ICYMI
week ending Jan 22nd
three axioms and three questions that summarise all of brand strategy
Mark Ritson on the fundamentals of a good brand strategy – and why it’s so important to have one
more science proving that diversity in advertising is good for business
New research shows including BIPOC talent in advertising has a positive impact on brands
optimizing media using behavioural science
Our upcoming webinar is this THURSDAY! Richard Shotton presents “optimizing media using behavioural science”.
week ending Jan 8th
Unilever deems TV ‘very cost effective’ alongside advanced capabilities
Unilever deems TV ‘very cost effective’
world juniors 2021
13.5 Million Canadians – a whopping 36% of our population – tuned into the 2021 World Juniors
how do I use creativity to drive effectiveness?
WARC reminds us of the importance of creative in driving advertising effectiveness:
week ending Nov 27th
attention in advertising
Watch Prof. Karen Nelson-Field share the results of her latest research on video advertising effectiveness and find out which medium gets the most attention – and sales uplift.
TV can catapult D2C brands: comcast advertising’s rothwell
New research from @VABintel & @effectv shows the “amazing” impact that TV advertising has on digital engagement.
week ending Nov 20th
why you need a strong brand to win in e-commerce: Adidas’ Simon Peel
As consumers’ behaviours start to normalise, balancing long and short-term thinking seems to be back to the top of the agenda for marketing teams. “It has helped having the likes of Les Binet, Peter Field, Mark Ritson, and Orlando Wood promoting long and short-term thinking during COVID.”
full article
study confirms TV ‘halo effect’ for D2C, other brands across life stages
STUDY: Linear TV drives performance in all brand life stages, and is particularly effective for new D2C brands
full article
ad nation 2020
Missed the live webinar? The Ad Nation presentation is now online!
watch now
week ending Nov 13th
ad nation 2020
You still have time to register! Our Ad Nation webinar is on today at 11am (EST):
register now
NBA, NBPA reach tentative agreement on Dec. 22 season start date
NBA & NBPA announce Dec 22 as tentative start date
Facebook ads ignore creative best practices
Our friend Orlando Wood reminds us that “ads skewed towards the right brain typically deliver the strongest long-term growth” – even online
full article
week ending Nov 6th
Mark Ritson
a 10-minute summary from @MarkRitson on the power of TV advertising today (with a bit of Swedish off the top!).
full article
Hudson’s Bay navigates the holiday season with much-needed cheer
Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara bring cheer & joy to Hudson Bay’s holiday TV campaign this year
full article
online talk with Karen Nelson-Field
WEBINAR – On Nov 19th @ 9am (EST) Prof. Karen Nelson-Field will present a summary of her ground-breaking work on video advertising effectiveness across multiple platforms. Register:
register now
week ending Oct 30th
‘small-budget fallacy’ hurts marketing effectiveness
James Hurman: “Some of those more traditional channels – like TV, PR, or direct mail – are the ones creating an effectiveness advantage.”
full article
DoorDash tries to get its place in Canada’s ‘flavourhoods’
DoorDash develops national TV spot to drive brand awareness in Canada
full article
effectiveness in marketing: thought leaders sound off
Highlights from our Media, Marketing & Effectiveness event this year.
full article
week ending Oct 2nd
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Wonderful Pistachios embarks on largest Canadian media spend
Wonderful Pistachios go nuts for TV.
full article
warby parker spends most on tv ads, health brands beef up buys
DTC brands, such as Warby Parker, continue to spend heavily in TV advertising
full article
‘fools errand’ and the billion dollar question: is 1.7 seconds enough exposure for ads to work? no, but it’s beyond Facebook
How much time does an ad need in front of a user or viewer to be effective? Professor Karen Nelson-Field shares her findings.
full article
week ending Sept 25th
ad effectiveness: tv plus digital significantly outperforms digital only
Adding TV to the media mix significantly improves ad performance
media, marketing, & effectiveness 2020
thinktv presents: Media, Marketing, & Effectiveness – Thursday October 15th – REGISTER today!
full article
Mark Ritson on COVID, advertising during a recession, and the impact of TV
Missed Mark Ritson’s webinar this week? Check it out here
full article
week ending Sept 4th
Mark Ritson: ‘Bothism’ is the cure for marketers’ fascination with pointless conflict
Marketing theory is a constant battle between opposing viewpoints, but an open mind and accurate data set will show you usually need to adopt both perspectives.
not all reach is equal: tv commands more attention than social video
“TV’s superior screen coverage and viewability drives greater attention and higher sales impact than social video, irrespective of device.”
marketers underestimate the role of creativity in effectiveness
New Kantar research finds that marketers are underestimating the importance of creativity when it comes to ad effectiveness.
