6 People to Watch in Canadian MarTech

Canadian MarTech is an exciting field, full of innovation, creativity, analytics, and growth. Across the country, new ideas are driving exciting change. While the pandemic may have put a wrench in our best set plans, these leaders have found exciting ways to support Canadian businesses through tech, digital initiatives, and good old human connection.

Find out how these Canadian MarTech leaders are making waves across the country, what they think about the future of Canada’s MarTech scene, and what recommendations they have for newcomers in the field, below.

1. Spencer Callaghan

Spencer Callaghan is the Senior Manager of Brand and Communications at CIRA, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority. Spencer describes himself as a communicator, writer, PR pro, creative thinker, and status quo disrupter.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the internet was a lifeline for separated families, isolated individuals, and workers forced to work from home. Unfortunately, hackers took advantage of the crisis to increase phishing scams and malware attacks on Canadian domains.

Spencer and the CIRA tackled this security crisis by offering free CIRA DNS Firewalls to hospitals, medical clinics, and healthcare facilities. Free cybersecurity training programs were also offered to help Canadians practice safer internet habits as the workforce transitioned remotely. As well, they created their Canadian Shield, a free enterprise-grade protection program for Canadian domains.

CIRA’s leadership stands as a shining example of what it means to be a brand that cares. Not only that, but Spencer’s work brought safety and security to a nation in a trying time. “I love seeing Canadian brands trying something unique. Yes, the strategies and tactics of digital marketing are mostly universal, but the creative execution needs to be uniquely Canadian… something that reflects our unique perspective on the world.”

To those looking to break into the field of Canadian MarTech, Spencer has this to say: “Ask questions. No matter how junior you are, or which executives are in the room, ask questions. Don’t assume the question you want to ask is naïve or uninformed, often there are much more senior people than you in the room who don’t get it either.”

Hear Spencer on this episode of the Marketing News Canada Podcast discussing the importance of websites and .ca vs .com.

2. Melanie Gaboriault

Melanie Gaboriault is the Senior Global Corporate Communications Manager at Hootsuite. Her role centres around structuring the company's communications to better deliver their thought-leadership strategies and improve corporate positioning. She also directs and manages Hootsuite’s PR disciplines, providing direction to seven global PR agencies who secure their top-tier earned media coverage.

In 2021, Melanie helped prepare the Digital Gender Diversity Impact Report in conjunction with the World Woman Foundation, Georgetown University Business for Impact Fund, and VMLY&R Commerce. The report provides best practices for brands and organizations looking to drive positive social change. As well, it aims to empower women worldwide to engage themselves in digital pursuits and social justice.

Melanie also created Hoosuite’s Digital 2021 Report alongside Simon Kemp, founder of Kepios. The report outlines a clear path for brands to follow when growing digitally in 2021. “Research from [the] digital trends report stated that in Canada nearly 85% of our population, or 32.2 million people, are active social media users, which is up 8% from last year. It’s an exciting space, one where innovation drives what we do every day.”

To up-and-comers in the space, Melanie says, “Take digital skills training. Absorb as much knowledge and education as possible and seek out opportunities to learn new skills in the digital space… Embracing change, asking questions, seeking a new way of doing things, and staying on my toes has been [my] driving force.”

Melanie’s global perspective, attention to social change, and ongoing support in the marketing and communications industry make her a clear leader in the Canadian MarTech world.“I’m inspired by the way marketing is evolving away from a one-way broadcast to a conversation where brands have the opportunity to better understand their customers, thanks to tools like ours.”

3. Tristan Lee

Tristan Lee is the Small Business Marketing Lead at Google, Toronto. He focuses on helping small and medium-sized businesses go digital and succeed in Canada and across the world.

Throughout the pandemic, Tristan and Google have worked hard to ensure Canadian small businesses were able to stay afloat, despite closures, restrictions, and the loss of in-person events. In 2020, through a partnership with Digital Main Street, Google committed to getting 50,000 small businesses online through their ShopHERE program.

For Tristan, the best thing about the digital world is that it allows any company to compete in the global economy. Even local bookstores, fountain pen shops, and coffee companies have the ability to build a website, invest in digital marketing, and connect with customers across Canada and the world. “Digital marketing enables highly predictable and measurable growth, so marketing is no longer a tool to build awareness at scale, it is a tool to help you scale your business, predictably, in Canada and abroad.”

Tristan also notes that only 10% of Canadian companies sell products abroad, and 98% of all businesses in Canada are SMBs. “What’s unique is that there is a huge opportunity here for Canadian businesses. If more Canadian companies thought about getting online, investing in marketing and the potential of going global from day one, the Canadian economy could expand exponentially. Think about it. Even building a website and selling your products to the USA opens access to 10X the number of consumers as you can find in Canada.”

