Ian Malcolm

🎙️ January 13 marks Public Radio Broadcasting Day Public radio continues to play a vital role in Canada’s media landscape, built on credibility, depth, and public trust. For PR professionals, engaging with public radio reinforces the importance of accuracy, context, and ethical media relations. The principles that guide public broadcasting are the same ones that strengthen public relations practice in Canada. #PublicRadioBroadcastingDay #CPRSToronto #CanadianPR #MediaRelations #PublicRelations #CommunicationsEthics #GlobalPR

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Mother’s Day marketing is more than flowers and brunches. For brands in Canada, multicultural moms are powerful household decision-makers, trust-builders, and cultural influencers. Our latest DV8 blog explores why brands need to understand their real influence. Read here: https://lnkd.in/eTHQCkSe #MulticulturalMarketing #MothersDay #CanadianMarketing #BrandStrategy #ConsumerInsights #DV8Communication

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Some current thoughts on: 🔂 Workflow 🤖 How to approach AI 🚀 Speeding up marketing and your business (hint: Publish first, then ask questions) 🙌 How to win before you start ✨ For agencies: THE best way to present a new logo 🧲 Your product IS marketing 👬👫👭🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Doing it together, community & American Marketing Association (AMA), Toronto Thank you for the excellent interview Kripa, Fouzia, and CanadianSME Small Business Magazine

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Tell a story In my conversation with Keith Chang Cheng, President of SenovvA Canada, we discussed this very topic, story telling and the impact it can have on marketing success. Corporations tend to lead with products. They lead with features. They lead with what they want to sell. Stories do the opposite. They have a beginning. A middle. An end. That is why they hold attention. Keith shared a line that he's said to me many times in nearly every interaction we've had. "The heart leads the mind." When your marketing starts with authenticity, it does the filtering for you. The right people lean in. The wrong people move on. Nobody wastes time. Win, Win! 🤘🏼 If your marketing feels flat, this is the place to look. Are you telling a story people want to follow, or listing features you hope they tolerate? Be honest.

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The Canadian Marketing Association is launching a new industry body to guide creator and influencer marketing in Canada. The Social Content and Commerce Committee will provide best practices and act as an authoritative voice on social content, commerce platforms, and emerging trends in the creator economy. Sara Clodman, CMA’s chief public affairs and governance officer, notes the initiative responds to shifts in consumer behaviour and platform features. Committee co-chair Adrian Capobianco said the committee will help marketers seize growing opportunities in social media and creator partnerships, while establishing clear industry standards. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gXKNkBDj

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Canoo was proud to connect newcomers to Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Futureproof Conference, where industry leaders from Google, Pinterest, LG2, Cossette, and others shared insights on the evolving future of marketing in Canada. A key theme throughout the day was the importance of authenticity in connecting with Gen Z audiences, alongside broader conversations on leadership and industry transformation. Through Canoo’s partnership with CMA, members gain access to more than experiences, they gain exposure to industry conversations, networking opportunities, and pathways for upskilling and professional growth in Canada. Canoo continues to focus on helping newcomers not only settle, but build meaningful connections and opportunities within their new communities. #Canoo #CMAFutureproof #MarketingCanada #Newcomers #ProfessionalDevelopment #Networking #CommunityBuilding

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In the world of sponsorship, understanding fandom is crucial as it significantly influences engagement and sponsorship performance, including factors like brand recall and positive brand opinion. An interesting stat from Elevent 2025 national study is that all Canadian National Hockey League (NHL) teams maintain a similar proportion of fans. While some teams may have smaller audiences, the breakdown of fan types remains consistent across the league. In the example below, the Leafs rank first with 60% of engaged fan, as the Flames sit at 54% with the lowest proportion of engaged fan. It is close! Read more on the blog: https://lnkd.in/enQr8sz3 #sponsorship #hockeysponsorship #fandom #sportsmarketing

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The biggest challenge in Canada is getting everyone on the same page when it comes to an action plan to address the massive economic and cultural depletion, as we continue to lose our media. We need more collaboration, connections and conversation. Canadian Media Means Business is a democratized report and data platform with one agenda: to understand our industry's worth (from media to marketers to agencies), and there are no semantics to that. It is economics. We are interdependent. We are reliant on each other. Let's not confuse having a map with actually marching forward for change. 🇨🇦 The value that we create is being extracted, and it creates no better future for our industry.

