and tastes. “It’s not just that we think we have those relationships and think they might be right, we’re tracking that they are,” says Webster. holding press conferences are going the way of the 8-track. For “Sometimes who you thought was infl uential isn’t.” examples of the new approach, he points to Sid Lee’s work on the Justin Kingsley, partner and head of the PR division at Sid Lee, multi-platform London Olympics campaign for Adidas, which used says that a shift in both campaign expectations and PR practices are real Londoners, and work managing UFC champ Georges St-Pierre’s behind the rise. social presence. “The big difference is how the strategic approach to a campaign “Classic PR is still about the old radiation – putting your message has gone from needing a punchline to needing a hook,” he says. out on a wire and seeing who picks it up. The new PR is connecting “Now you need to hook your consumer right away, and PR people with consumers and creating that interaction so that when they have understand that. If I’m pitching a story to either a consumer or a something to say, it becomes a conversation,” he says. reporter, I’ve got to get your attention right away.” Therefore, he says, the old ways of issuing press releases and

2012’S TOP AD SPENDERS* BY CATEGORY BY COMPANY 1 Retail 12.8% 1 Procter & Gamble 2 Automotive 12.3% 2 Rogers Communications 3 Food 7.4% 3 GM 4 Entertainment 6.6% 4 Chrysler Canada 5 Financial & insurance services 6.1% 5 Government of Canada 6 Local automotive dealer advertising 5.2% 6 Provincial Government Lotteries 7 Restaurants, catering & night clubs 4.7% 7 Chrysler Consolidated Local Car Dealerships 8 Travel & transportation 4.4% 8 Johnson & Johnson 9 Telecommunications 4.1% 9 Telus 10 Real estate 3.9% 10 McDonald’s *All data is for the ﬁ rst three quarters of 2012, courtesy of Nielsen.

32 www.strategyonline.ca

MarketerSurvey.Nov12.indd 32 12-11-28 3:58 PM IT’S ALL ABOUT INTEGRATION

If we had to choose a marketing buzzword for 2012, integration would be it. We’ve heard (and written about) many agencies changing their structures (and seating arrangements) to become more cohesive units. And marketers are doing the same. Internally over the past 14 months, THE SOCIAL EXECUTIVE Campbell has integrated its brand and communications group with marketing to not only work more effi ciently across the digital space, but be “more A study conducted in the spring by the Queen’s University School of Business aligned with one voice,” says VP marketing Mark Childs. found that Canadian executives are active users of social media, with 82% When asked which agency partner is becoming increasingly important saying they personally use it (LinkedIn being the front-runner). Yet while 39% to Campbell, Childs says, “I think the biggest change that we’ve seen is a of bosses say social media is a necessity for their company, and 35% say much stronger integration of agency partners. So in the way that we work on they use it heavily because it’s a good opportunity for the business, 24% say a weekly basis, we have all of our agencies get together with the marketing it doesn’t add any value. Further, only 17% believe it’s benefi cial in better team leads with Melanie [Rockliff, corporate brand and communications understanding their customer (the top two benefi ts were increasing brand manager] and myself to actually talk through strategies and plans.” awareness at 39% and recruiting talent at 21%). Working with many partners, including Weber Shandwick, 6 Degrees, OMD, BBDO, and now Mofi lm for content creation (see story on p. 8), Childs says that Canadian brands are active on: who takes the lead depends on the initiative. For example, social media and blogging were key to the recent launch of Cracker Chips under the Pepperidge 96% 81% 73% FacebookFacebook TwitterTwitter YouTubeYouTube Farm banner, so Weber and 6 Degrees led the charge on initiatives that included a sponsorship of the BlissDom blogging conference in Toronto. It’s all part of an effort to become more “digitally fi t” across multiple platforms. The company is also bulking up its internal team to better handle its robust social media presence, which includes many of the major platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. 25% 9% 7% PinterestPinterest IInstagramnstagram TumblrTumblr The amount of social media controlled in-house 41% say SOME say ALL 55% But some Canadian executives see the benefi ts of personally engaging in 23% say within the next year more of it will be handled in-house social beyond campaigns and LinkedIn recruiting. The CBC’s VP of English services Kirstine Stewart is one of them. 10% say within the next year more of it will be handled by an agency “I can’t imagine that many businesses couldn’t benefi t from some form of social media,” she says. “I think it’s important for people to understand that “As a team we’ve always felt that our internal resources should really be things are changing and social media isn’t a fad, it’s an additional form of the voice of Campbell. I know many of our peers have outsourced that, we communication that people are taking up and using quite regularly.” have not. And I think that’s helping us build the brand in the digital space,” Stewart is a highly active tweeter, an activity she took up after seeing says Childs, noting that in the past year or so they’ve hired an expert in social other execs she admired using the social platform with success. media conversation and a digital marketing manager. “The fi rst question I get asked is, ‘Is that really you?’,” she says. “I think it’s really important that it be your own voice. I can tell when people have someone else writing for them and you’re just setting yourself up to have a different kind of relationship.” Stewart says that if you’re going to open yourself up to representing your brand in the social sphere, be prepared to respond to both positive and negative comments, however she’s not about to engage in a lengthy debate on Twitter (which is diffi cult to do in 140 characters). And while she lets her personality shine through, she doesn’t get too personal with her tweets. Not bad rules to live by, considering that in the Queen’s study, 91% of the executives polled said they believe that employees should be mindful that even on their own time they still represent the company.

