Canadians forecast 2017 marketing trends

Before 2016 came to a close, the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) asked experts to predict the trends they think will disrupt Canada's advertising industry in 2017.



In agency search management:

• 2017 will see an extended period of "media fever", with growing uncertainty around transparency and reporting combined with the increasing importance of technology and data;


• With media talent getting "burned out, squeezed out and fed up", talent acquisition and retention will be crucial for advertisers;


• Agencies will have to put greater emphasis on customer experience and personalisation in order to "cut through the clutter";


• Advertisers will demand more granular metrics from their agencies;


• Pay-for-performance will become almost omnipresent in agency contracts;


• Brands will have an increased appetite for video production capabilities from their agencies.

On digital trends:

• 2017 will see an acceleration of digital disruption and shifts in consumer behaviour;


• With the rise of ambient intelligence and virtual assistants, marketers will be able to tap into the network of connected objects to better understand their customers and possibly develop new products and services as a result;


• With 2016 marked by the hype of virtual reality, 360 video and Pokémon Go, marketers will have new channels to explore and new tools to make their content more compelling in 2017;


• Major market forces, such as US and EU politics, will keep everyone on the edge of their seat

On sponsorships:

• 2017 will be a breakthrough year for digital and video becoming an important part of the future of sponsorship;


• There will continue to be a growth in investment in sponsorship in Canada;


• Successful sponsorships in 2017 and beyond will embrace the concept of the Trinity of Sponsorship (sponsor, property/rights holder and audience).

Media quality will take centre stage:

• Marketers will consider benchmarks other than the quantities of media metrics;


• The market will support premium publishers' innovations across channels;


• Brands will meticulously vet their practices and partners when it comes to email campaigns;


• Marketers will take a stand on media quality and work with partners who do the right thing.

For more information, contact ACA.