CMA Connect: Recent Episodes
Canadian Marketing Association
⭐️ Stay tuned for series 2 coming soon ⭐️ Welcome to CMA Connect - the voice of the Canadian marketing community. Join us for empowering discussions with industry leaders about the rapidly changing world of marketing, and asks the questions no one else is asking.
Our guest on CMA Connect this week is Matt McGowan, Director and General Manager of Snap Inc. Canada, and an active member on the CMA’s ‘Media Council’. Matt joins John Wiltshire to dig into the topic of augmented reality (AR) in today’s media mix.
- Journey from the early days of YouTube at Google to today’s vertical streaming, AR assisted landscape in Snap
What mobile video was to streaming 12 years ago is what, in 2022, augmented reality is as “the new thing in advertising”. We’ve moved beyond ‘helmets’, to glasses, to interplay with augmented reality on smartphones. Matt talks about why Snapchat is a camera company: “when you open the app, you open a camera where we empower you to overlay augmented reality; to overlay computing on that world.”
- Is AR mature enough for marketers to use in reaching their targeted clients? (4:38)
“Yes! You can use augmented reality to entertain yourself, grow some bunny-rabbit ears or dog ears, but you can also use augmented reality to make purchases. Smart cameras with LiDAR sensors can sense depth, size, and so forth. Our Snap camera has something we call ‘Fit Tech’, which can size you. We've seen AR take off with apparel companies and retailers.”
- Where does AR fit in the marketing mix? (8:46)
“At Snap, we have a self-serve ads manager very much like our peers. You create an account, put in a credit card, and you're off to the races. You can upload your vertical video from other platforms, as well as your augmented reality. Outside of the ads manager, we also have software called ‘Lens Studio’ which is like a new version of Adobe Photoshop that is much easier to use for non-designers. If you drop a lens alongside your Snap ads, you’re likely to see 40% incremental reach. There’s a definite upside to using AR.”
- ‘In 2025, will AR be baked into everything we do as marketers?' (16:03)
“There's a lot of chat right now about augmented reality versus virtual reality. We truly believe that layering computing on the world in front of you, or ‘augmenting reality’ is the right approach. In 1998, cell phones had just started to hit the market. That phone has evolved so much over the decades. I firmly believe that evolution isn't going to stop all of a sudden.”
Tune into this episode of ‘CMA Connect’ for the full conversation between Matt McGowan and John Wiltshire.
Our guests on CMA Connect this week are an accomplished marketing duo: Scott Megginson, President of Kantar, Canada and Peter Rodriguez, CMO and Founder of Brand Igniter. We chat about all things partnerships.
- The relationship with a relaxed conversation
The riveting story of how Scott and Peter met over throat lozenges and went on to form a partnership between insights and brand management. And how many great partnerships like this one start with three things: a true respect for the areas of expertise each partner brings, the ability to build on each other's strengths, and a good challenge that helps align the organization.
- How can marketers foster powerful partnerships that would benefit brands?
Scott Megginson talks about how excellent partnership templates exist in a number of sectors, particularly ones that really invest in consumer insights. This includes sectors like technology and financial services.
- The challenges of globalization and regionalization
“There is a big push to standardize things and centralize. Let's say, out of the US and then go from there, as opposed to finding success wherever in the world, and then testing that success outside of that market to expand it. The strategy that Scott and I put together grew a category that no one thought could grow anymore, because of the way it was measured. It had 70% market share; how are you going to grow that? Well, only if you break all of those patterns around it, and stop thinking in a way that is limiting” - Peter Rodriguez
- The paradox of cost-cutting measures
Why cost-cutting (like advertising cuts) may mean a brand is cashing in permanently on brand equity, which may have been built over many years. Scott talks about how this may be a reason we see “many commoditized brands in the market now, not brands who could really demand a huge premium, because we've really gone beyond the point of no return with the cutbacks that we've made.”
Tune into this episode of ‘CMA Connect’ for the full conversation between Scott Megginson, Peter Rodriguez, and John Wiltshire.
Today's guest on ‘CMA Connect’ is Karen Zuccala, Head of Brand Strategy for Google. Our host John Wiltshire, and Karen, take an in-depth look at connected TV, and how it's impacting media investments.
- Why should marketers consider Connected TV?
“Connected TV enables brands to have the best of both worlds: The big screen impact of TV, but with the precision and control of digital. And YouTube really brings together the power of reach, relevance and the world’s most connected ad ecosystem.”
- The importance of meeting your audiences where they are.
For marketers, Karens says it comes down to really knowing where your audience is, and where they are spending their time. It doesn't have to be either YouTube or traditional broadcast. Brands need to consciously consider the right media mix that mirrors where their target audiences are engaging.
- How can marketers keep up to rapidly changing consumer experience expectations?
“It’s fair to say that for over 60 years, nothing has really changed in the world of media. I love to think about the analogy of what's happened to the evolution of the phone. It started with the rotary phone, and then it moved to the cordless phone, and then came the cell phone, and now the smartphone that we use today. I think what we're going through right now in this revolution of the TV screen is really the same journey the phone once took.”
- What metrics are relevant?
“The metrics we use to measure connected TV are actually very similar to what we use to measure any type of video campaign. Views, unique users reached, frequency, and brand lift. We know that ad over exposure and frequency is an issue on broadcast. With connected TV, we're able to effectively manage ad frequency across a brand's target audience, which brings in a whole new level of efficiency to advertising.”
Tune into this episode of ‘CMA Connect’ for the full conversation between Karen Zuccala and John Wiltshire.
Today, on CMA Connect, we bring you Vice President of Walmart Connect Canada Dana Toering. Dana specializes in the world of data in marketing, having worked with brands like Adobe, AOL Canada, Accenture Interactive, and fun fact: Kanye West.
John and Dana dig into a case study of Walmart Connect, with some of the strategies and thinking behind the program.
“I always talk about this sort of virtuous flywheel of investment that retail media provides partners, in the sense that, we work with the vendors that sell products on the shelves at Walmart, they invest their dollars with us, and we try through our solutions and channels to leverage our first party data to drive great ROI”
- Partnership and collaboration channels in retail
“Since the mid 70s, retailers have been working with merchants, vendors and suppliers, to provide them opportunities to connect with customers, in their stores, in the form of advertising in the form of trade investment, and this (Walmart Connect) is a natural evolution of that for the age of connectivity.”
- What's the quid pro quo for consumers to actually share their data with retailers?
“I think the key is how we use the mountain of purchase level data we have that is both ecommerce driven, as well as from retail locations. We understand what consumers are buying, when they're buying it, what their basket composition looks like. As we start to create a view of this customer our goal is not to hound them around the internet with ads; our goal is to make their experience better, and provide them offers on behalf of brands, in those moments.”
