Ray Balberman

Gen Z & Millennials Crave Authentic, Eye-Catching Out-of-Home Ads! Younger Canadians are reshaping the advertising landscape. These digital natives find OOH ads highly effective, with 51% saying OOH helps them discover new products and services faster. Although many Gen Z consumers skip online ads (63% use ad blockers), 55% view OOH ads positively. Gen Z is selective when engaging with ads, and OOH’s seamless integration into the environment makes these ads an enjoyable part of everyday life. What I find most interesting about Gen Z consumers is that they respond best to funny, eye-catching ads and value authenticity. Check out this ad for Cheestrings that capitalizes on humour, and happens to be one of my favourite ads of all time. Ready to speak to Gen Z and Millennials? Let’s talk about your next OOH campaign! 🚀 #OOH #DOOH #GenZ #Millennials #Advertising #Insight #Research #Marketing #AudienceInsights #ConsumerTrends #FunnyAds #EyeCatching COMMB OAAA DPAA Vistar Media https://lnkd.in/gFQQwUN3

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Marketing research professionals should take heed of the pollsters’ problems If the experts crunching data to predict elections are getting it wrong, why should we trust the experts to predict consumer behaviours? My latest Free to Disagree column in Campaign Canada https://lnkd.in/eitc6T_7

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I’m curious— 🤔 A lot of marketing and creative firms we work with are struggling in Canada. We are seeing the marketing industry change as a whole, for example, bigger firms like; BBDO, DDB, and TBWA coming together to form Omnicom Advertising Group. You top this with the radical advancements of A.I., and its current disruption on the culture and the value of ideas, creativity, and marketing as a whole. Oh, there's also a massive level of uncertainty and confidence with our economy. My question is for my creative brothers and sisters. The Founders, Experts, and Leaders within the trade: What pain are you feeling today? And, how are you overcoming that pain by evolving your business model? The game is changing and the more we can do to share and support one another I think the better. What are you finding success with? #marketing #advertising #creatives #marketers #branding

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I knew we had something special up in Toronto last month at Collision. I was up there helping my friend Jim Hunter launch his new company nCent Holdings. The timing of this launch could not have been better, as brands and marketers are getting more concerned with the avalanche of personal data and privacy laws that are being enacted worldwide. In fact last month at Cannes, the Chief Media Officer at JPMorgan Chase said that  “Winter is coming, from a data privacy standpoint” But what if this was an opportunity, and not a threat? What if this could be the moment where we could shake off the manipulative practices of third party and even first party marketing, where aggregators make money using your data, and all you see are endless and poorly targeted advertising. This is where nCent comes into play. It’s a two-sided marketplace, where on one side first-party data partners can easily move their audience to zero-party, and on the other side brands and marketers can use that data to deliver precise and timely campaigns that abide by the new regulations. You see what I mean about timing, right? Imagine a world where Garmin, Nike, or Hilton can unlock new revenue opportunities from their audience, and have that audience know that their personal data is secure as well as making money for the first time from the data they do decide to share. Ah, I forgot about that part, the secret sauce that makes the whole marketplace hum. With nCent, people can decide proactively what data they want to share with the world and what data they want to keep private. My activity app? Sure, have it. And Doordash, Instacart or even Uber. But my medical or banking apps? Sorry, you don’t get to see that. We believe that if intent is the key metric that drives marketing today, then incent is the flywheel that will drive zero party marketplaces in the future. We met investors, partners, and agencies up in Toronto, and the shocking thing was…everyone got it. It was one of the easiest pitches I have ever done. Because at the end of the day, solutions where the industry or platforms are responsible for deciding privacy is never going to work. It only works if the consumer owns their data. So today, I am pleased to announce that yes, I am diving back into the startup pool and joining nCent as their CMO. And speaking of timing, it’s also the day we are kicking off our partner program. So if you want to join the zero-party world, reach out. Because the companies that get to zero party first…win. @firsttozero