Mark Ritson webinar
Mark Ritson’s upcoming talk, “Reinventing Efficient Marketing Through a Recession” is just 2 weeks away – sign up now:
week ending August 28th
tv is dominant for news in the time of COVID: study
TV news is highly trusted, hugely valuable – and very popular: TV is dominant for news in the time of COVID
NHL announces adjustments to playoff schedule
The NHL playoffs will resume with three games on Saturday after all games Thursday and Friday were postponed.
week ending August 7th
online businesses on tv
Internet-related companies know TV advertising is good for business; YOY spend up 30% #TV works
the return of live NHL and NBA action
10.7 Million Canadians Tuned in to Sportsnet for Return of Live NHL and NBA Action
an open letter to the ad community from Nielsen’s Brad Kelly
“Pivoting your media plan and reallocating spend to the safety of broadcast radio and TV can improve performance.”
week ending July 31st
advanced tv
Check out the broadcaster presentations from the @IABCanada Advanced TV Week for the latest on new TV offerings & opportunities for advertisers
even in tough times, consumers want ads that make them laugh – so why are there now so few?
“Humour is one of the most powerful creative weapons we have to create a strong emotional connection, so why are we using it less?”
full article
seven in ten consumers don’t plan on cutting their festive spending
70% of consumers aren’t planning to shop any less during the holidays this year
full article
week ending July 24th
major league sports are back – on tv, radio and online
Sports are back on TV!!!
full article
how to rebuild consumer trust through tv and transparency
Rebuild Consumer Trust Through TV And Transparency: “for brands attempting to strengthen their reputation when consumer trust is lower than ever, now might be the perfect time to highlight TV within your advertising mix.”
Mark Ritson – the new normal and other marketing bullsh*t
Great webinar with System1Research and Mark Ritson on the importance of distinctive assets, the power of ESOV, and why supporting your brand now will catapult your recovery later
week ending July 17th
tv’s impact on Consumer Behavior During COVID-19
TV Drives Digital: TVSquared research shows TV drives significant digital activity in both the short & long term; Accenture Canada found a similar Halo Effect, calculating that TV amplifies the sales ROI of digital by 19%.
in a virtual marketplace, only the strongest brands will survive
The importance of strong brands in virtual marketplace:
full article
report refresh:
We’ve updated all our essential reports with the latest info – check them out in our research library
week ending May 29th
tv in a pandemic
We partnered with Ipsos to bring you our latest research report: “tv in a pandemic: our attitudes & behaviours”
Van Houtte brings the fun back to coffee breaks
“Van Houtte had all the right reasons to come back on TV”
CBC announces 2020-21 original programming slate including 1300 new hours for television this fall
CBC announced their new fall line-up, packed with original programming
week ending May 8th
French Quebec’s tv viewing through COVID-19
Viewing in Quebec Franco up 14%
full article
what happens if I stop advertising during COVID-19?
What Happens If I Stop Advertising During COVID-19? A great overview from our friends at thinktv Australia
full article
advertising in a downturn revisited
Our blog for the ACA outlining Peter Field’s compelling argument for advertising during the current crisis:
full article
week ending May 1st
the COVID-19 crisis calls for right brain thinking
Missed Orlando Wood’s informative webinar on advertising effectiveness during the COVID-crisis? Check out the video & presentation deck:
STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE raises over $6 million so far for food banks Canada as historic broadcast reaches 11.5 million Canadians
A record-breaking 11.5 million Canadians tuned into “STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE” last weekend and the special has now raised over $8 million for Food Banks Canada.
domino’s ‘not pulling back’ on ads
Domino’s on advertising during the current crisis: “we see the value in our voice being heard.”
full article
week ending April 24th
all the generic coronavirus ads are a waste of time and budget
Who was Mark Ritson drinking with in a “dodgy bar in Toronto”? Find out in this engaging article about advertising effectiveness during the COVID crisis.
advertising in a downturn revisited
Missed Peter Field’s insightful “advertising in a downturn” webinar? Video & presentation available on our website
weekly tv viewing report
Stay up-to-date on viewing trends with our Weekly TV Viewing Reports
week ending March 20th
marketing in the time of Covid-19
Mark Ritson’s advice to marketers: Keep the brand light burning, because the cost of snuffing it out for the rest of 2020 and then trying to reignite it next year is gigantic.
full article
Corus, other broadcasters, make channels available free during COVID-19 crisis
Broadcasters provide free channels to Canadians
full article
if not sports, then what?