- Retail trends - what Dana sees coming in the next few years that will bring together the online and offline world
“I think you're going to see a lot more digital signage in stores. Customers tend to wait a little bit, either they're waiting for the butcher to cut their meat, or their prescription. So there's an opportunity there to create a content experience, and then feather in ads.”
For all of this and more about the opportunities and the obstacles that marketers face around the collection and use of consumer data, tune into this episode of CMA Connect.
Today, on CMA Connect, we bring you highlights from last year’s CMAb2b panel. This roundtable was held one year into the pandemic. Almost exactly a year ago. Listen in on how businesses shifted their focus.
The panel includes our moderator and guest host for the day, Jeff Lancaster from LinkedIn. He is joined by Linda Hazzan, Director of Communications and CMO of the Toronto Public Library, and Andrew Au, President of Intercept Group, a digital marketing agency.
Here’s some of what they dig into:
Constantly changing challenges offer massive disruption and non-traditional partnership opportunities (5:31)
“The Toronto Public Library is the biggest and busiest library in North America, with 100 branches that 75% of our staff work out of. One thing that’s been an impact for us from a marketing and communications perspective is a narrowing of communication channels. We’ve shifted to completely digital and a lot of our customers aren't comfortable on digital channels. We did not have sufficient tools and mechanisms or even practices to be communicating with each other that way. The other is the development of several non traditional partnerships. We partnered with food banks and turned our closed branches into community food banks, with our staff providing support. We also developed partnerships to distribute internet connectivity kits.” - Linda Hazzan
The rise of consumer-centric, marketing-led business (9:43)
“Intercept is a b2b agency. We focus on the global tech industry. One thing we observed is that improving customer experiences has been key. If you want to be customer centric, you've got to be marketing-led, and I think for the first time we saw marketing step up and really take charge.” - Andrew Au
Finding standard organizational definitions for ‘digitization’ (15:07)
What does it mean for a whole organization to understand going fully ‘digital’? Everybody has their own interpretation of what that means. Clear definitions and understanding are key for public organizations in particular, says Linda Hazzan.
A greater understanding of advanced technologies within mainstream operations (21:21)
Jeff Lancaster talks about developments at LinkedIn, “We're building some products - like conversation ads, in which we're starting to introduce AI and chatbot technology to offer a better experience.”
For the full conversation, listen to the episode.
Our guest today is Nicole Aysan. She's a Brand Strategist at Cisco, with a background in environmental science, marketing, and design. A supporter and advocate for climate justice and mental health, in her free time, Nicole designs and organizes environmental activism events and experiences. She also provides thought leadership on the value of creativity in the marketing industry as a member of the Canadian Marketing Association's Creativity Counsel.
Episode Highlights:
- Bringing the topic of sustainability to work (2:46): Nicole infuses sustainability in all areas of her life. “I am definitely an activist. I support a lot of climate justice initiatives across Canada, especially the ones that build community and resilience, as well as teach media literacy and how it impacts the climate movement. I also volunteer with the David Suzuki Foundation's Butterflway Project, which is this amazing national grassroots initiative to educate on the importance of pollinators like bees and monarch butterflies, and establish community-led native plant gardens all over the country.”
- Understanding ESG from a marketing perspective (4:20): Environmental, social, and governance topics have become a major focus for business over the last decade. “I think it's probably one of the hottest topics in marketing right now. At Cisco. I'm working primarily on ESG topics, including sustainability, social justice, and then from a governance perspective, diversity, equity, and inclusion and hybrid work are areas we producing a lot of content marketing around.”
- The role of brands and agencies in ESG communication (6:35): “A lot of what we do as a marketing industry doesn't really promote sustainability. It's actually the opposite. We're in the business of driving people to buy and consume more. We also need to avoid misleading messaging in marketing and communications. Greenwashing is rampant right now. That's the practice of making a brand appear more sustainable than they really are. A very big example is BP’s (British Petroleum) award winning carbon footprint calculator from the early 2000s that puts the responsibility of climate change on the individual, not the 100 oil and gas companies responsible for 70% of the emissions.”
- If you are considering a career in marketing as it relates to ESG, what should you think about? (15:07) “Having an understanding of business functions outside of marketing is critical, especially if you want to move into a leadership position. The more skills you can build and add to your toolbox, the more likely it is you're going to find a position that really aligns because ESG is such a multidisciplinary area. And there's a broad variety of knowledge and skill sets you will need in order to apply to roles within the space. If you're interested in this topic, there's no shortage of work to be done!”
For more insight into an exciting and growing area of marketing, in which we can hope to make some real, measurable impact 🎧 listen to Nicole Aysan's conversation with CMA's own John Wiltshire.
In today's episode, we will take you through the journey of a world-class entrepreneur, Hilary Borndahl. She is the founder and CEO of MIIX Analytics and has held leadership roles in market research for 20 years. Host John Wiltshire and Hilary talk about the importance of putting your own mental health first and how she recognized an opportunity to launch a new business at the height of the pandemic.
Episode Highlights:
- Need to Reach out for Support (5:10): Hilary shares her experience of taking a leave from work to focus on her mental health after being diagnosed with anxiety and depression related to pandemic stressors. Hilary talks about how as leaders, we often check in with our team members and encourage them to take time off when needed and to connect with resources but we don’t give ourselves the same grace.
- Confidence to meet the challenge (7:39): Hilary says, " We’re prepared as industries to go through periods of recession and periods of growth, but never to hit something like a global pandemic." Her work-personal-life balance during the pandemic took a heavy toll. During a break from her corporate role, she saw an opportunity and created her plan to create Miix.
- Identifying the road to success in business (12:16): Hilary talks about the importance of every new business having a vision, solid marketing/communications plan and full organization chart even before you start recruiting. She points out that the first decision anyone who is thinking about striking out on their own needs to make is what their business structure will be. Decide first whether you will be an independent consultant or team based business and if it’s the latter, what roles you will need to be successful once fully staffed.
- Important advice to achieve business success (14:04): “It is important to set objectives and have strategies in place to achieve revenue targets. Businesses should continue to do what they do best and reach out to clients across different industries. Your business needs to have an agile approach to overcome hurdles.”
For more insight from a successful entrepreneur 🎧 listen to Hilary Borndalh's conversation with CMA's own John Wiltshire.
Today's guest is Mitch Joel, author of “Ctrl Alt Delete” and host of “Six pixels of separation”. Mitch is past chair of the Canadian Marketing Association, a lifetime member, and self-confessed ‘biggest fan of the CMA’.
John Wiltshire talks to Mitch about key trends that will unfurl in 2022. Here’s some of what they touch on:
- Omni-channel transcends retail (2:23)
“I think retail provides a very good analogy for all businesses. If you went to something like an Apple Store, suddenly it wasn't experiential, it was very transactional. They were taking my temperature, giving me a mask of their own, not letting me touch things; things were hermetically sealed in saran wrap. And what these retailers realized is they needed to create better experiences online. Omni-channel really means seamless - it's the ability to move from digital to physical, seamlessly, where it feels very connected. And I believe through this pandemic, which I call an era of forced innovation, that every size retailer really figured out how to be truly omni-channel by default. And it transcended retail to hit every industry, whether banking, telco, or agency services.”