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With recent discussions across the advertising community and increased focus on ad standards by entities like the IAB Canada, I felt it was timely to share some thoughts on the importance of these standards in podcast advertising. This ongoing conversation underscores the need for transparency and accountability, which are vital for building trust and ensuring the effectiveness of our campaigns. I hope this article contributes to the dialogue and offers some useful insights. Read the full article here:  https://lnkd.in/gyc7rUeE #PodcastAdvertising #IAB #MarketingStrategy #BrandEngagement #TPX #Podcasting

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For the "go woke, go broke" crowd that permeates through many brands across North America and beyond... ...I'm happy to say that you're wrong. A whopping *75%* of consumers globally say that "diversity and inclusion – or a lack thereof – influence their purchase decisions." This comes from Kantar’s 2024 Brand Inclusion Index - a survey of more than 23,000 people in 18 countries. Valeria Piaggio, Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Kantar, expands on this: "It’s a myth that inclusion marketing is about marketing to minorities. Inclusion marketing is expansive marketing. One of the fundamental ways to grow your brand is to predispose more people to it. Yet when brands exclude consumers – whether that’s because people don’t feel welcomed when shopping in store or their advertising doesn’t reflect diverse communities – it’s an easy miss. Millennials and Gen Z prioritise diversity and inclusion even more than other groups, and as these populations grow in size and buying power these issues will carry more weight. Brands will be rewarded if they stand by their values – especially in the face of vocal communities which stoke the culture wars by pitting minority groups against one another.” So in the wake of so many brands cutting back on their #DEI staff and spend, treating inclusion like a checkbox that can be layered in whenever convenient, or just deprioritizing #DEI to pre-2020-like conditions, this is your wake-up call. It's time to get back on track. Your customers want it. Many are even demanding it. What are you waiting for? #JEDI #EDI #DEI #DEIA #InclusiveMarketing #InclusiveCommunications #InclusiveBranding #InclusiveAdvertising #InclusiveResearch #InclusionMatters #InclusiveWorkplace #InclusiveCulture

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So I constantly have this happen. If you read the comments or the tweets where CBC posted this story you can see the experience is a common frustration. But that's not why I'm posting. What stood out to me was the Ombudsman who believes since he only received 51 complaints in 2023 against a volume of 296 million parcels, that they are doing a bang-up job. Often we can get stuck paying attention to the wrong metrics. We grab vanity metrics that spit out big impressive figures but don't necessarily reflect what's happening in the biz. Worse than latching on to a vanity metric is when you 'fix' a metric so it can only give you 'happy days' reports. Just because you put the complaint box in a basement with the stairs missing, the lights out, and behind a locked door with a sign reading 'beware of the leopard' doesn't mean there are zero complaints. At the end of the day, your customers will vote with their feet. Even if you think you have them locked in and trapped they will find a means of escaping to someone willing to give them value. The number the Ombudsman ought to be paying heed to is the pre-tax loss of $748 million in 2023. That tells the real story of people like myself who seek any other means of receiving a shipment than via Canada Post/Purolator because I know they'll actually attempt to deliver.

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Leverage data to create experiences and deliver value. 👆 The big takeaway from #RCCSTORE2024 - and there's opps for brands! Incredible 2 days at the Retail Council of Canada's STORE 2024. Great speakers from every aspect of the industry shared what they were working on in the year ahead. 3 key trends appeared: 1) DATA, DATA, DATA There was no escaping the importance of data. From collecting it to analyzing with AI to creating customer experiences.... Both brands and retailers are focused on ways to gather more data and use it to drive loyalty and gain market share. 2) EXPERIENCE MATTERS Online and in-store, retailers are focused on elevating the shopper experience. In-store this includes a lot of technology including digital shelf edges and product discovery. It's also looking at self-checkouts and improving the experience for older consumers. Online it's focused on fast search, easy checkout and detailed product descriptions and reviews. This is particularly critical when engaging Gen-Z shoppers. 3) HIGHEST VALUE WINS Consumers are heavily influenced on where to shop and what to buy by the perceived value. While price is certainly a major factor, convenience and health benefits also play a role. Linked to the first two, understanding how the shopper defines value is critical in developing strategies that deliver results. This is how retailers are viewing the year ahead: it is highly beneficial for brands to contribute in these areas! If you need assistance in gathering consumer insights or securing more product reviews.... DM me as I and Caddle would love to provide the voice of the Canadian consumer to your strategy! ------------------------------------------ Get more product off shelves and into baskets with the latest in CPG, retail & consumer trends at 10:30am M, T, H & Sat by following Jared! Drive trial & get reviews with Caddle - DM me to learn more. Photo Credit: Tanmay #shoppermarketing #ecommerce #sampling #CPG #marketingstrategy #marketing #omnichannel #omnichannelmarketing