December/January 2013 33

MarketerSurvey.Nov12.indd 33 12-11-28 3:58 PM BUZZWORTHY IN 2012 Whether it’s a rookie vs. veteran sport-spokesman faceoff, exploring new social mediums or creating campaigns to generate buzz reaching millions, strategy rounded up some of the other bests of the year as 2012 comes to a close BY MEGAN HAYNES

BRAVEST CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR MCDONALD’S 15,000 ANSWERS

McDonald’s boldly turned a negative into a positive this McCartney, managing director, Tribal DDB. year with its launch of the “Our Food. Your Questions” The campaign has had global reach, with media campaign by Tribal DDB. pickup in almost 600 news outlets and a PR reach of The premise was inspired by the under-utilized FAQ more than 132 million impressions. section on McDonald’s corporate webpage and the The expected 3,000 questions was exceeded ive- ever-persistent rumour mill circulating around the fold with more than 15,000 submitted (only Canadians chain’s food. In June, the campaign invited Canadians to could submit), and more than 1.6 million people spent ask the company uniltered questions to be answered in an average of ive minutes visiting the site. And with the near-real time (based on staff availability, demand and built-in social media component, questions/answers complexity of the question), with answers easily shared were shared six million times, making the overall reach over social media. an impressive 83 billion when counting Facebook The brand hosted 15 French and English video friends and Twitter followers, and more than 12 million responses, including a behind-the-scenes look at food views on YouTube. photo shoots, an at-home recipe reveal of the Big Joel Yashinsky, CMO, McDonald’s, attributes the Mac’s secret sauce and a look at meat processing. The success to the conversational tone of the responses, the campaign received a second boost in September with a simplicity of the campaign, and the fact that consumers bigger media buy, using questions previously posed on engaged with the brand, not the other way around. the microsite. “We were prepared for some pickup. It’s probably “We just put enough out there [in June] to make a bit larger than we expected,” Yashinsky says. “But people aware that the platform was there. And once we also knew inherently it would be of interest as we that program started evolving and taking on a life of its showed some vulnerability.” own, we moved into the current phase,” says Andrew

34 www.strategyonline.ca

OTY.Dec12.indd 34 12-11-28 4:09 PM POP-CULTURE TIE-IN OF THE YEAR HEART AND STROKE’S UNDEAD RECORD

Nothing like a little zombie action to get the heart racing. Or in this case – stopped cold. That was the premise behind the “Undeading” campaign by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Toronto-based Agency59. The campaign’s online spot followed a lone survivor in zombie-infested Toronto being chased by a horde of walkers, when suddenly she drops dead from a heart attack. Those kind zombies, however, revive her with some useful CPR training. The spot was supported with a digital media buy and worked with Toronto’s Zombie Walk to put the word out, driving

