Through Snapchat AR, users could drop a digital model of a Ford EcoSport in their environments and take virtual interior/exterior tour.

While its global entity enters its 23rd year, GroupM’s Mindshare continues to position itself as an upstart. As such, it recognizes that in an evolving landscape good ideas can come from any one of its nearly 300 staff.

“We see the shifts in media investment and work with platforms to help guide it to an effective place for advertisers,” says Devon MacDonald, Mindshare Canada CEO since last summer. “We prepare our talent for that by making sure they are curious and well-trained, and by investing in their development and to support their curiosity.”

Mindshare recently launched its Side Hustle initiative, which allows staff to pitch an internal panel on how to transform the agency and deliver better client service. If an idea is approved, the employee is given the resources to activate the program.

The passion for understanding consumers and clients fuels a prolific insight output, according to chief client operations officer Sheri Cooper.

“We spend a great deal of time thinking about our client’s business, the shift of culture and the competitive landscape. That’s our heritage and we believe our investment in marketing sciences and advanced analytics brings that to life and delivers business opportunities to clients,” she says.

An idea from the trading team led to a winning campaign for Ford, borne of the insight that young people aren’t visiting showrooms, so bring the showrooms to them. Through Snapchat AR, users could drop a digital model of a Ford EcoSport in their environments and take a virtual interior/exterior tour.

The “AR In-Car” campaign garnered one million unique users within a day and 3.1 million impressions overall. It took gold for VR/AR at the MMA’s Smarties Awards, where Mindshare World was named Agency of the Year for the second year running. Mindshare Canada received another 14 prizes from recent awards shows with a focus on creativity, efficiency and effectiveness of media.

The Huddle is Mindshare’s annual festival of ideas, collaboration, and entrepreneurship. The Huddle 2019 was held on International Women’s Day with the theme #BalanceForBetter. Topics explored included motherhood, generations, gaming, the workplace and overall culture and media-shaping perceptions of women.

The agency is breaking down silos within its organization and educating staff on programmatic advertising and digital platforms – particularly Amazon, where many clients are directing their business.

“We have digital buyers whom we’ve trained to also be programmatic buyers. We keep expanding our talent’s skill sets to serve our clients better,” says chief trading officer Lina Alles.

Mindshare has brought new faces into senior roles, including Sarah Thompson as chief strategy officer and Cassandra Woloschuk as social director – both coming from Cossette – and Ira Kates as search and performance director.

“Media is not meant to be passive,” Thompson says. “It’s supposed to earn people’s attention and give them a payoff and something they value.”

Case in point, innovation was at the root of a campaign for Tresemmé Compressed Micro Mist looking to show hairspray does not have to impede hair flexibility. Alongside TV, social and digital,

Mindshare set up digital billboards at Montreal Metro stations featuring a model whose hair would move – yet keep its form – in sync with real- time wind measurements as trains whizzed by.

“That’s what we’re looking for to break through,” says Thompson. “We’re striving for great advertising and placement and messages people notice. We push our clients to try ideas that deliver this to their audience because it makes their media investment work harder.”

CONTACT

Devon MacDonald

CEO, Canada

Devon.macdonald@mindshareworld.com