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.

The latest addition to the ACA’s library of best practices publications aims to assist marketers in cracking a tough nut: the ability to measure – and therefore demonstrate – the effectiveness of their marketing communications investments.

Measuring Marketing Communications Effectiveness in an Ever Changing World – The Role of the MarCom Dashboard refines the concepts first advanced in the ACA’s 2005 landmark study Measuring Marketing Communications Returns – ROI or Dashboard? (more…)

Online advertising revenue is expected to top $2.8 billion this year, up from almost $2.6 billion in 2011, according to a survey conducted by IAB Canada. Click here for more information.

Global social network ad revenues are forecast to rise almost 50% in 2012 to a record $7.72 billion (US), according to eMarketer. The total expenditures include paid advertising on social media sites, games and apps. Click here to learn 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…)

The Association of Canadian Advertisers is part of an eight-member coalition of associations that has announced a framework for industry self-regulation regarding Online Behavioural Advertising (OBA) in Canada. The move is consistent with the ACA’s Board of Directors endorsement in July 2009 of the World Federation of Advertisers’ Global Principles for OBA. “We’re pleased to see the work of the all-industry group ready to go forward, as this initiative enhances advertisers’ commitment to advertise responsibly in all media,” said Bob Reaume, ACA’s Vice President, Policy & Research. Click here for more.

Canadian online advertising revenues last year exceeded budgeted expectations of $2.1 billion, and grew by 23% to $2.23 billion for 2010, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada (IAB).  In terms of share of total Canadian media ad revenue, IAB says the internet has surpassed daily newspapers, and is now second only to television. Click here for details.

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…)

The ACA has released the results of a survey conducted earlier this year that asked Canadian marketers how they were allocating their marketing communications budgets across the increasingly varied MarCom channel options. A summary report, titled Marketing Communications Expenditure Survey 2010, has been issued to ACA members and survey respondents. Increasing reliance on the Internet accounts for the single major shift in activity, according to the 84 survey respondents. Over the three-year survey period, Internet will have gained 3.7 share points and increased ad revenue by 82%. For more survey results, click here.