SEQUEL OF THE YEAR BMW’S SLOW-MOTION THRILLER

Cundari was faced with a challenge for the new BMW M5 launch this June: convey its high performance while emphasizing its luxury, and top last year’s viral hit for the BMW 1-Series M (which achieved three million views in three weeks). people to sign up for the world’s largest CPR “We set the bar really high with the 1M campaign,” says Cundari’s CCO Brent Choi training session at Canada’s Wonderland on of the video, which saw the vehicle drift through car-shaped holes in brick walls. Oct. 25. For the latest launch, Cundari shot the M5 speeding out of a gun’s barrel. As it “For Heart and Stroke, this is pretty raced down the track it hit objects – such as a glass apple or massive water balloons risky,” says Geoff Craig, VP of marketing, – while super-slow motion communications and strategic alliance, Heart cameras captured the destruction. and Stroke. “But we researched the concept “The relationship between to make sure zombies wouldn’t offend people. a bullet and high speed was a Clearly it’s tongue-in-cheek.” natural one, but the challenge was, The gamble paid off: more than 800,000 how do we make it feel luxurious people had viewed the video at press time, and premium?” says Choi. “The with 52 million impressions overall. The spot slow motion in combination with was picked up by Mashable, AdAge and the classical music [played during Fast Company, and CBC personality George slow-mo bits] brought this premium feeling throughout the piece.” Stroumboulopoulos called it the “Best. PSA. The video exceeded expectations by amassing three million views in just eight Ever,” on his blog. days, more than four million views at press time, and sales igures are on track to More than 5,000 people showed up to beat last year’s results. Online, the video garnered more than 42 million impressions, Wonderland to attend the record-breaking CPR Choi says. It received international attention from CNN, Discovery Channel, car show training session, says Craig. “That one night is Top Gear and rapper 50 Cent, who mentioned it on his blog. Toronto Life praised the the equivalent of three years worth of people piece as “the coolest car commercial we’ve ever seen.” we would train normally in Ontario.”