“There is lots of empirical evidence from previous crises, both economic and health, that the brands that continue to invest during uncertainty survive.” – Seb Rennie, CIO GroupM
full article
week ending March 6th
the two most important charts in marketing—and why they’re more important than ever
Short-term vs. long-term brand building summarized in 2 essential charts:
full article
coronavirus won’t hurt Corona, it will actually boost sales
Mark Ritson breaks down why the Coronavirus will actually have a positive impact on Corona sales:
full article
Byron Sharp’s new ‘marketing’ textbook is a fiery trip down under
TL;DR – great overview of Byron Sharp’s “Marketing” by @theDrum
full article
week ending February 7th
Super Bowl LIV breaks national records as 9.5 million tune in
A record breaking 9.5 million viewers watched Super Bowl LIV on CTV, TSN, and RDS
don’t short-change your brand: the case for a return to brand-building
Why short-termism can be destructive to your brand:
Quebecor launches new suite of products in a programmatic push
One of the main programmatic products that Quebecor newly launched allows advertisers to “synchronize the timing of web advertising with TV spots as a way to maximize campaign reach.”
week ending January 31st
EV ads should be emotional
“Emotional ads help build and reinforce memory structures in the brain — especially crucial in a market such as automotive, where the purchase cycle is so long.”
full article
don’t short-change your brand: the case for a return to brand-building
With the rise of short-termism, our VP of Marketing, Laura Baehr, makes the case for a return to brand-building.
6 TV myths that need to be debunked
Lindsey Clay addresses 6 major incorrect assumptions about TV:
week ending January 10th
future TV advertising global 2019: the big takeaways
Key takeaways from the 2019 Global Future TV Advertising Forum
don’t underestimate the market power of the 50+ crowd
Marketers are missing out on the 50+ demo because of inaccurate and outdated assumptions
Wealthsimple tells its origin story with eyes on the future
Great storytelling + great creative = effective, long term brand-building @wealthsimple @strategyonline
week ending December 20th
the top ten drivers of marketing effectiveness from the Effie Awards – and beyond
Top 10 Drivers of Marketing Effectiveness (Mark Ritson)
the top 10 things you should (but might not) know about today’s TV
The Top 10 things you should know about today’s TV
Bell, NFL notch top court victory on Super Bowl ads
Order is restored: Court rules in Bell’s favour in Super Bowl ad case
week ending December 13th
ads aren’t working because we’ve disappeared up our own left brains
How our “left-brains” took over creativity in advertising:
full article
Kawhi’s Toronto return breaks NBA viewing records
Kawhi’s comeback against the Raptors draws more than 3.2 million viewers – an all-time regular season record!
full article
John Lewis Christmas commercials
TV drives over 1.5 Billion views – and an 11x ROI – for John Lewis in the UK over Christmas:
week ending December 6th
the 10 key factors driving advertising effectiveness
Mark Ritson: “This is the **** I would advise you to focus on in 2020” (a collection of short videos on marketing effectiveness).
new and now: the holiday ad spend edition
More advertisers increase their TV focus:
TV ads are too short-term in focus
WARC’s take on Orlando Wood’s presentation
week ending November 29th
TV least risky marketing platform, finds Thinkbox
New research from the UK finds that TV has the highest multiplier effect and is the lowest risk ad platform
effie awards Canada
Effie deadline is Dec 6 – submit your case study today!
marketer’s toolkit 2020
Orlando Wood: Five ways to make effective brand advertising from @WARCeditors #MarketingToolkit
(see also his thinktv presentation “unlocking profitable growth through creative” https://buff.ly/2XVkz4h)
week ending November 15th
marketing expert Mark Ritson joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss TV
Mark Ritson’s interview on BNN: “the value of TV advertising in an ad-free streaming environment”
four lessons in media Mark Ritson brought to Toronto
4 key takeaways from Mark Ritson’s presentation at Media, Marketing & Effectiveness
media, marketing & effectiveness
Thanks again to everyone who came to our event last Tuesday – presentations and videos will be available this week, stay tuned!
week ending November 8th
ignoring TV is a strange choice for a big brand
The reason why it doesn’t make sense for big brands, like the GAP, to pass on TV advertising
Mark Ritson on why he’s ok with TV, but welcomes a ‘post-digital’ world
Why Mark Ritson is OK with TV and welcomes a ‘post-digital’ world
media, marketing & effectiveness: the case for creative
and speaking of Mark Ritson, our Media, Marketing & Effectiveness is tomorrow!
