Observations & Advice From Top Marketing Association Leaders Across Canada

As society is ever-changing, so is the world of marketing and public relations. With recurring trends and new ones forming, these patterns can be observed to help organizations make informed decisions. Observations were shared from;

1. Derek Lackey, the Chairman from the Response Marketing Association
2. Haem Roy, the Sr Branded Content Manager from Rogers Sports and Media and the BCMA Canada
3. Scott Knox, the President and CEO of the Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA)
4. Jessica Yared, The Digital Marketing Manager for The Association of Canadian Advertisers

What is your organization's outlook on 2021 and what we can expect from the world of Marketing and PR in Canada?

Lackey believes that his organization throughout the year of 2021 returned to basics. “Digital brought a lot of promise and just as much fraud,” according to Lackey. The Response Marketing Association employees are planning to return their focus on the consumer and their needs, rather than what technology allows them to do. He also believes that privacy will play a significant role as the consumer becomes more aware of the value that their information holds.

According to Roy, his organization is strongly moving towards the qualitative aspects of marketing and public relations. “Emotional marketing, branded content, connections are gaining importance, especially as people crave the connection in this pandemic world,” says Roy. A strong voice and values are aspects of marketing that are also gaining significance. Brands can no longer afford to be neutral towards a topic as it can negatively impact their relationship with their consumers. They are expected to speak up, and show up, believes Roy.

Knox believes that the pandemic has had a positive impact regarding the connection between clients and agencies. He believes that they are becoming closer and there is not such an obvious divider between the two. Agencies have needed to act with solid and timely consumer insight and at hyper speed. “Our consultancy for brands has never been more needed, the value of marketing as a profession has been upgraded in the boardroom,” says Knox.

Yared stated that consumers are becoming more educated and aware of privacy in relation to advertising than ever before. “The ACA has a keen eye on the issue, supporting its members in finding a way forward to accurately target and measure advertising, while protecting the privacy of its consumers.”

Diversity and inclusion is becoming increasingly discussed. The ACA is supporting members in this regard with the newly formed DEI Committee, whose mandate is to guide and improve diversity, equity and inclusion within the marketing community. Yared believes that sustainability in marketing has been a huge topic in marketing in both Canada and globally. “ We recently completed a study on this subject and found that 95% of marketers feel that the marketing function can have an impact on their organizations’ sustainability agendas.”

Why should someone join your association in 2021?

Lakey believes that marketers should want to join his association to learn. A professional marketer must be an expert in many areas of marketing in order to understand which tools to use. “The RMA is designed to help educate, advocate and provide networking opportunities for professional marketers.”

The BCMA is building and growing the branded content community in Canada. “We want to educate, bring awareness, and also be prepared for the future,” states Roy. The BCMA understands consumers are already seeking branded content, but Roy fears that brands may not be ready. BCMA has established chapters and members across the world. Their global resources, and reach, can help brands and those seeking information as well as perspective.

“It's quite simple, if you believe that more can be achieved collectively than as individuals then agencies should join this association,” says Knox. Founded in 1905, the ICS is the community of Canadian agencies embracing purpose, responsibility and sustainability in growing stronger as people and businesses. The ICA is run by agencies for agencies.

How many members do you have currently?

The Response Marketing Association currently has a little more than 15,000 members. A membership is free in the year of 2021, previously it cost 195 dollars a year. The Association of Canadian Advertisers has over 2,500 members. This includes individual marketers, government relations, finance and procurement professionals, and legal counsel in over 200 companies and divisions.

Using these insights provided it can be concluded that some agencies are seeing similar patterns however some trends do very by agency. This information can be used to make predictions about the rest of 2021 and years following. For more information, please visit their websites.

• Response Marketing Association
• Rogers Sports and Media, and BCMA Canada
• Institute of Communication Agencies
• The Association of Canadian Advertisers

Written by Zaniah Friesen