December/January 2013 35

OTY.Dec12.indd 35 12-11-28 4:10 PM BREAKOUT SOCIAL MEDIA SITE OF THE YEAR PINTEREST PINS SUCCESS

The image-sharing website Pinterest has fast become one of the hottest social media phenoms of the year. Its 11.7 million users (as of August 2012, when users still required an invite to join) download a bookmark feature they use to pin images they like back to their pages, which are then sorted onto boards around themes like fashion, food and travel. It is one of the top 50 most visited sites with more than 23 million unique visitors each month. According to a Canadian, U.S., U.K. and Australian study by Emily Carr University and research irm Vision Critical, one in ive Pinterest users BEST BRAND USE OF CELEBRITY ATHLETES pinned an image of something they later bought, with DOVE & SPORT CHEK’S MACHO MEN more than half of those driving to retail locations to make the purchase. BY GRANT SURRIDGE Many brands have joined the social site, with media There are two archetypal athlete endorsements: the global superstar as Mr. or Mrs. and retailers among the irst adopters. In Canada, Everyperson and the powerful physical specimen capable of amazing athletic feats. Lululemon is Think Peyton Manning and MasterCard, or Michael Jordan and Coca-Cola. Our athlete nearing 100,000 spokespeople of the year walk either side of that divide perfectly. They are both burly, followers, while ﬁ erce competitors from Western Canada, but one has mellowed while the other Joe Fresh, Roots rampages through his athletic prime. and Aritzia each Dove sought perhaps the most manly Canadian, Wendel Clark, to convince Canadian hover near the men to care for their skin. To change perceptions about the manliness of moisturizing, 2,000 mark. Dove turned to an athlete with whom middle-aged men can relate. A former NHL Brands have scrapper nicknamed Captain Crunch and Toronto Maple Leafs hero, Clark is now also gotten chubbier, balder but every bit as rugged. creative, The message is simple: if it’s okay for integrating Wendel Clark to use sensitive skin Pinterest into bodywash, it’s okay for any guy. Dove’s marketing Men+Care campaign featured Clark efforts, such as (and fellow ex-NHLer Guy Carbonneau) Campbell U.S. in the “Real Men Challenge,” a series of and Proximity live executions at NHL games across the Toronto’s country. The brand ran a national TV spot, with Ogilvy handling creative and Capital C “Colossal on the media buy, featuring Clark doing everyperson things: at home with his family and Casserole” execution, which encouraged people to pin dog and riding a Zamboni in a small-town arena. The tagline says it all: “Dove Men+Care, the company’s most popular American Thanksgiving made for Wendel. Made for men.” recipe, green bean casserole. Campbell donated On the other side of the coin, Sport Chek used Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Brett a serving’s-worth to Feeding America each time Lawrie to help “brand itself in an aggressive way,” according to CEO Michael Medline. someone shared the recipe, says Tyler Turnbull, SVP (Read more about how that process is going in a proﬁ le on FGL CMO Duncan Fulton on strategy and insight, Proximity. What’s more, for each p. 27.) The brash, tattooed baseballer has clashed with umpires and endeared himself pin, a serving (or rather a picture of a serving) of the to fans as the best Canadian on Canada’s team. Lawrie features heavily in Sport Chek’s casserole was added to a communal board that just ongoing transformation toward a more digital marketing focus, laden with imagery of his kept growing. At press time, it sits at 3,650 servings, powerful swing. He stars in a series of YouTube spots where he answers questions from making it one colossal dish. Twitter fans, including one about whether he is responsible for a newfound “Canadian To make life easier for marketers looking to swagger.” Each video logged several thousand views and earned mentions on popular capitalize on Pinterest, the social site recently unveiled blogs like The Score’s Drunk Jays Fans. The fan fave has a two-year deal with Sport Chek business accounts, which do away with the “First and will feature even more prominently in the retailer’s marketing next year, with Sid Lee name, Last name” line on the sign-up page and add on the creative and Touché!PHD on the media planning. “Pin it” and “Follow” buttons for brand websites. Pinterest oficials have said this is the irst step towards more business-related offerings. MH

36 www.strategyonline.ca

OTY.Dec12.indd 36 12-11-28 4:10 PM You can’t predict the future, but you can get a sneak peek at it.

Join us at FFWD: Advertising and Marketing Week, for a celebration of ideas, innovation, and creativity. Featured events include international keynote speakers, awards, panel presentations, and Next Generation events for students. Presentations include speakers such as Rory Sutherland – ECD & Vice Chairman of Ogilvy, and innovators from social media. After this week, you’ll be better prepared for what’s next.

Visit advertisingweek.ca for tickets and more information.

January 28– February 1

ST.22411.ICA.inddPUB_M_12719A.indd 1 1 12-11-2811/22/12 9:204:46 PM Ikea and Reitmans tone down the funny BY MEGAN HAYNES