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Is your brand ready for the holidays?... It is hard to believe it is August. Kids will be heading back to school soon and before we know it, the holidays are here! This means brands need to start preparing (if they haven't done so yet) for holiday sales. This means, creative, messaging, media channels, etc. While prepping for it, here are some interesting nuggets to have in mind from the article I linked. -  Nine in 10 holiday shoppers (91%) want to see ads that offer a specific promotion, and seven in 10 (71%) appreciate ads that make it simpler to purchase the featured item (source: LG Report) - Fifty-six percent of CTV users will turn to search engines to research gifts this holiday season, with 36% saying they’ll search online after viewing streaming ads, per LG. And 34% will visit a retail website, with 42% saying they’ll go to a brand website after seeing a streaming ad. -- I suspect very similar behaviors from Linear TV viewers. - The majority of holiday shoppers will shop Black Friday (86%) and Cyber Monday (84%) deals, but 70% will take advantage of in-store Black Friday sales. Nearly half (48%) think Black Friday and Cyber Monday is when they’ll get the best deals. A comprehensive strategy that includes mutiple media outlets (TV, Paid Search, Paid Social, paired up with ongoing organic efforts) to meet the customer where they are is the key. Making sure that the top of the funnel is constantly being fed while nurturing consumers on the subsequent funnels will increase conversion rates. And just as important, a seamless top notch customer experience throughout the process will ensure consumers to come back. #d2c #holidays #advertising #ecommerce https://lnkd.in/eRbzVd75

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EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS OF SHOPPER DIGITAL MEDIA: RMN vs. RAMP. The digital advertising landscape in Canada is witnessing remarkable growth within Retail Media Networks (RMN). According to IAB Canada, RMNs in Canada continue to grow with projections for 2024 indicating ad spend will reach $3.15B in Canada representing 25.9% YOY growth. By 2026, it is anticipated that RMNs will command 25% of all digital ad dollars! The surge is being led by CPG clients who capitalize on RMNs to leverage a retailer’s first-party data, enabling them to deliver targeted ads with relevant messaging to specific shoppers, thereby helping to drive higher sales conversion rates. (Of course, a handful of omnichannel marketing friends tell me they have no choice but to invest😊) On the flip side, Retailer Agnostic Media Platforms (RAMP) carve out their own niche in the digital ad landscape. RAMPs empower brands to connect with a broader, more varied shopper audience, free from the constraints of a singular retail ecosystem. Plus, many RAMPs, including companies like Flipp, ShopLiftr, AdAdapted and GenesisX, provide innovative ad formats offering fresh and engaging advertising experiences. In my view, striking a balance between RMN and RAMP ad solutions is key. A dual-strategy approach offers: 1. A harmonious blend of targeted and broad reach. 2. Increased flexibility to switch between RMN and RAMP based on their performance metrics. 3. The ability to engage shoppers throughout their purchasing journey.   I’m curious about how others approach a digital media strategy for shoppers. How do you navigate the RMN and RAMP landscape? Share your insights in the comments section below! IAB article here: https://lnkd.in/dzpiHCsj. Flipp info here: https://lnkd.in/djZgpSAZ ShopliftR info here: www.shopliftr.com AdAdapted info here: https://www.adadapted.com/ GenesisX info here: www.genesisx.com #shoppermarketing #retailmedia #rmn #ramp #omnichannelmarketing #marketingconsultant Ian Clark Tim Argenas Jacob Smith Cameron Hoernke #retailmarketing