- Trend toward ‘brand services’. (10:42)
Why people buy experiences, not things and services are the new experience. During the pandemic, many people got a pet and Walmart experienced a massive uptick in people buying pet food, toys, and accessories. They used this information to expand their services.
- Relationship between ‘skepticism’ and ‘influencers’ (14:28)
This idea that an influencer is the new publisher and the new gateway to media can be a dangerous place to go. We need to look no further than the Joe Rogan story for a current example.
- Balance of decentralization and regulation in the next version of the internet (20:03)
The parallels between being one of the earliest agencies who were all about social media and democratization of content when it was a safe thing for brands to buy another TV spot - and where we are now with web3 and the NFT world. Mitch’s take is we’re dealing with complex technology that's going to take some time to mature, to a level of sophistication and credibility that’s needed for mainstream adoption in marketing and beyond, and that won’t happen in 2022.
- Yes - mobile is still first! (26:04)
With everyone online via tablets and phones post pandemic, marketers really need to develop a mobile first mentality. Mitch encourages brands to look in the mirror and ask, “Are we mobile first? Because the customer is, and right now, the vast majority of us are not.”
For more on decoding NFTs, how to look back at your first 2 months post-pandemic as a roadmap for business, and what the great compression really is 🎧 take a listen to Mitch Joel's conversation with CMA's own John Wiltshire.
In this episode John Wiltshire hosts Jani Yates, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ad Standards, to discuss ad content regulations, impact, and consumer trust.In order to provide context around pandemic references, please note this conversation took place in October of 2020.
Here are some interview highlights:
- Need for Ad Standards (1:52): The ad standards industry has been in place for 63 years, with a primary focus of building consumer trust. It also highlights the need for self-regulation. Self-regulation bodies are non-profit and non government funded organizations that handle different areas of consumer complaints on behalf of the industry.
- Advertisement-Related Consumer Complaint System (3:23): There is an online complaint system and a consumer panel that reviews customer complaints. The concern is taken to the advertiser and provides them with opportunities to respond. It’s essential for the consumer panel to ensure advertisers amend the ads in question to resolve customer concerns.
- Advertisement Violation Code Categories (5:01): There are 14 different clauses that highlight the importance of the code. These are based on the International Chamber of Commerce's advertising code. The top 3 include clarity and price issues, safety, and inappropriate depictions and misrepresentations.
- Importance of Taglines (7:12): The initial tagline for Ad Standards 4 years ago was ‘truth in advertising matters’. After careful review of language and communication, the tagline was changed to ‘truthful, fair and accurate’. These are the best representation of what Ad Standards do.
- Government Involvement (8:16): All countries who are part of the International Chamber of Commerce are self-regulating organizations. There is also a European group for self-regulatory organizations. One important thing we follow in Canada is pre-clearance: a concept that is not in practice in many other countries.
For more about advertising laws, trends, and consumer issues 🎧 please listen to Jani Yates' conversation with CMA's own John Wiltshire.
In this episode, John Wiltshire joins Vice President of Public Affairs and Thought Leadership for the CMA, Sara Clodman to discuss the Association’s efforts to advocate for the modernization of Canada’s privacy law and explore the art of government relations and its impact on the topics of most relevance to the marketing community.
Conversation highlights:
- Privacy law reform (1:20): A new privacy law will ensure that consumers have modernized protections and Canadian businesses can spur innovation and compete successfully within Canada and on a global scale.
- Understanding the legislative timetable (4:40): Passing legislation takes time and is complex. It’s important to understand the points where you can have an impact on the direction that government takes. By the time a bill gets introduced in Parliament, you are already far down the road.
- The role of interest groups (9:34): It’s important for government to hear the views of organizations like the CMA and to avoid unintended consequences. The earlier we get involved the better. We have worked on privacy law reform for several years.
- Working with government (14:06): There are basic principles to follow in government relations. If you are asking for something that is relevant to the government's agenda, then it will be more of a priority. For example, updated privacy law is important to support the government’s priority to stimulate the economy. Also, it is vital to provide accurate information and evidence to government, to help them avoid any untended consequences.
- CMA’s GR activities (15.49): Bringing public attention to an issue helps get the attention of MPs because there are so many issues for them to consider spending time on. Marketers should watch the CMA social feeds and help raise awareness of important public policy issues.
To learn more about the Association’s government relations activities and Canadian marketing rules tune in to CMA Connect. Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Ushering a brand and a team from chaos to composure (C2C) and back to chaos again while the world’s economy is unstable doesn’t require a new entrant to the marketing tech stack. It needs leadership. C2C leadership. In this episode, John Wiltshire joins purpose-driven leadership expert and best-selling author Ron Tite, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Church+State, to discuss how to seize opportunities in chaos and gain the momentum to come out stronger.
Here’s a snapshot of what they cover:
- The definition of leadership (5:25): taking specific actions to improve the lives of the people around you (starting with yourself) and being open to changing your opinion as your data changes.
- A parable for leadership: How races are won in the corners (7:54): Just like racing drivers, a leader will accelerate in the middle of the curve. The earlier you accelerate (whether it’s through investment, increased attention and focus or the willingness to change your business to help your customers) the bigger and greater your momentum will be.
- Purpose equals sacrifice – and what this has to do with Lady Gaga (10:48): Leadership is bound by purpose defined by action and adopted by others through communication. Ron believes purpose allows us to broaden and diversify a portfolio of products (much like Lady Gaga did when she couldn’t perform live) and still be held by a consistent belief.
- The importance of communication (from stand-up to leadership) 17:15: Whether you’re a leader or a stand-up comedian, you have to communicate well, be authentic and transparent. But you can’t ignore the reality of the room, you need to address it. Not only do you need to pivot on the spot, you need to go all in – and that’s where the gold comes from.
- Why you shouldn’t cover up your roots (27:18): With virtual meetings, you share parts of your life (whether intentionally or unintentionally) like your family, pets, artwork – your roots. This gives each party a better sense of each other, which will help build trust and increase collaboration.
To learn more about C2C leadership and how to put your business on the right track for success🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in May of 2020
On today’s episode of CMA Connect, John Wilshire joins Jan Kestle, President & CEO of Environics Analytics for a discussion about using data to make public spaces safer. She talks about how data and analytics can help organizations understand their customers and get better ROI, how analytics informs marketing strategy, and what marketers can do to prepare for a data-driven future.
