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As the business world continues to adapt to political and pandemic pressures, marketers must shift their strategies and communications on a dime to stay relevant.

'State of Creativity' is an engaging presentation revealing and contextualizing emerging…

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In November 2020, the federal government announced its intention to update our federal data privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), which has been in effect since 2000. PIPEDA allows commercial organizations in Canada to be amongst one of only 12 countries deemed “adequate” under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), but it was not without its faults. The law was beginning to show some age, particularly as big data projects began emerging, and so the government announced in 2019 an ambitious Digital Charter for Canada, to which this announcement in November is directly tied.

It is understandable if the average marketer missed the announcement amidst the more urgent and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To assist, this article will provide a baseline understanding of what’s in the Act and how it may impact your day-to-day marketing operations if it passes as it is currently written.

“That was a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a trainwreck!”

Nothing describes 2020 better than Jake Tapper’s reaction to the first US presidential debate. It was a weird year, that’s for sure. Yes, I say “was” because I’m already over it. And our industry is not unscathed. Truth be told, I do not envy marketers who just went through Q4 aka budget season. First, you had to justify what happened during said dumpster fire. Next you needed to request another kick at the can. That is, budgets for next year.

There is no doubt that we are in the most uncertain climate of the last decade. Consumer behaviour is defying all trend-lines, accelerating multiple years into the future. Corporate innovation has accelerated with it, too. All the while we know that the economic and behavioural effects of the pandemic will be felt long after the health crisis is over.

This year has brought rapid growth to e-commerce in Canada. More Canadians are making more purchases online and they anticipate doing so even more in 2021. Philip Scrutton (VP Shopper Insights, BrandSpark International) will present findings from the November 2020 edition of the BrandSpark E-commerce Shopper Study and look ahead at what to expect from Canadian shoppers in 2021…

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Join ACA, Globe Media Group, Ipsos and Publicis as we release the results of the 2020 Ipsos Most Influential Brands study.

Influence doesn't happen by accident. This exclusive, by-invitation-only event for brand marketers will unveil key highlights from over 100 brands evaluated in the study and provide a retrospective on how brands have evolved in the last decade. Following the rankings, we'll have a keynote address and moderated panel showcasing some of Canada's most compelling brands.

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While most marketers have been busy revisiting business plans, modifying marketing activities and coming to grips with the new realities of a COVID world, others have been actively tackling their agency rosters.

And if you’re a marketer who was contemplating an agency search prior to the pandemic but decided to hit the brakes, here’s some good news: It’s not as scary – or as difficult – to undertake an agency search process with rigour and diligence as you may have thought. In fact, it may prove to be easier, less time consuming and more thorough than you imagined.