In today’s viral-video culture, humour can amplify the message and build affi nity. So it’s interesting when a brand that’s managed to capture our collective attention with wit and charm changes its tune, toning down the outright laughs in favour of a more subtle approach. Since comedy is a tough act to follow, the next phase needs to really dial up the potency. Recently, Reitmans ditched its two fashionista- commentators Armand and Albert, for a more youthful and fashion-forward look, putting emphasis on beauty in everyday settings, such as a woman walking her dog or having diffi culty getting up in the morning. “We’re pointing out that the runway has no exclusivity,” says Brian Gill, CD at Taxi, the agency behind both the former spokespeople and successful, with a signifi cant increase in brand awareness current creative, which and category impressions. Building on this approach, bears taglines such as the brand has received industry accolades for its OOH “Beauty has a day job.” The executions, such the Cannes-winning Montreal “Moving brand also tapped bloggers, Day” campaign or its free coffee giveaway that turned into asking them to compile a mattress focus group asking Canadians how they felt outfi ts from the retailer’s fall after a night’s sleep (directing those who wanted a better collection that best refl ect sleep back to Ikea to purchase a new mattress). their personalities. “While humour works, for us, it’s about the human Above: New Ikea This is a departure from the outlandish spokesduo, who connection right now,” says Lloyd. creative captures moments in advocated “Designed for real life” and spoofed haute couture. consumers’ lives. It follows a similar move by Ikea, working with AOR Top right: What happens when brands known for Reitmans’ OOH Leo Burnett, towards building emotional connections ditches the runway their comedic approach get more serious? for everyday. by highlighting moments when furniture plays a role in people’s daily lives, such as a child building a cushion Is it a brave step forward or an audience fort or a couple getting frisky in the kitchen, says country letdown? We asked industry experts marketing manager Hilary Lloyd. This is a shift from its whether it works for these two brands. comedic tone under former AOR Zig, later CP+B (most famously its “Start the car” sale commercial, which is still used regularly), but Lloyd says the newer material, which has been in market for just over a year, has been very

38 www.strategyonline.ca

Decon.Dec12.indd 38 12-11-28 4:13 PM PUTTING FOCUS ON P2P BLENDING IN, NOT STANDING OUT

Having more of a shopper marketing background, Does the new Ikea creative nourish the stories I thought I would provide my perspective from we’ve been telling each other about Ikea? Yes and the point of how the rebranding of Ikea and no. The new Ikea TV ads have hipper lifestyle Reitmans may impact their shoppers. cues, whether tackling kitchen sex, hangovers Ikea’s rebrand with Leo Burnett is very subtle. or motherhood. They retain the cheek of the old, Had I not known about it, I would have had a but with more tongue. Today, Ikea wants to it dificult time seeing the difference in its whole into your life, not stick out like its past or global home approach. The messaging is still really creative. However, when you stile a brand’s Nola Martin, relective of the tongue-in-cheek approach it’s Philippe Garneau, voice you risk the customer forgetting who they senior director had for years. I think the new OOH executions president, GWP just had a conversation with. That being said, its marketing category – free coffee and moving boxes – do a great job Brand Engineering, OOH work is smart because it reaches out to the management, of bringing the message closer to shoppers, and partner, i2 customer where they are (Ikeas are not always Maple Leaf Foods although with much smaller reach than mass Ideas and Issues easy to ind) and leverages the brand’s most media forms. These executions are a great way Advertising familiar icon; its catalogue. to interact with consumers in the pre-shop phase on their path Reitmans is my favourite kind of brand: a brand with a cause. to purchase, tapping into insights that you couldn’t get from a In this case, it focuses on bringing real fashion to real women. traditional focus group. Its new tone is a creative change of clothes (so to speak) – In contrast, the Reitmans rebranding is signiicantly more same cause, new duds. Armand and Albert were fun fashion obvious, with a new focus on youthful fashion versus its prior insurgents. They were inside the system, but on the side of target of moms looking to be more fashionable. I can’t help but women turned off by hemlines you can’t cough in and prices wonder how it will resonate. Younger audiences already have a higher than a house. crowded pre-shop space, with much hipper options to choose The new campaign still advocates for real fashion, but plays from, while the soccer mom set may no longer see it as an age- it safer. The women in the ads already look fantastic even with appropriate shop. bed-head or pooper-scooper bags, so authentic engagement The addition of fashion bloggers to the website is a good build, could suffer because who bonds with the ultra-perfect? The new but it may have more impact if it is front and centre on their site. campaign has also lost a fun adversary: the silliness of haute Overall, I think that it will be a tough sell to engage ickle young couture. Now the enemy Reitmans wants to slay is the daily shoppers. Where will fashion-challenged soccer moms go? grind, but they’ve served up such a perky version of it that I’m missing the brand-to-the-rescue moment.