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AdForum Summit Toronto (Part 8) @The CollectiveXM : When Experiential Marketing Becomes a Behavioral Science 🎯 The Collective (formerly Concierge Club, founded in 2011) in a pretty inspiring setting: the Arcadia Earth Experience, a full sensory immersion around sustainability. Hard to imagine a better backdrop for a conversation about brand experiences. What struck me right away? Their bold challenge to traditional metrics. The agency has developed a framework they call experiential intelligence, and it reframes everything. We’re no longer talking about impressions or engagement, but about actual behavioral change. Did we reach the right people? Did the story create an emotional connection? Did the experience move someone to act? In practice, this translates into activations like the Cetaphil dermatologist tour (consultations busting skincare myths), or the Innisfree pop-up rooted in Korean heritage and green tea, experiences designed to create genuine cultural resonance, not just buzz. Another strong signal: the industry shift toward micro-moments. Large-scale productions are giving way to smaller, more targeted, more meaningful engagements. In a world drowning in content, maybe that’s the future of marketing: less noise, more meaning Thank you Monica Gomez

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Women aren't mini-men and Lindsay Housman is leading the way with her company Hettas to address shoes specific to women's anatomical needs. Listen in the latest podcast by Athletics Ontario Running Podcast here: https://lnkd.in/gCzcTfGk

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Always a pleasure to join the Forward Motion podcast. The FIFA World Cup 2026™ tournament is a major moment for Ontario's tourism sector. It was great to unpack the findings of the most recent FIFA travellers research and help the industry get the most out of the opportunity. Credit to Destination Ontario for commissioning this timely research and expanding the sector's understanding. The full report is freely available on the Destination Ontario Insights Portal (DO-IP): https://lnkd.in/eYnBa--5 And a personal thank you to Andrew for being such a kind and accommodating host to a sleep-deprived brand new dad. A data deep-dive like this really does require 100% of the brain, a few cups of coffee got me most of the way there.

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At our recent At The Spotlight event, Jack Armstrong — TSN’s Basketball Insider, Toronto Raptors analyst, and former coach — joined us as the featured speaker for an inspiring conversation on building championship cultures. Through stories, humour, and decades of experience, Jack shared what sets great teams apart — the daily habits, communication, and relationships that fuel high performance. He reminded us that leadership isn’t just about success — it’s about significance. The best leaders leave people and organizations better than they found them. 🏀 Read our latest blog for highlights from Jack’s talk and his blueprint for building championship teams: https://lnkd.in/gBAFHPUb

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🎯Go larger than life with your Canadian OOH campaigns! 🇨🇦 In today’s busy streets—from downtown Toronto to Vancouver’s main thoroughfares—brands must think big to break through the noise. Here’s how to elevate your OOH game and maximize impact: ⸻ 1. Digital Takeovers: Responsive, Real-Time Displays • Own an entire screen network in hotspots like Yonge-Dundas Square or Granville Street. • Instantly tailor your message—weather, events, or trending topics—in real time… making ads feel live and relevant. ⸻ 2. Massive Murals: Design Instagram-Worthy Moments • Transform walls into shareable experiences—encouraging organic, user-generated content. • Murals in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver become destinations themselves, extending your message far beyond foot traffic. ⸻ 3. Airports: Canada’s Underrated OOH Powerhouses • Reach millions of travelers annually at hubs like Toronto Pearson, YVR, and Montréal‑Trudeau. • Gain diverse exposure—local commuters and international visitors alike—using digital screens, kiosks, and immersive displays. ⸻ 🔗 Scale + Location = Impact Large scale formats placed in high-traffic, high-stay environments mean your message not just reaches—but resonates deeply. ⸻ 🔄 Blend OOH with Digital & Social Turn viewers into advocates—encourage shares 📱, track hashtags, and pivot messaging in real time based on social engagement. Explore multi-channel synergy to amplify campaign reach and buzz. ⸻ Result: A coast-to-coast Canadian OOH campaign that grabs attention—and stays talked about. BLOG POST: https://lnkd.in/gX8W-GQr #OOH #DigitalOutOfHome #Airports #Murals #CanadaMarketing #BrandAwareness #SocialIntegration