Key highlights:
- Data and analytics help organizations connect with their customers through the right messaging, using the preferred medium, at the right time. Data mining and analytics can show how effective this messaging is, which allows marketers to improve their interaction with consumers at many stages of hte relationship. (2:01)
- Analytics informs strategy – how Environics Analytics helps businesses and government organizations align their analytics and business strategy to ensure data-driven marketing spend creates ROI. (4:51)
- Using Mobile movement data to ensure public spaces are safe – How location data can be used to demonstrate how many Canadians are leaving their homes, and whether this is privacy compliant. This helps government, marketers, and other organizations know what trade-offs are being made between a consumer’s personal desires, the economy and safety, so that they can determine policy (and what this means for store hours, product offerings and ultimately, marketing spend.) (6:40)
- Marketing to your potential, and untapped potential, instead of just marketing to your customer base. (18:25)
- What marketers can do right now to prepare for the future and help Canada recover. (25:11)
To learn more about data-driven marketing, privacy, and how data can make public spaces safer as we move towards recovery, 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
On the mic with John in this episode is Bruce Powell, Co-founder and Managing Partner at IQ PARTNERS, an Executive Search & Recruitment firm.
“We saw a VP of Marketing hired last week to a European company. He’s doing all of his work and his team management remotely from Toronto, Canada. That's a huge opportunity for Canadian marketers. The flip side is that you're now competing with everybody in the world.” - Bruce Powell
Here’s some of what they cover:
1. At any time, a third of people are actively considering whether they're in the right role (4:20)
The numbers have jumped to 50% in the pandemic, which feels like a large number, but it may not be on a relative basis, says Bruce. “Most of us are working remotely, and despite being busier, you'd still have a lot more time to reflect on where you're at, and whether you've advanced as far as you want to in your career. It increases people's willingness to consider whether they're ready for a change.”
2. The current pulse on ‘work from home’ (6:17)
While marketers may have had some flexibility in the past, nobody could have imagined entire teams working from home full-time and being productive. The pandemic has required changes in how people operate. “It's been a wholesale surprise that this actually works.” Companies have now become increasingly flexible.
3. Reflecting on hiring in the marketing industry in comparison to others (7:41)
“Our clients have been consistently hiring across the board, in accounting, sales, and technology, and our business has been consistent. Unfortunately, our marketing recruitment activity is down probably 40%. And that is, I think, a reflection of marketing still (being viewed as) a cost center.”
4. Into the mind of the marketing professional (10:14)
Fear of the unknown is prevalent. More people are reflecting on their careers and think that they would like to make a change. And yet when it comes down to it, there is fear in making that change.
5. Key things employers should bear in mind as they look to fill critical roles (14:04)
“I think it’s important to remember that ‘emotion buys and logic justifies’. No matter how logical the offer may be, or how much it makes sense for this person as the next step in their career to take this offer, you need to invest a little bit more these days in getting them comfortable and emotionally engaged with the company. The second thing is (to think of it) like buying a house in a competitive market. An offer needs to be presented with as few conditions as possible. If you put out an offer, and it's conditional on references, it's going to make the person more anxious. Address those references up front, and then come up with an offer. It will vastly increase your likelihood of success.”
To hear more 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Learn more about Bruce and IQ Partners here
“Do you have people around you that are different from you? Maybe you just go and just listen (to them) for a while. Go and read books. Maybe you just go and discover experiences that are different from yours. It's super uncomfortable and super awkward. But I think those awkward, uncomfortable conversations are totally worth it.” - Darian Kovacs
Joining John this week is Darian Kovacs from the best coast, i.e. the West Coast of Canada! Darian is an accomplished Indigenous business leader, founding partner of Jelly Marketing, and an accomplished podcast host of ‘Marketing News Canada’.
Here’s some of what they discuss:
1. Being thoughtful with a combination of planning, and being able to adapt to the world around you - Darian’s own story (1:47)
Darian went to university to study Child and Youth Care and Art education, thinking he was going into art and play therapy. Through his work in the world of youth, he discovered that much of the work is marketing. Anyone who is in fundraising knows that goes back to the fascinating world of marketing, conversion, and PR. Eventually I realized I wanted to work in an organization that did work in the charity sector but also did work in the corporate sector. So I started Jelly.”
2. The connection between thrifty budgets, collaborations, and good marketing (6:44)
“I found the charity sector, with its thrifty budgets, was able to really lean on corporate ideas, because it was able to say, ‘Hey, here's what you can do with a really small budget. And here's how you can be a little more feisty, a little more grassroots!’ And corporations that have larger budgets could experiment and try things with them.”
3. Bringing change to a white-centric industry (13:13)
When “Marketing News Canada” - the podcast and publication - began, Darian’s team created a Marketing Hall of Fame Award. In their research into different jury members in awards across North America who could be potential jury members for them, they realized that “almost 90% of jury members were white males. The other 10% were white females. For me, it was a real shock because I belong to this industry. And I love it. I just didn't realize how white-centric it was. It was a wake up call for me.
4. Starting to address the lack of Indigineous peoples in the marketing workplace (16:15)
Why don't we have more Indigenous peoples in marketing? Why don't we have as many BIPOC marketers? The issue is with inclusion. Darian talks of how he watched when Sephora created an ad with Indigenous peoples. “It was written by Indigenous people, shot by Indigenous people. But then the sad response was that they forgot one sect of Indigenous people, which is Afro-Indigenous people, and they received negative feedback. But I still think that's a good example. Sephora was trying, and the good thing is that they're one of the only organizations in Canada that included Indigenous people in their advertising, pre-reading, and pre-awareness this year. The lesson here? If you're going to have a BIPOC Committee make sure you include people from every one of those acronyms.”
5. How Darian measures the success of Jelly’s purpose in bringing more Indigenous peoples to the workplace
“Number one, are they hired, and by what salary radar are they hired? Number two, do we have an amazing group of hundreds of stakeholders that actually review, provide constructive criticism, to our syllabi, our modules? It has to be really solid stuff that brands want; that agencies want. And third, a long term measurement play, are we seeing CMOs that are from this program? Are we seeing directors and managers from this program? Are they getting to that place?”
To hear more 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
In part two of this episode arc on data-driven marketing, guest host Jeff Greenspoon - President of Global Solutions, CEO of Canada for Dentsu International and a member of the Board of Directors here at the Canadian Marketing Association is joined by Charlie Grinnell - CEO, Right Metric.
If you haven’t heard the first part, listen to episode 16 first.
Here’s some of what they discuss in this episode.
