Marketing News Roundup: January 04, 2023

Today we feature a round-up of some big events and recent industry happenings.

• Shopify Tells Employees to Decline Meetings
• What Does Gen Z Want From Brands?
• Instacart Adds 20 New Retailers and 60% More Stores Across Canada
• DoorDash Canada Launches New Partnership Plans

Read more below!

Shopify Tells Employees to Decline Meetings

BNN Bloomberg has shared the statements made by Shopify regarding the cancellation of all recurring virtual meetings with more than two participants.

In the article by Bloomberg, it was explained that the Canadian e-commerce firm is conducting a “calendar purge,” removing all recurring meetings with more than two people “in perpetuity,” while re-upping a rule that no meetings at all can be held on Wednesdays. Big meetings of more than 50 people will get shoehorned into a six-hour window on Thursdays, with a limit of one a week. The company’s leaders will also encourage workers to decline other meetings and remove themselves from large internal chat groups.

The announcement marks a monumental moment in the structure of remote work companies such as Shopify and will be an interesting trend to watch in the coming year. As of 2023, the company will be cancelling all reoccurring meetings that involve more than two team members. This shift is expected to increase the time and effectiveness of the Shopify teams.

What Does Gen Z Want From Brands?

Generation Z are not kids anymore. In fact, they’re the new generation of consumers that brands and marketers need to think about. With an estimated collective buying power of $150 Billion in the US alone, and $4.4 Trillion on a global level (that’s a whole lot of buying power!) marketers are starting to take notice.

Unlike the generations before them, these consumers are digital natives who are growing up in different times, including the pandemic disrupting major life events like graduation and first jobs.

Gen Z requires an updated media and communication planning strategy that’s not only authentic, but relevant to the lives they live. According to findings from our recent research conducted in partnership with Omnicom Media Group’s (OMG) Global Research team, context matters for this generation and how brands show up – through messaging and media selection. If brands nail these two concepts, they’re already winning. Don’t worry, it's not a complete redrawing of the plan but rather a meaningful adjustment in your planning process that will help you move the needle among Gen Z.

Read the rest of ther blog here.

Instacart Adds 20 New Retailers and 60% More Stores Across Canada

Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, has announced that it added more than 20 new Canadian retail banners to the Instacart App and grew the number of stores it delivers from by 60% in 2022, including new and expanded partnerships with Rexall, Linen Chest, The Bay and METRO banners Food Basics, Adonis and Super C. Instacart now delivers from more than 4,000 stores across all 10 Canadian provinces.

"From regionally beloved retailers to Canada's top five grocers, we're proud to serve as an enablement platform for the retailers customers know, love and trust countrywide," said Chris Rogers, Chief Business Officer at Instacart. "We look forward to serving even more retailers and brands next year with our e-commerce and advertising offerings, making it more convenient for Canadians to shop from their favorite stores and discover new products."

Customers in Ontario and Quebec can now get their groceries delivered in as fast as an hour from three new METRO banners - Food Basics, Super C and Adonis - in addition to more than 180 METRO stores countrywide. Customers can now also shop for same-day delivery from leading pharmacy retailer Rexall, destination for life and style The Bay, local favorites Bulk Barn and Linen Chest, and more.

This follows Instacart's expansion of its advertising business to Canada in May – the first time Instacart Ads have been made available outside of the U.S. – which has allowed hundreds of brands to reach Canadian customers directly at the point of purchase.

To access Rexall, Linen Chest, The Bay, Food Basics, Super C, Adonis and more for same-day delivery, customers can visit www.instacart.ca or the Instacart App and navigate to the storefront of their choosing.

DoorDash Canada Launches New Partnership Plans

DoorDash Canada has announced the launch of new Partnership Plans to better support restaurant partners nationwide. As of December 2022, all Canadian local restaurant owners have the choice of three different plans, with commission rates that vary based on the inclusion of services provided. Additionally, DoorDash is including DoorDash Storefront, an Online Ordering Software, in all partnership plans that enables any restaurant to turn their website into an ecommerce store. The industry-leading Partnership Plans were first launched in the US by DoorDash and are intended to provide flexible solutions to suit a restaurant's needs.

"Our goal at DoorDash is to empower local businesses and help them capture more of their respective market and reach more consumers. Over the past year, we've introduced offerings to help restaurants define their own futures. Today, we are changing how we do business to provide more choices, and better choices, for restaurants. We hope that with our new flexible plans and increased digital marketing services, restaurants will continue to accelerate into the future and grow," said Shilpa Arora, General Manager of DoorDash Canada.

To help all participating restaurants meet their goals, all local Canadian restaurants on DoorDash will have a choice of three different Partnership Plans, with commission rates that vary based on the level of services and marketing provided.

Compiled by Emma Whiten, Former Editor of Marketing News Canada