IDENTITY CRISES

Ikea’s new campaign true. But it’s kind of bland – it could be With the new “Beauty is” campaign we “Long Live the Home,” for almost any retailer. see the notion that beauty is achievable in feels out of character I miss the quirkiness and more cheeky everyday life. The TV spots and OOH show for a brand with such tone that was part of the previous younger, more model-esque talent and are a distinct personality. “Love your home” work by Zig and the shot in a more stylish and contemporary With the exception of amazing global creative. It too delivers way. But where its previous work made the “Moving Day” event strong emotional stories about how our the message seem real, this new idea for the Montreal market homes worked (or didn’t) but in a more makes it supericial. “Designed for real Emily Bain, (which I loved) the new provocative and entertaining way. life” promised women relief from the director of strategy, approach feels very safe I would also like to say a teary goodbye stress of having to look like a runway John St. for a brand that is so to Albert and Armand. “Designed for model every day. It was a believable and unique and independent. real life” was a strong, simple idea that unique place for Reitmans to be. This The campaign is not bad by any convincingly informed us that you could campaign feels less so. In an attempt to up means - it’s well-integrated, the product ind fashionable clothing at Reitmans that their fashion creds, Reitmans may have and rooms look great, and the stories of made sense for the everyday, sold by two forgotten who they are. people connecting to their homes are all fashionistas who knew high fashion.

December/January 2013 39

Decon.Dec12.indd 39 12-11-28 4:14 PM A STRATEGY SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT

LIVING AN ORGANIC LIFESTYLE

BABY ON THE WAY!

LIKE TO SHOP, LOVE TO SAVE

NEED THE LATEST TECH RETAIL ADVERTISING’S SECRET WEAPON How leveraging data and insights can help retailers get ahead of the game

As technology continues to evolve how consumers do is centralizing and managing consumer data,” says Steve everything from compare prices to share shopping experiences, Acland, president of media analytics company Geomedia. “Most many retail marketers are left struggling to figure out how to large organizations haven’t done a great job of organizing their remain relevant. data. That’s the biggest challenge moving forward.” “As consumers, our behaviour is changing quite rapidly,” says Indeed, harnessing data effectively just might be the wave of Mathieu Péloquin, VP of marketing at TC Media. He points the future. It may not be as exciting as shiny innovations like out that a huge driver of these changing behaviours is the the latest iPhone or the hottest new group coupon site, but at proliferation of smartphone usage. In fact, 48% of Canadian the end of the day it all comes down to making the most of mobile phone users now have a smartphone, a significant jump consumer data. from the 33% who had them in March, 2011, according to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA). KEEPING UP WITH CONSUMERS Smartphones have quickly proven to be an invaluable tool for To have any hope of remaining relevant, retailers need to shoppers. “Consumers have the ability to educate themselves understand what makes consumers tick. “It starts with insight. on the go,” says Angie Kramer, VP of digital and direct at You have to understand where your consumers are. Canadians loyalty management firm Aimia. “It’s incredibly empowering.” are embracing technology and have a much greater voice in This has led to a shift that hasn’t been lost on retailers. the pre-shopping stage,” says Péloquin. “You have consumers According to a recent survey by International Data Corp getting to the point of purchase much more well-informed. I Canada (IDC Canada) and the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), think the recession has played a part in that. They want to feel Canadian retailers invested an estimated $84 million in mobile like they’re getting a good deal.” solutions in 2012. That figure is expected to jump to almost As a result, that pre-shopping stage is a lot more complex than $200 million by 2016. it used to be. “The path to purchase has become more of a ride, While consumers will undoubtedly be relying even more on with stops along the way. Consumers are being bombarded with smartphones going forward, it’s impossible to predict how multiple media sources and channels throughout the day,” says exactly they’ll be using them, or what the next big app will be. Kramer. “It’s not a direct path to the store. We need to be there That’s where data comes in. “The foundation of a great strategy to mitigate that and to drive them to the point of sale.”