1. The art side of the marketing equation comes out of the shadows (0:46)
“We've come to a tech agnostic status for a lot of brands, where if you look at the platforms, whether they be Adobe, Salesforce or Amazon, every brand has won, and they're using it to the best of their abilities from a technology perspective, the differentiator and where likely we've stopped investing as much as we should be is in creativity. Ideas are what drive resonance and salience. Oftentimes, we think about data fueling channel decisions and media decisions and targeting, but not enough about the creative that we need to build and the production of that creative that needs to happen.” - Jeff Greenspoon
2. It's expensive to create content. Use data to validate your decision-making (4:20)
“What's so cool about the world that we're in now is there's so much data being churned out on the back-end of content that you can look at, whether that's engagement rate, watch time, video views, shares. There's such an opportunity to use that data to build into our understanding of what's working and what's not.” - Charlie Grinnell
3. The importance of brand purpose (7:21)
“Lush Fresh Made Cosmetics announced in November of 2021 that they were quitting Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and Snapchat. This was their second time. In 2019, they came off some platforms, then COVID hit, reassessing all their priorities. Lush went back. Now they have come back to the issue. They will keep the social media handles, but will not actively publish on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok or Snapchat. “How much is that going to cost them? That's no small thing. Some say about 10 million in the short term, which is no small chunk of change. But then when you look at it, it was actually less than 1% of their total sales. I think it's like a great case study for all of us to be watching.” - Charlie Grinnell
4. Spend time building trust (17:23)
“Relationship is communication - whether it's with your spouse, your friends. The best relationships have a deep level of trust pretty quickly. When I was on the brand side, anytime we worked with an agency, I would go out of my way to spend a disproportionate amount of time upfront so that they had everything and more than they needed. I wanted to make sure that I was over communicating, because I wanted to give them all the context and nuance in my brain.” - Charlie Grinnell
5. Predicting trends - TikTok, the audio revolution, and more (19:39)
“TikTok. It's the wild west there. And, I think the brands that are going to be bold on that platform and test things will see success. You might fail, but even if you fail, you’ll learn. As we head into 2022, TikTok has already taken over the entertainment side, I think they're really going to focus on that commerce side. Running tests there and getting your feet wet on that platform is how I'd be thinking about it.” - Charlie Grinnell
To hear more 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Learn more about Charlie and RightMetric here
We have our first guest host at the CMA Connect podcast!
Jeff Greenspoon is President of Global Solutions, CEO of Canada for Dentsu International and a member of the Board of Directors here at the Canadian Marketing Association.
In part one of this short episode arc on data-driven marketing, he’s joined by guest Charlie Grinnell - CEO, Right Metric to discuss how to overcome digital growth challenges in today's climate and beyond.
They dig deep into our obsession with data-driven marketing and define the difference between the good and the great. “Over the next 5-10 years, we're going to see this kind of convergence of internal and external data coming together to give marketers a more holistic picture of what's actually going on, which is going to arm them to make the right decision for their business”, says Charlie
Here’s some of what they discuss:
1. How to separate what's good from what's great (4:20)
What is nice to have versus the things that really make an impact on business today? What we can learn from big data on how people view the world and interact with it, and use that to challenge some of our societal biases. “Maybe you thought you had a good idea of how things work. But what works today isn't necessarily going to translate to a different industry or a different time.”
2. The obsession with data driven marketing (7:11)
Data allows us to quantify human behavior but data is nothing without data-backed insight. Insight is the area that frontier marketers lean into. “I think a lot of marketers have focused on the value of data, and less on the value of data-backed insight. That needs to be top of mind for all marketers. To get you to that actionable insight or recommendation that makes sense through the business lens.”
3. Niching down and targeting micro audiences (13:13)
With new software updates being implemented yearly with updates like the removal of cookies with iOS 14.5., marketers are beginning to lose visibility. Rather than broadening our targets, marketers are adapting and niching down by targeting specific communities, being more thoughtful, tailored, and strategic.
4. Brand building vs performance marketing. Are they the same now? (15:53)
Jeff and Charlie agree that the short answer is there is a difference between the two, but they do need to be interlinked together. “I think marketing is art for the sake of commerce, commerce being the keyword. Taking that art and science and building it together, that's where we see the best marketing campaigns. Perhaps the best known example that comes to mind is Spotify’s year-end review. Everyone loves when that comes out. It's taking the science side of marketing data, and merging art into it. And every year, it blows up with people sharing. I think that's brilliant.”
5. Critical ammunition for marketers (20:56)
Why we have to remember that “every experience customers have is a brand experience - whether it's there to build preference, there to build salience, or there to build a commerce interaction and make a sale”, says Jeff.
Charlie speaks of the importance of breaking down silos and recounts his experience leading social media at an enterprise. “I was joined at the hip with our head of eCommerce marketing, because she was overseeing email. Previously that wasn't a thing. I wanted to know everything about the behavior on our emails, because chances are it's the same person who's on Instagram or Pinterest with us. It’s about taking those insights and deploying them more holistically. It’s critical ammunition for marketers to be able to plan activities that are going to give their brand a chance to be successful.”
To hear more 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Learn more about Charlie and RightMetric here
Usually the ‘bane of the marketers’ existence, procurement plays a key role in a pandemic environment, particularly in facilitating a healthy agency-client relationship. In this episode, John Wiltshire speaks to Patricia McGregor, Managing Director of Firm Decisions - the largest global specialist in marketing contract compliance. Patricia shares findings from their recent research in the area.
Here’s some of what they discuss:
1. A clear redefinition of procurement (1:55)
Procurement has a very specific role as the conduit between finance and the marketing team. Their primary role is to build and negotiate the commercial relationship between a client and their marketing agency. They should be at the table when negotiations are underway around fees and scope.
2. The non-anecdotal answer to ‘what is everyone else doing?’ (9:07)
How are businesses reacting to nearly two years in a pandemic? How are agencies responding to discussions around fees and reduced spends? Firm decisions commissioned a study of 100 top marketing and PR procurement executives in North America with a combined remit of $27 billion annually. Via in-depth conversations, these leaders break down what they were doing, and where they are going next as a result of COVID.
3. Leaders are reconsidering how they use marketing partners (11:18)
With the focus firmly on digital, leaders are coming out of a rapid shift in consumer behaviours navigating the need for eCommerce and better targeting. This leads to the question “With our current agency relationships, do we have the right fit?” This can sometimes mean more specialized partners and a reduction of any overlap.
4. Research-backed advice for agencies looking to keep relationships with clients over the long term (18:09)
Patricia says “one key to stability is consistency in (your) team so that they understand (the client) business. (You may) also be challenged by the other agencies that are facing change, who may potentially be poaching those resources. Just retaining the people who can understand your business and deliver on your goals is going to be a real challenge. So the talent gap is something we (should be) really watching.”
5. Warning signs for agencies in this environment (19:12)
“There is a fairly strong subset of clients looking for change. It may just be a reassessment, but there is also a thread of ‘review and pitch’. Our research (shows) that this was anticipated within six to 12 months, which we're already seeing happening. There is a real pressure among agencies to compete for resources, to compete for the best talent and to retain that talent.”
To hear more about the specifics of this research, and how to apply it in your agency-client relationships 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Most Canadians are familiar with the Tim Hortons brand. It’s been around since 1964, and quite consistent with what it stands for. Tim’s is about Canadian communities; their restaurants are local meeting hubs. Since the pandemic, that has evolved to people accessing the brand differently - more drive-thru, and online ordering. In this week’s episode, John Wiltshire is joined by Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer of Tim Hortons to talk about what’s changed, what’s evolved, and what legacy is being carried on.
