Labatt Breweries of Canada took Best of Show at the 9th annual Sponsorship Marketing Awards (SMAs), winning for a fan-based sponsorship program involving Budweiser and the Winnipeg Jets that exceeded business objectives. The SMAs, presented April 25th at the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada’s annual conference in Toronto, recognize companies that maximize their investments in sponsorship marketing by developing innovative strategies that drive results. Other big winners were BMO and Scotiabank, which each won two awards. Click here for the media release.

Canadian marketers have moderated their expectations for near-term sales and revenue growth, according to the ACA’s most recent Marketer’s Pulse report. A majority of those polled now expect business growth will be stable over the next six months, in contrast to a more optimistic view held by marketers in a May survey. (more…)

The second installment of the ACA’s Marketer’s Pulse finds that a majority of the Canadian marketers polled are responding to the challenges of today’s rapidly shifting landscape by changing their marketing organization structures. Overall, the report — based on a survey of 54 senior marketers — found that 60% of respondent marketing organizations are making changes. (more…)

The debut issue of Marketer’s Pulse, the ACA’s new research initiative probing what marketers are thinking, planning and experiencing in their workplaces, and with their suppliers, partners and consumers, has been released.  (more…)

By Ted Morris, 4ScreensMedia

When I read about or watch an online video on technology, it’s usually under the auspices of a company such as Cisco or IBM. One such subject is “The Internet of Things,” about devices that can transmit data across the Web — autonomic systems that enable devices to ‘talk’ to each other. (more…)

John Torella, Senior Partner with J.C. Williams Group, is leading an Association of Canadian Advertisers course on the Fundamentals of Retail Marketing and Marketing Communications this fall. In a video interview, he outlines the steps in an action plan for retail marketing success, with important lessons learned from two case studies, Tip Top Tailors and Indian Motorcycle. (more…)

Fourth in a series
By Ted Morris, 4ScreensMedia

Monopoly, Scrabble, Mr. Potato Head, G.I. Joe, Nerf, Little Pony, Transformers.  These are only a few of the brands we are all growing old with, and are also seeing our children grow up with. They are all household names that have an extensive legacy and franchise around the world. They’re all Hasbro brands.

While many brand managers often think of extending a brand in terms of new product in the physical sense, the digital and social era offers the opportunity to transform brands into new media properties in ways that unlock the brand’s legacy. The age of new media offers up the chance to pull brands literally “out of the vault” and make them fresh again by relaunching them in an entirely new format. (more…)

Third in a series
By Ted Morris,
4ScreensMedia

Everyone owns social media. No one owns social media. If this sounds a bit cryptic, it’s because ownership of ‘social” depends, like most things, on one’s perspective.

PR agencies took an early lead in claiming their stake, followed by ad agencies, who claimed social media as falling under the MarCom domain. Both evangelized: “You are no longer in control of your brand.” Ad agencies claimed they were now here to help advertisers ‘engage’ with the digital consumer by forming offers of promotional discounts and creating online web experiences that would propel you into the digital domain. PR agencies were there to save brands in real time from negative word-of-mouth posted by disgruntled consumers and malcontents. (more…)

Second in a series
By Ted Morris, 4ScreensMedia

I was recently reading Golf Magazine, a publication of the Time Inc. Sports Group, which includes Sports Illustrated amongst its media assets. Golf Magazine serves as a hub, trigger or catalyst for viewing relevant content through a range of media types and other brand platforms. Here’s why.There is a section in Golf Magazine called “Your Game” which is an instructional piece made up of various illustrations, stats and descriptive text on, for example, how to improve putting from short distances. In the bottom left corner of the page, there is a pointer to the magazine’s website where there is an online video of the same lesson featuring additional information about the putting process. Golf.com has a link to Twitter (@si_golf). Videos are featured on YouTube, Golf Magazine’s channel. (more…)

First in a series
By Ted Morris, 4ScreensMedia

In 2009, The Boston Consulting Group revisited a concept called the Galaxy of Choices in a white paper titled The CMO’s Dilemma. During a session at the ACA’s AGM that fall, BCG’s John Rose outlined how an array of some 70+ media options within the mix of traditional and new media posed an unprecedented and complex challenge to the allocation of advertising dollars in the bid to effectively reach target audiences. (more…)

Recent news of Minneapolis-based Target’s northern expansion – amid continuing industry talk of other U.S. retail arrivals in the offing – underscores the need for Canadian retailers to clearly differentiate their brand positioning to stand out in an increasingly crowded and globalized marketplace, according to retail marketing expert John Torella.

(more…)