S40 SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT

ST.22452.DigitalAdvertising.Supplement.indd S40 12-11-30 1:52 PM BETTER INSIGHTS. BETTER CUSTOMERS.

While retail technology is ever-changing, the essence of customer loyalty remains the same. That’s why our focus remains on your data and honing in on the insights that will keep customers coming back.

As global leaders in loyalty, Aimia knows how to make your customers number one. So you can be their number one.

Make your customers number one today. Call Gordon Ross at (905) 214-8419.

ST.22257.Aimia.indd 1 28/11/12 4:38 PM Linking At TC Media we connect everything that matters by creating a multitude of touch points between it all brands and consumers to enhance loyalty, off ering targeted content at the right time, in the right place and in the right context. Find out how together TC Media can link it all together for you today.

ST.22335.TC_DPS.indd 2 12-11-29 4:30 PM Mobilizing At TC Media we provide the mobile services, products and solutions that help clients consumers keep pace with continually changing business and consumer needs, including strategy, apps, e-commerce, social media and connectivity. Find out how TC Media can help you stand out in the mobile marketplace today.

ST.22335.TC_DPS.indd 3 12-11-29 4:30 PM RETAIL ADVERTISING

TC Media As one of Canada’s leading co-owner of Metro Halifax. It is also providers of media and marketing the leading door-to-door distributor solutions, TC Media offers a of advertising material in Canada, comprehensive line of products and with Publisac in Quebec and Targeo services and an integrated approach in the rest of Canada reaching to activate its customers’ marketing. respectively 3.5 and 9.3 million TC Media is one of Canada’s households. largest media groups, reaching TC Media is a leader in Canada’s 24.1 million consumers through its digital industry in terms of both multiplatform offering. The group media properties and online owns several well-known consumer advertising representation. With relationships between brands and and business media brands, such its extensive network of more than consumers. TC Media leverages its as Canadian Living, ELLE Québec 3,500 websites, TC Media reaches insights, marketing expertise and and Les Affaires, that are leveraged 19 million unique visitors per month proprietary technology to anticipate across multiple platforms. in Canada. Thanks to our consumer and meet consumer needs, using They are also the leading provider database, the largest in Ca nada data analytics and interactive of local and regional information in including 1.1 million emails, 6.7 communication platforms such as Quebec and the Atlantic provinces million postal addresses and more mobile, email marketing, e-flyers and through its extensive network of than 5,000 variables, custom content and communications. community papers and online The company can offer In 2012, the company launched portals. TC Media is the owner of the personalized and targeted TC Media Production, a television Metro weekday daily in Montreal and communication to build lasting production house.

Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Onli Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeti Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Dire Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevan Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consum GeographyCanada Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targetings leading Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analyticsretailers Media Integrated Strategy Hype r-local Efficiencies Maximi Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution’ Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-loc Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrate Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analyti Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoin Data Analyticschoose Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Geomedia Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geographyto Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Onli Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeti Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Dire Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevan Distributiontarget Direct Print Targeting Mobile their Online Touchpoints Dataadvertising Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consum Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximi Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-loc Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrate Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analyti Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local EfficienciesPrint Maximize Optimize Flyer Consumer GeographyTargeting Relevance Distribution & DirectManagement Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoi n Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Onli Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Print Targeti Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevance Distribution Direct Pri Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics MediaOnline Integrated Strategy Display Hyper-local Efficiencies & Maximize Audience Optimize Consumer Geography Buying Relevance Distributio Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geography Relevan Distribution Direct Print Targeting Mobile Online Touchpoints Data Analytics Media Integrated Strategy Hyper-local Efficiencies Maximize Optimize Consumer Geograp

Find out why – contact our client services team: Telephone (416) 203-7747 | Toll-Free 1 (888) 359-3778 www.geomedia.ca | [email protected]