Here’s some of what they discuss:
- The moment of truth for all brands (4:48)The proof is in the pudding (or coffee!). While methods of delivery may have changed over the years from sitting down in the restaurant itself for a coffee, to picking it up at a window, the moment of truth for Tims is in “getting the perfect cup of coffee every time”, Hope says.
- Balancing profit and purpose (6:48)From a marketing perspective, why getting people to buy coffee and trying to make the world a better place don’t need to be mutually exclusive. The importance of a strong purpose that is clear across all you do.
- Tims’ orange doughnuts initiative (10:59)Their social justice efforts toward reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Hope discusses some of the risks that need to be considered within such a large scale effort. And the need to get the tone right with a fundraiser involving donuts and sprinkles connects to an issue of such gravitas.
- The importance of taking time to formulate your response to the world around you (15:04)“(Take) more time upfront, consulting, and (thinking about) how you build the program and design it. Rather than being fast, we wanted to get it right. It was less about having some kind of first mover advantage. And that took a little bit more time to do. But it was absolutely the right approach.”
- The mechanisms to gather the input and feedback needed in your communication (9:35)“We do social listening. We have a council of owners that we speak with regularly that give us feedback. They have cross country representation. We do research with Canadians to understand what's important.”
To hear more about how to Tim Hortons approaches their marketing, 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in February of 2021
In Canada, small business is big business. Marketing from business to small business (B2SB ®) requires a different strategy, Miki Velemirovich maintains. As President of B2SB (business to small business) specialist agency Cargo, Miki joins John Wiltshire for a conversation about how big brands can connect and engage with the decision makers behind small businesses. He shares how marketing the Mercedes Benz Sprinter van spurred him to find, engage and motivate small business owners (SBOs) to achieve leading market share – and how big brands can do the same.
Here’s some of what they discuss:
1. Why people buy what they buy (1:25)
This question prompted Miki to think about consumer behaviour, to try and understand the emotional connection between the business owner and the way a brand makes them feel.
2. The state of mind of SBOs (6:41)
Despite the impact of the pandemic, 82% of SBOs are optimistic about the future. Rather than look at the negative, they’re changing their business model through the digitization of their sales channels, business operations and innovation.
3. How to target your messaging (9:19)
SBOs are fuelled by optimism and enthusiasm, so you need to tailor your messaging accordingly. Understanding their personas (Crusaders vs Artisans) will help you shift your messaging from sympathy to empowerment. Another differentiator is how different industries will recover (high-touch models like events and hospitality have a slower speed of recovery), which makes a targeted approach necessary.
4.The value of purpose-driven experiences (15:32)
“Be authentic and do what you say you’re going to do”, Miki advises. Through a study conducted by his agency, Cargo, he discovered that brand purpose was a strong driver of affiliation for millenials. By tying all your products and services into one ecosystem that’s less about a feature than it is about what it can do for them, you’ll be solving a problem and helping SBOs.
5. The difference between working for an SMB and a big brand (23:34)
Young marketers who work for an SMB instead of a big brand will learn various components of the business much faster. When you work in an SMB, you learn to be okay with ambiguity and lack of defined structure. This often leads to the kind of accelerated innovation and agility that young marketers would rarely find in traditional organizations.
To hear more about how to market to SBOs and turn them into fans and brand ambassadors 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
It's one thing to talk about authenticity, transparency and the need to be aligned with your customers. It's a total other thing to say how we're going to actually put this into action. It’s about the conversation with internal stakeholders. It's a conviction to make this part of your long term planning. And it's a question that you ask at each step of your process: Are we being consistently authentic?
In this episode of CMA Connect, host, and President of the Canadian Marketing Association, John Wiltshire dives deep into the subject of brand authenticity from a deeply personal lens.
John touches on:
- His personal health scare from earlier in the fall (1:15) and the decisions that came with it on what and how he communicated information to those around him in his life and his workplace.
- How a brand truly is personification. Because we're dealing with humans, and trying to communicate important aspects of purpose and attributes (2:03).
- How brands often need to make decisions about transparency and the importance of staying away from portraying a false narrative. (3:24)
- The trade off between maximizing shareholder value and meeting customer needs - and why they need to be reconciled (5:00). Value goes beyond EBITDA and share price and into being good corporate citizens (5:55)
- John’s 4 Cs for brand authenticity - Conviction, Conversation, Consistency, Creative partners (7:50).
Brand authenticity is complex, and ever changing, but the journey must start today.
🎧 Tune in to CMA Connect 🎧 for the full take on the subject as you plan for your 2022 marketing calendars
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in May of 2020
If your brand isn’t everywhere, how will it connect? According to Mitch Joel, connection is what everyone is looking for – and we need to make our connections count. The Founder of Six Pixels Group, a bestselling author, podcaster, and former chair of CMA’s board of directors, Mitch joins John Wiltshire on CMA Connect to share his take on where brands should go next as marketers shift towards recovery.
On the show, he shares some of his journey from rock journalist to speaker, blogger, and author, along with why brands need to think very deeply on how much more they could use to connect.
Here’s some of what you’ll learn:
1. Two divergent concepts to keep top of mind (10:23)
These are the two potential paths the world might go down: whether consumers will buy the way they once bought, or if we need to anticipate three years of struggle.
2. Disrupting disruption = innovation (14:30)
With the true digitization that’s happening, brands and marketers need to look beyond their physical limitations towards making products and services more open and accessible.
3. Making connection a priority (20:30)
For example, instead of using newsletters to promote your business, use them to connect with your customers. It's tremendously powerful to have a real person write a real letter in a human voice that explains things and provides value.
4.The power of marketplaces (23:44)
Every business, especially marketers, should think about building your own marketplace or how to be part of one. Along with how to be more direct to consumers in a world that’s increasingly demanding it.
To hear more about opportunities for disruption and innovationtune in to CMA Connect.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Hello and welcome back to CMA Connect. In this episode, Erin Elofson, who heads up Pinterest’s Canada and APAC region, joins John Wiltshire to discuss Pinterest’s raison d'êtreand how positivity is built into the platform. Erin shares the difference between social media and personal media, and how brands can deliver ideas and inspiration to pinners who browse with intent. Listen up to find out why the platform should be part of every brand’s media mix.
Here’s a preview of what they talked about:
- How Pinterest started as a way for users to collect and be inspired by things they found on the internet (1:27) and, with 450 million users, whether the platform is growing locally and internationally (2:50).
- The difference between social media and personal media and where Pinterest lies on the scale (4:24).
- Built-in positivity (4:24) and some of the measures that Pinterest has taken to stay true to this, such as blocking anti-vaccination content back in 2017 (5:54), banning political ads and most recently, prohibiting weight loss advertising.