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#sponsorshiptitbits What Should Brands Look for When Seeking a New Sponsorship Property? Choosing a sponsorship property is no longer about size, scale, or visibility alone. The real question is not “How many people will see us?” It is “Who are we aligning with and why?” When evaluating a new sponsorship property, brands should look beyond reach and focus on relevance, risk, and return. Key considerations: • Audience alignment: Does the property attract the people you are trying to build long-term relationships with? • Cultural and values fit: Does this space reflect your brand’s ethics, tone, and worldview? • Activation flexibility: Are there real opportunities to create experiences, not just display logos? • Governance and credibility: Are the organisers professional, transparent, and aligned with your brand standards? • Brand safety and risk management : What safeguards exist before, during, and after the partnership? • Measurement beyond exposure: Can success be tracked through engagement, sentiment, and impact not just impressions? A sponsorship property should not just offer visibility. It should offer permission to participate, to add value, and to be welcomed. The strongest sponsorships are not bought. They are strategically chosen. #SponsorshipStrategy #BrandSafety #MarketingLeadership #SponsorshipMarketing #RelevanceOverReach

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🇨🇦 Ready to crack the code on local marketing success in Canada? Here’s a sneak peek into what the savvy marketers are doing: 1. **Data is Your Best Friend** 📊: Understand what makes your local audience tick. Leverage local data to tailor your marketing strategies—it's not just a guesswork game; it's about speaking directly to your community. 2. **Community Vibes Matter** 🤝: Canadians love brands that resonate with local causes. So, get involved! Sponsor events, engage with local influencers, and don’t shy away from showing some love through testimonials. It builds trust like nothing else! 3. **SEO: Your Local Visibility Brethren** 🕵️‍♂️: You want to be the first name that pops up when folks search for local services, right? Local SEO isn't a luxury; it’s a necessity if you want to be found in the digital haystack. 4. **Mobile-Optimize or Bust** 📱: With most Canadians browsing on their phones, if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you might as well be invisible. Make sure your content is user-friendly and loads like lightning! 5. **Stay Trendy!** 📈: Digital trends shift faster than you can say “local marketing.” Keep your finger on the pulse to innovate and adapt! Feeling intrigued? Dive into the full article for more tips and tricks that can boost your local engagement! 💡👉 [Read More](https://lnkd.in/gpqzrQgb) #LocalMarketing #Canada #CommunityEngagement #SEO #DigitalMarketing #MobileMarketing #SmallBusiness #MarketingStrategies

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Gorpcore goes global The WSJ has a terrific piece on Arc’teryx and its meteoric rise in China. What makes the story compelling is how a brand born in Vancouver’s mountain culture has become a global status symbol without drifting from its roots. I’m reminded of the first time I noticed another Canadian outerwear star going global. Years ago, on winter shoots in the bitter cold, the crews were wrapped in Canada Goose. No hype. Just gear built for people who actually worked outdoors. It was GORP* before “gorpcore” was a fashion category. Authentic utility first, fashion second. Arc’teryx is following a similar arc. The WSJ notes the brand found that in China “the proportion of customers who actually use the products for mountain sports was even smaller than in North America.” And yet, instead of chasing trends, it doubled down on mountain athletes and technical credibility. I loved this moment: when a China-based executive suggested designing a long down coat better suited to local tastes, Vancouver pushed back — have you ever seen someone skiing or mountaineering in a long down coat? His takeaway: “I slowly came to understand the importance of brand positioning and consistency.” A Canadian invention winning in the world’s toughest market by staying true to what made it great: performance first, signaling follows. *GORP: The acronym for "Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts", a popular hiker's snack, was coined by writer Jason Chen in 2017 to define this aesthetic of "defiantly ugly" but functional outdoor clothing. https://lnkd.in/g_eQG4Fi

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