ST.22289.Geomedia.inddST.22452.DigitalAdvertising.Supplement.indd 1 S44 12-11-2812-11-29 4:474:26 PM Of course, being there is easier said than done. But with the right tools, it’s not impossible. “Advertisers have unprecedented access to audiences and knowledge about those audiences along the path Aimia to purchase,” says Acland. “The advertisers are more empowered, but it requires greater interdisciplinary expertise on the part of Aimia specializes in helping marketers optimize agencies and advertisers to capitalize on the information.” their marketing and communications budgets by Kramer agrees that extracting nuggets from consumer data is effectively leveraging valuable customer data. essential in order to thrive today. “Many companies are sitting on Customer data is at the heart of everything Aimia piles of data. The challenge is deciding whether you want to invest does, which translates into relevant executions in analyzing your data, or start from scratch,” she explains, adding that resonate with the right audiences, at the that the payoff from having well-harnessed data can be huge. “It right time. helps us understand things like purchase behaviour, enabling us to The company’s customized and integrated influence consumer shopping habits.” Driving incremental purchase approach ensures that its clients develop has allowed Aimia to help clients realize millions of dollars from their holistic strategies that give them an edge over marketing budgets and has been instrumental in increasing sales. the competition. Aimia’s full suite of loyalty As much as things are changing, many things are staying the management services are designed to help clients increase market share, improve lifetime customer same – even with smartphones in the picture. Consumers still like value by identifying and overcoming sources of getting up close and personal with their purchases in a traditional attrition, and enhance the customer experience to brick and mortar environment before opening their wallets. “The promote loyalty and brand advocacy. forecast annual sales over a mobile device will be one tenth of what in-store sales are in a month,” says Péloquin, citing an eMarketer study predicting that U.S. mobile commerce sales will be $31 billion a year by 2015 – a fraction of the current retail sales of $320 billion per month.

TRADITIONAL MEETS DIGITAL Channels like online, social and mobile have become hugely important in the retail space, but they have yet to unseat the nli longstanding champion of retail advertising: flyers. “The funny thing eti is that stuff like coupon sites and social media get the bulk of the Dire conversation, but only a small percentage of actual ad spends,” van says Acland. “Year after year, the vast majority of Canadian um consumers start their shopping trips with flyers. Flyers have really mi thrived. People are using them in tandem with online.” loc Péloquin shares Acland’s positive view of flyers. “Flyers are more rate relevant than ever. You still need the mass marketing reach you get lyti through flyers,” he says. “We’re helping retailers evolve their flyers oin both online and off, whether it’s feeding dynamic content via email, nli mobile and social channels or creating innovative new formats eti Aimia’s highly skilled analysts can help clients offline and using sophisticated geotargeting.” Dire drive significant marketing ROI by identifying Offline, TC Transcontinental Printing recently unveiled a new van their best customers, understanding and flyer format called Panoramax, which stands out from the clutter um predicting consumer behaviour, and influencing thanks to its 63-inch x 21-inch size that enables four large, visually mi how consumers behave by creating targeted, loc pleasing panels. Retailer Uniprix has already tested the Panoramax strategic programs and a richer, more personal rate format and seen a positive impact. “You can still innovate offline. customer experience. lyti It’s more about creating a seamless experience,” says Péloquin. Aimia is a global leader in developing oin “The consumer today has embraced multi-platform.” proprietary loyalty strategies, launching and nli There’s still no magic formula when it comes to leveraging flyer managing coalition loyalty programs, creating eti or catalogue content online, but, like all things digital, the user value through loyalty analytics and driving Pri experience is key. “Whatever we do, we want to make sure the innovation in the emerging digital and mobile utio consumer comes back again and again,” says Péloquin, adding van spaces. It partners with businesses across all rap that TC Media is currently piloting a dynamic email program with vertical sectors around the globe to extract Shoppers Drug Mart and developed a Sears Catalogue App for valuable insights from its clients’ customer data. the iPad, the first transactional app of its kind for a Canadian department retailer.