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With the news of DDB, BBDO and TBWA Canada merging into “Omnicom Advertising Services”, it’s officially a new era in the industry. These were three of the most dominant advertising agencies in the country for decades. Anyone working at or with these companies around the world - this is what’s coming. It’s not if, it’s when. So please prepare yourselves. Play chess not checkers with your career and livelihood. You’ve got to look after yourself and your family and you need to start planning what’s best for you right now. To all CEO’s, Boards of Governors, CMO’s, VP Marketing, Director of Marketing, Marketing Managers, CFO’s, COO’s and so on: The agency world is being massively disrupted (it has been for a while but it’s now in high gear) and I highly recommend you start looking at Plan B to protect your brand and put it into a position to thrive. Independent agencies around the world are thriving. They’re doing great work for clients because the people running those companies have skin in the game. If you do really well - they do well. Independent agencies are just hustling more. Independent agencies are running circles around the bigger, slower moving international companies. They’re doing really great work that’s working. Many of the most talented people in our industry have now moved over to working at an independent agency. When you hire an independent agency, the money goes back into the business. A great independent agency will hire the very best people. They’ll invest in tech. They’ll invest in things that will help your business thrive. They win if you win. Reach out and meet an independent agency or two and see if they’re the right fit for your brand and your team. If so, just try them on a project and let them earn their work. Don’t ask them for any free speculative work because that’s unethical. But sample them on a project. It’s the perfect time to try something new. There are many great independent agencies in cities and countries all over the world who are doing fantastic work. We at One Twenty Three West are just one of them and we’d be happy to connect. 123w.ca ***People from all over the world are going to read this post. All independent agencies are welcome to promote their business in the comments. Share the thread.

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#Netflix major AdTech - defo preparing #AI future Thanks Roger! This is the most comprehensive article I am reading on this topic! Watch this space! 📺 #CTV #AdTech #RetailMedia

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Trade Desk is setting themselves apart as the go-to ad platform for the open internet, which is not only brilliant brand positioning, it's also a good reminder that there are valuable alternatives to Meta and Google for both audiences and marketers. A recent Trade Desk report reveals that 57% of Canadians' online time is spent on the open internet, encompassing activities like streaming, gaming, news consumption, and messaging. Surprisingly, only 19% of advertising dollars are allocated to the open internet compared to walled gardens. This data challenges us as marketers and communications professionals to delve deeper into audience behaviour across various online spaces. Our focus should not only be on identifying where audiences spend their time but also on recognizing the intentional spaces that drive active engagement from Canadians versus passive consumption. These spaces often exist within the open internet landscape.

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This week Toronto is hosting the World Federation of Advertisers for global marketing week, bringing together many of the globe's top CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers). It's timely that EMARKETER released some insights on the role of the CMO. Good news. CEOs are seeing CMOs in a more positive light. This is framed by more dynamic & complex roles that are increasingly driving business results that matter to the CEO & CFO. The transformative role of AI is helping drive this and putting investing in skilling up the marketers on their team. Elevating the role of the CMO has been a long standing conversation at the Canadian Marketing Association & something I'm seeing firsthand on the field. It's fantastic to see some positive momentum as we use her in the age of AI. Stephan Loerke & friends from WFA - we look forward to seeing you in Toronto this week! More from EMARKETER report here: https://lnkd.in/g5di7j9g More about the WFA global marketing week in Toronto: https://lnkd.in/gxq-_KE7

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Media industry leaders came together at the IAB Canada State of the Nation Toronto Summit yesterday, to share thoughts on future of Media👇 🚀 Advertising revenue is projected to reach $𝟏𝟖.𝟏𝐁 in 2024 (from $15.9B in 2023). This growth is fueled by direct channels, the rising traction of RM+, and the continued momentum towards Connected TV. 📊 We finally might have a 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐕. Can you believe that? 🔥(called the Ad Creative ID framework) 💡 During the economic downturn, making strategic reductions, rather than slashing budgets indiscriminately, by 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐅𝐎 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚.🎯 🤖 You are already behind if you aren't using AI to achieve greater efficiency thereby optimizing resources. 💪Its time to take control of the situation and do our bit Looking forward to embracing these strategies at Involved Media Canada #Media2024 #MarketingStrategy #Innovation #EconomicInsights #DigitalTransformation

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