For those new to the industry, Tristan says stay curious and try new tactics whenever possible. “Your career is a marathon, not a sprint, so try to enjoy each experience you have and reflect after each one about what it is you’ve learned, how you’ve grown, and where you want to go next.”

Hear Tristan talk more about Google’s small business recovery program on this episode of the Marketing News Canada Podcast.

4. Jason Allsopp

Jason Allsop is a Vice-President at Leger, the largest Canadian-owned market research and analytics company, with more than 600 employees in Canada and the United States.

Throughout the pandemic, Leger has been conducting a publicly available tracking study about social, health, and economic issues related to COVID-19. Survey topics ranged from “Canadian’s Perceptions of the Evolution of the Crisis” to “Canadian’s Satisfaction with Governments”. The information in these studies was used by politicians, businesses, health institutions, and school leaders as they pivoted their tactics to fight the virus.

As a leader in Canadian MarTech, Jason says that one of the biggest innovations he’s watching right now is that more and more companies are creating their own proprietary communities and brand advocacy panels. “On the surface that seems like a downside for the market research industry as DIY grows, but what these same organisations are realising is that these DIY initiatives are doing well as a tech-only play, but we add the research expertise – and this is the winning combination.”

Jason also notes that with the now-ubiquitous nature of smartphone usage, research companies have the ability to capture video responses within questionnaires that provide the respondent with easier ways of sharing their thoughts, instead of just typing them out. This, in turn, also provides richer data for research clients, and better outputs overall.

On a personal note, Jason reminds us that the key to doing work is not simply working, but the way you interact with those who work alongside you. “Being human, and understanding that; oftentimes we forget life as we are so invested in work. But, being able to empathise with situations and understand people as humans first, rather than employees, allows you to connect with them – and they then feel more invested in helping us row in the same direction.”

“Be yourself, embrace change, and own your decisions…” are MarTech leader Jason Allsopp’s closing words.

5. Darryl Julott

Darryl Julott is the Managing Lead of Digital Main Street, where he helps Ontario main street businesses through their digital transformations.

In 2020, Digital Main Street partnered with Google, Shopify, Mastercard, and Microsoft in their ShopHERE program, which offered free Shopify stores, built and optimized, for Canadian small businesses looking to get their products and services online. They also offered complimentary one-on-one support for these businesses as they navigated the new world of digital sales.

Darryl says the sheer innovation and creativity in Canada’s MarTech system inspires him on a daily basis. Specifically, Darryl has been closely following the rise of solutions that allow MarTech professionals to build products with little to no coding required. “It’s exciting because tools like this can greatly expand the skillset of MarTech professionals with minimal technical capabilities.”

Darryl also points out the increasing push towards personalization in the MarTech industry which is improving small business support. “I think we are finally seeing a conscious shift in consumer behaviour with the desire to shop and support local, and new tools allowing for greater personalization will allow Small Business owners to maximize their efforts and create a truly unique customer experience.”

When considering his career trajectory, Darryl says one of the biggest lessons he’s learned is that intangibles are everything. While we tend to focus on what we look like on paper, what school we went to, what companies we have worked at, but what’s really important is the intangible qualities within us all that make us exciting professionals. “Equally important is being true to yourself and building authentic relationships. Always try and deliver value in return, and build meaningful connections that will stay with you.”

Apart from this, Darryl is also an avid volunteer for the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Children’s Wish Foundation, and other non-profit charities. His passion for community, innovation, and digital technology make him a star to watch in Canadian MarTech.

6. Allen Davidov

Marketing, analytics, and fundraising Executive Allen Davidov is the current Senior Vice President at Environics Analytics. Allen has been in the business for more than a decade and his career has taken him across the board, from working with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to a Director of Marketing role at North York General Hospital. Allen is equal parts fundraising, data, and leadership, all packaged together in a smile.

Allen is thrilled to see the tremendous amount of innovation that’s coming out of the Canadian MarTech scene. Allen notes that the innovations are not just seen in the end products, but are pushing marketers in how they approach and engage with customers in both B2B and B2C transactions.

“I work in the data and analytics space, and there has never been a more exciting time to talk about data. From what type of privacy compliant data is available to how they can be wielded to interpret and gain insights to solve business problems or help recovery efforts if talking about COVID and the economy.”

According to Allen, the sheer volume of data being collected, anonymized, and made available to marketers is amazing. He notes that data is an essential ingredient in guiding technology and tools in the marketing space.

“What really excites me is the mobile movement, financial, health and behavioural data becoming available to organizations and marketers... From the intentionality of people’s travels and actions online... to the amount of money they could spend, [this data] will only enhance how organizations are able to understand, engage and better service their customers.”

To all those new to the industry, Allen says: value your curiosity! Look at what is possible but think about how to pivot it to solve future challenges. And don’t forget the data!

Written by Hannah Macready