There was a major boost in the number of Canadian advertising and marketing accounts up for competition in 2022, according to a new report from agency search consultancy Listenmore.

Now in its third edition, Listenmore’s annual Canadian pitch report details activity across creative, media, digital, multicultural and PR accounts, as well as across sectors and product categories.

Among the topline findings in this year’s report is that there were 120 pitches completed over the course of 2022, a 195% increase over the year prior (in 2021, pitches increased by 68%, putting activity back to pre-pandemic levels).

Independent agencies also increased their win rate to over 60% compared to shops from the big six holding companies – except in media pitches, where their share of the market kept them “dominant,” according to Listenmore.

The most active sector for new pitches was financial services; in 2022, the major accounts moves in the category included CIBC, National Bank, Simplii Financial, Sun Life, EQ Bank and Intuit. Government accounts were also highly active, as were tech-related pitches.