- How Pinterest’s content differs from other social media platforms (6:40), coming mostly from brands who deliver ideas to people using the platform with commercial intent (8:28), often to plan for major milestones. And how this presents unique opportunities to reach an audience at the earliest stages of their journey.
- Why the positivity behind Pinterest (and their mission to create a positive environment for pinners) is a key reason to include Pinterest in any brand’s media mix (11:12).
- The importance of trying out different roles and being a ‘generalist’ when you’re starting out in marketing (18:15).
To find out more about Pinterest’s social commerce push and why this could help your brand grow, 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect 🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in August of 2020
Welcome back to CMA Connect, where two special guests from CMA’s Talent Council, Nardia Ali, Director of Talent Acquisition and Engagement at Ogilvy, and Medhi Rahman, Director of Global Learning and Development at Spin Master, join your host, John Wiltshire, to discuss how marketers must adapt to - and create - lasting change.
They share some of their plans and priorities to elevate marketing in Canada by developing thought leadership tools and best practices to foster talent and inspire creativity, while ensuring diversity.
They talk about:
- Adapting to change, whether its within the industry, technology or how we connect with our customers – and how this requires bold action along with the responsibility to build diversity, increase representation and create materials that are inclusive, diverse, and representative (3:46)
- The three issues of focus for the talent council (6:05):
- Addressing systemic discrimination
- Competency building to allow marketers to change and evolve
- Attracting and retaining the best talent
- The advantage of diversity within the Council (11:41), which includes members with different ethnic, academic, organizational and career backgrounds who have an openness to participate, contribute and learn from each other
- The benefits of rotating members from one topic to another every quarter to come up with concrete solutions (16:05)
- Why change can’t be in the moment (19:48): The difference between using and consuming thought leadership tools and practices vs. actually internalizing them to make lasting changes (18:30)
To find out more,🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in October of 2020
Join John Wiltshire and Trinh Tham, CMO of Harry Rosen, to hear how this retail brand has remained true to their brand purpose, while continuously evolving and pivoting. Trinh believes that marketers have a vital role: to act as the voice of the customer. This means we need to be active listeners – asking what customers want from our brands, beyond product, service, and value.
They discuss:
- How Harry Rosen has always been consistent with their values, but these values needed to be refreshed and articulated (2:43) so they would resonate with their customers, both old and new (3:55). But, instead of rolling out a new strategy, they hit pause on their marketing (6:26) and started producing and donating designer face masks (7:53).
- The impact of Black Lives Matter and how it forced them as a brand to evaluate whether they were doing enough to help with systemic racism (12:40), both internally and externally.
- Adjusting Harry Rosen’s merchandising and marketing strategy to provide customers what they want (15:42), for example, shifting from business wear to sportswear (“work from home wear”).
- Increasing the company’s digital spend, a focus on performance marketing and employee satisfaction (17:21) with an emphasis on customer relationships (19:09)
- Trinh’s advice on setting your brand purpose, stopping, and checking in (with your team and customers), and the importance of authenticity and empathy (21:31)
To find out more about living your brand’s purpose, during and after a pandemic,🎧 tune in to CMA Connect on Apple or Spotify 🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in July of 2020
Marketing is one of the leading applications for AI today, according to AI expert Erin Kelly. She joins CMA Connect to talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it can drive innovation through look-alike sampling. Erin Kelly is President and CEO of Advanced Symbolics Inc. (ASI), a company that uses AI to augment market research and prediction. ASI’s patented AI, named Polly™, catapulted the company to fame after predicting BREXIT and the Trump election. Erin now works with major brands around the world to increase revenue and explore new ways of communicating. John and Erin talk about:
- The difference between artificial and alien intelligence (3:00), and how AI (such as Google Maps) is already being used daily to help people (5:45).
- How Covid-19 has unleashed the power of AI, especially in marketing (7:27) where it can be used to create look-alike sampling or audiences to capture consumer sentiment through representative social media behaviours. This allows marketers to see what tactics have been tried successfully – under many different conditions with audiences who behave very similarly – and get a leg up on the competition.
- Market research on steroids – how the Government of Canada was able to get people interested in the environment and sustainable development back in 2019 (9:59) and how AI was able to prove these ads were successful
- The importance of topic discovery and how it can help companies create aspirational audiences to drive new sales (15:20) – using the manufacturer of electric automobiles as an example of AI driving innovation
- Change point analysis (18:22) and how it helps companies find out whether their ad or communication has created change, for example, when your audience adopts the behaviour you want them to adopt
- How AI helps companies measure the efficiency of their spend (23:32) and how easy it is for marketers to learn and implement AI solutions (25:32)
To find out more about how AI is changing the scope of marketing, 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect on Apple of Spotify 🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in December of 2020
This episode of CMA Connect features Stephen Brown, CEO of successful Canadian-based creative agency FUSE Create. The winner of CMA’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award, Stephen describes the role that agencies play in today’s marketing landscape. He shares how agencies can build back better in 2021 and beyond , as well as what young emerging marketers can do to get into the industry.
Here’s some of what John Wiltshire and Stephen talk about on the show:
- Stephen’s trajectory into the marketing and advertising industry (3:15) to become CEO of FUSE Create
- What the pandemic has taught Stephen about over communicating (7:43) and the importance of a positive workplace culture (10:08). As well as why you need to provide a path for your team to connect, engage and build, instead of just focusing on financials (10:08)
- Whether brands need agencies – and finding the right balance (12:11). Plus, some insights on why outsourcing to an independent agency can help keep the product and connection with the consumer honest (13:58)
- If creativity can be quantified (15:00) and whether it should become all-encompassing
- The key to effective leadership – showing up and being present as well as listening to find the true issue instead of rushing to fix the problem (17:42)
- What’s important for an emerging marketer, from building a personal brand and forming relationships through networking to letting your personality shine, being curious and passionate (22:22) and the ability to see opportunity (22:34).
To find out more about the role of agencies in today’s marketing landscape, 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in May of 2021
In this episode of CMA Connect, John Wiltshire chats with Kevin Edwards, Chief Executive Officer at SkipTheDishes, Canada’s largest and most trusted food delivery app about the increased demand for take-out and how they’ve responded to ensure growth for all three of their stakeholders (restaurants, contractors, and customers) (6:07). They also discuss the ever-evolving and growing role that marketing plays in an organization – and how it was key to Skip’s overall strategy and success.
You’ll learn from Kevin’s experience as a lifelong marketer and how this contributed to his role as CEO, taking the brand from preference to relevance.
Here’s a sneak peek into what was discussed:
- Every executive owns brand because everyone executes in a way that affects the brand. This is why every member of an organization needs to understand the mission, strategy and importance of the brand. Their buy-in is crucial to ensure alignment with the brand promise, and to nurture customer relationships (7:02).
- The acceleration of food delivery during the pandemic (11:56) and how Skip leaned into this to meet the needs of restaurants, contractors, and customers, bringing new restaurant brands to the community and helping them succeed.