week ending October 25th
what’s behind the collapse of creative effectiveness
Why creative effectiveness has fallen
report: Facebook usage drops a stunning 26% since 2017
Facebook engagement dips 26%
Jean Mongeau, general manager & chief revenue officer, media solutions, moving on to pursue new opportunities
Jean Mongeau – valued thinktv board member – to leave CBC
full article
week ending October 18th
adidas: we over-invested in digital advertising
Why the global brand is shifting their strategy from “marketing efficiency” to “marketing effectiveness”
creatives have their say: a tribute to top-notch tv advertising
Missed the creative panel at Future TV? Watch the video and read our summary of the key takeaways from the session.
the case for creative
If you haven’t registered already, secure your spot now for our upcoming event, “Media, Marketing & Effectiveness”
full article
week ending October 11th
2019 brand of the year: Loblaw zeroes in on shoppers
Great Canadian creativity and effective brand-building by Loblaw
full article
ACA joins forces with WFA’s new working group
The ACA and WFA are teaming up to help establish better cross-media measurement principles
how to make business-changing creative
Highlights from the first Effie Effectiveness Day in Canada – and congrats to all the winners!
full article
week ending October 4th
marketing’s share of revenue dips to five-year low
Worrying stat alert: Marketing spend as share of revenue hits 5 year low
full article
why women’s sports are now a top draw for TV advertisers
A recent UK study outlines why TV advertisers are investing more in women’s sports.
full article
what’s your thinking style?
Find out if you’re a right or left brain thinker with this IPA quiz – and learn more about how left-brained thinking has impacted advertising at our event on Nov 12
full article
week ending September 27th
TV’s FAQs
Q’s about TV? Our new FAQ deck has the answers.
full article
US adspend jumps nearly 8% in the first half
Increased DTC spending on TV helped contribute to an 8% jump in adspend in the US
full article
media, marketing & effectiveness: the case for creative
MUST-ATTEND! Come hear 3 marketing experts discuss advertising effectiveness at our Nov 12 event
full article
week ending September 20th
DTC darling Glossier makes first foray into TV advertising
DTC pioneer, Glossier, is joining the rush of digital native companies turning to TV
full article
DTC founders’ secrets: what all advertisers can learn from TV’s latest force
“DTC brands [acknowledge] that relying on social and digital channels to build their business has become both scale-limiting and cost-prohibitive compared to the outcomes TV delivers.”
full article
op-ed: Canadian broadcast landscape changing
An op-ed on the changing Canadian Broadcast Landscape by Corus’ Doug Murphy
full article
week ending August 16th
why one of Google’s biggest spenders is redirecting some money towards TV and video ads
Booking.com is the latest digital company to shift media dollars to TV:
full article
Our own @cmactweet on activation vs. brand building, and the courage required to come to the boardroom to demand long-term, brand building support.
full article
here are 7 ways networks said they were ‘superior’ to Netflix at TCA summer press tour
7 ways that TV > Netflix
full article
week ending August 9th
Mark Ritson: Seven Reasons why TV’s Doubters are Wrong
“Ofcom’s latest data yet again shows why TV should be at the top of most big brands’ media plans, yet some marketers insist on ignoring the facts.”
full article
watch John Foley, Founder and CEO of Peloton talk about how TV transformed his business exponentially in his story
Peloton founder John Foley: “TV allows us to do a lot of storytelling, which is great for our brand.”
full article
8 lessons about marketing effectiveness from billionaires Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger
“Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett are not marketers by trade but there’s a lot marketers can learn from them.”
full article
week ending August 2nd
not all ad fraud originates overseas. law enforcement is starting to look closer to home
Ad fraud is expected to total $5.8 billion this year, and the FBI are now looking at domestic threats
full article
Pinterest has plans to advertise on TV, in print and out-of-home, says its first CMO
(yet) another digital brand turns to TV for growth: Pinterest plans to advertise on TV
full article
D2C brands use TV to measure web visits: CBS’s Ross
“the new D2C brands don’t just want mass reach – they want to attribute TV ad exposure to online visitation, and beyond.”
full article
week ending July 19th
how Schitt’s Creek charmed the TV academy into three major Emmy nominations
Canadian content FTW! Congrats to #SchittsCreek for a well-deserved Emmy nom:
DTC brands are turning to TV: q&a with VAB
Why are so many DTC brands using TV to help scale their businesses? The VAB investigates:
only 21% of people think Amazon ads are helpful
An overview of product advertising on Amazon and American adults’ engagement and opinion of those ads. @WARCEditors