Insights
Thinking out loud.
Practical notes on strategy, performance and growth for brands in Toronto, Ontario and across Canada. Written by the people who do the work, with no fluff and no invented numbers.
- Agency relationships
Why brands leave their marketing agency (and what it says about what they need next)
Why clients leave marketing agencies, backed by research: delivery, value, strategy and understanding the business, not budget.
- Choosing a partner
What to look for in your next marketing agency
How to choose a new marketing agency: a weighted evaluation scorecard, questions to ask, a lean selection process, contract terms to insist on and Canada-specific notes on CASL, French-language rules and bilingual needs.
- Agency relationships
How to switch marketing agencies without losing momentum
A practical agency transition plan for Canadian brands: what switching really costs, how to secure ad accounts, analytics and data, notice and overlap periods, an offboarding checklist, and CASL and Quebec Law 25 considerations.
- Measurement
How to measure your marketing agency's performance
How to measure marketing agency performance, backed by data: why platform metrics mislead, a balanced agency scorecard with example KPIs and review cadence, how to run a quarterly business review, and red flags in reporting.
- AI & search
How to get found in AI search: ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews
What the data says about AI search and Google AI Overviews, how answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity choose sources, and a practical checklist for generative engine optimization in Canada.
- AI & marketing
AI in digital marketing: what Canadian brands are actually doing
What the data says about AI in digital marketing in Canada: business adoption from Statistics Canada, how marketers use generative AI, where it helps, where it fails, and a practical way to start.
- AI & strategy
AI and digital strategy: build the plan before you buy the tools
Why most AI investment isn't paying off yet, what the research from BCG, MIT, Gartner, KPMG Canada and Statistics Canada shows, and a six-step AI strategy framework for Canadian marketing teams.
- Automation
Marketing automation: what to automate first, and what to keep human
A prioritized marketing automation strategy for Canadian teams: what to automate first, what to keep human, CASL requirements for automated email, and a 30/60/90-day rollout plan.
- Measurement
Why your marketing numbers don't add up
Why GA4, ad platforms and your CRM never agree: the data on tracking opt-in, ad blocking in Canada, cookies, double counting and marketer confidence, plus a practical measurement fix for Canadian brands.
- Budget & ROI
Where marketing budgets leak: the data behind wasted spend
Where marketing budgets leak, backed by data: budgets as a share of revenue, programmatic fees and made-for-advertising sites, ad fraud, unused martech and weak creative.
- Strategy
Digital strategy vs. digital marketing: what Canadian brands actually need
Why strategy and marketing are different jobs, how to tell which one you're missing, and what to do about it.
- Performance
The performance marketing audit: 12 checks before you spend another dollar
Twelve practical checks across tracking, funnel, channels and creative to find where paid media budget is leaking.
- Go to market
Go-to-market strategy for Canadian brands: a practical framework
A five-step framework for launching in Canada, with notes on Quebec, retailer concentration, smaller audiences and seasonality.
- Leadership
Fractional CMO in Toronto: when it makes sense, and when it doesn't
Signs you need senior marketing leadership, what the first 90 days look like, cost models in CAD, and the alternatives.
- Choosing a partner
How to choose a digital marketing agency in Toronto
What to ask, red flags, typical costs, and agency vs consultancy vs in-house for Toronto and Canadian brands.
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