- The story behind the organization’s creative approach and why this resonated with Canadian customers (8:59)
- Kevin’s experience of stepping back as a marketer (14:36) to become a CEO who embraced every part of the business (and why this is so important when leading, influencing, and challenging at different organizational levels)
- Why marketers should embrace the ROI discussion (18:17) to change the conversation from the cost of marketing to how their work translates into KPIs
- His advice for young marketers on what constitutes a great hire (22:27)
To find out more about the critical role of marketing in any organization, 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect 🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myC MA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in May of 2021
Hello and welcome back to CMA Connect. In this episode, your host John Wiltshire talks about the power of agile marketing with Analia Lapichino, Senior Director Value Proposition Strategy at Rogers Communication. They speak about the benefits of agile marketing’s scrum framework and how Analia uses this method with her team to get things done.
Tune in to learn the difference between agile marketing and agile development (2:14) and how agile marketing (3:54) allows you to accelerate the pace at which you reach a customer. Here’s a quick preview of the discussion around the five principles of agile marketing:
1) Focus on analysis vs opinion (7:20)
From breaking a decision into small (bearable chunks) with less risk to recognizing that leadership ideas don’t have a higher success rate, learn how to focus on analysis rather than opinion.
2) Take a customer-centric approach (8:39)
Analia believes that companies need to think through every customer experience for every marketing campaign or tactic.
3) Be fast and fail fast (10:41)
If failure is a given, how can you embrace and learn from failure so you don’t fail the same way twice?
- Be collaborative and avoid hierarchy (12:22)
You can empower your squad and transform their leadership journey by embracing servant leadership.
- Be efficient in your leadership support (17:37)
Set the vision and the guardrails you need to get there. When you eliminate the passing of the baton, you’re on the right path.
Last, but not least, find out why you need specialists to bridge beyond the area of competency, along with a (non-hierarchical) environment that makes ordinary people extraordinary (19:48).
To learn more about how you can achieve success through agile marketing, 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect 🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myC MA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in November of 2020
Hello and welcome back to CMA Connect. In this episode, Sabrina Geremia, VP and Country Manager for Google Canada, joins the show to discuss how digital transformation is influencing marketing. Sabrina shares how technology can help marketers meet evolving consumer expectations and achieve digital excellence. Together with John Wiltshire, she discusses how Canadian businesses have pivoted online to meet a volatile market. They also touch on what both young professionals and seasoned marketers should be doing to improve their skills.
Here’s some of what was discussed:
- How Sabrina defines good marketing (1:06), whether expectations of marketing have changed (2:10), and the contribution of online tests and iterations to measurement of business outcomes
- Whether Canadian companies have adapted and pivoted towards digital solutions (8:43), from retailers developing digital storefronts, car makers enabling online bookings or virtual showrooms, or restaurants allowing curbside pickups
- What businesses can do to accelerate growth, including anchoring strategy to business outcomes (11:17), learning through tools like AdWords or Analytics or pivoting on their product or distribution lines (15:00)
- The importance of analyzing your marketing to see whether it reflects the diversity of your users – and if it doesn’t, how you can think about approaching it differently (16:56)
- What smart businesses are doing right now (18:22), from longer-range planning with built-in variances to using three growth curves instead of one. And how they are building resilience by becoming agile and setting up marketing strategies to drive business growth
- The importance of creating an amazing digital presence (20:00), and why digital should be at the core of your strategy
- Her advice for young marketers (22:05), like utilizing platforms such as CMA NXT to Grow with Google. As well as why every marketer should continuously build their skills, talk to others, and soak up knowledge.
To find out more about the digitization of consumer demand and how to tap into it 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect 🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in October of 2020
Does your organization feel like a Ferrari stuck in first gear, especially when it comes to the martech tools you use? Intercept President and Co-chair of the B2B Council, Andrew Au, joins CMA Connect to discuss the need for B2B marketers to not only adopt marketing tech and automation tools, but to realize their full potential.
On the show, he shares some of his journey to becoming an expert in B2B marketing, along with why martech tools are essential to reach and engage customers in a changing world. Tune in to learn how utilizing martech to deliver personal and connected experiences will help you be successful, post-Covid and beyond.
Some key takeaways include:
- The importance of mapping your customer stakeholders (6:53)
Organizations must understand the different ideas, criteria, and expectations (7:55) of up to 15 decision-makers in B2B purchasing. Individual-based marketing is key to becoming more personalized and relevant – building persona profiles can help marketers understand every stakeholder’s role in the buying journey and use these insights to create customer journeys (8:10).
- Why marketers need to understand the data (9:05)
We're collecting way more data than we've ever had before, in multiple ways and formats for multiple parties, most of which is never used. Sit down with your IT department to decide what data needs to be processed and connected (9:35) to create client profiles that provide actionable insights.
- How to embrace hyper personalization (11:59)
To be hyper personalized to your clients’ needs, you need to talk to the person or team that’s closest to the end consumer, which is sales. According to Andrew, the future of marketing automation lies in blending sales and marketing to create cross functional pods or teams (13:58) who design customer journeys that drive impact and secure investment.
- Why more (great) content is the fuel for customer journeys (15:51)
Evaluate how personalized your content is and whether it provides actual value. Your customers are swimming in a sea of information – help them make sense of it. And if they’re not responding, branch off and create sub journeys using marketing automation.
To hear more from Andrew on the potential of martech tools and how the citizen developer movement is making it easier to be innovative (20:27), 🎧 tune in to CMA Connect🎧.
Stay connected and receive the latest marketing news and industry trends by visiting thecma.ca and signing up for a myCMA account.
Reproduced from a conversation originally recorded in October of 2020
Welcome to the pilot episode of CMA Connect, our new podcast hosted by John Wiltshire, CEO and President of the Canadian Marketing Association. We'll be sharing the latest tips and insights from industry thought leaders to help you connect the marketing dots. For a fantastic discussion about diversity and inclusion and its impact on today's marketer, you need to listen to our very first episode.
On the show to share their personal experiences and insights as BIPOC professionals are Gopal Bansal, Vice-President of Diversity and Inclusion at RBC and Sartaj Sarkaria, the Chief Diversity Officer and VP of Corporate Services at CMA.
We discuss:
- The CMA’s research on DEI and some intrigui ng findings from over 400 organizations (2:30) including widely varying experiences, notably the exclusion felt by minority groups (3:49) and how most non-minorities aren’t even aware of this!
- Whether women are heard in marketing, the double bind of being both female and BIPOC – and how to turn this into a double bonus (6:07)
- The dynamics of diversity and inclusion (8:20) and how a simple ‘Pink Elephant’ exercise can reveal different experiences and perspectives (15:28).
- What leaders can do better, including 2-way mentoring and the creation of diverse and inclusive environments from the get-go. And why fresh thinking and new perspectives can help create an inclusive culture (26:23).
🎧 Listen to the first CMA Connect podcast for more.🎧
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