By Amir Sahba
As an agency owner in Canada, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the tremendous potential of our vibrant advertising industry, but I’ve also grappled with the challenges it presents. Canada has a proud history of nurturing entrepreneurial talent, yet it’s time to ask a critical question raised by our chief growth officer, Alex Panousos: are we inadvertently stifling our own innovators?
My journey with Thinkingbox began 14 years ago, aimed at creating a company that quietly thrives in Canada’s bustling experiential landscape. While other agencies explored intriguing models and embraced culture and technology, we chose to innovate deeply as an agency of makers. We invested tirelessly in our craft, navigated several M&A ventures, and cultivated a rich and diverse portfolio of offerings.
Running an agency has never been easy, but in Canada, the challenges are particularly pronounced. Canadians often start with doubt, and while the government offers lip service, true incentives for innovation remain scarce. We’ve experienced the rollercoaster of relief granted one year, only to be taken away the next. It’s clear that there’s room for improvement in our support for true innovation.
Alex Panousis astutely noted that Tall Poppy Syndrome strikes a chord with many Canadian entrepreneurs, including myself. It’s a phenomenon that critiques high-achievers rather than celebrating their successes. In an environment where short-term stimulus and income redistribution take precedence over long-term wealth creation, entrepreneurs often find themselves penalized for their achievements. For agency owners, this poses a considerable challenge when it comes to fostering innovation within our teams.
Innovation within ad agencies transcends merely birthing new companies. It involves a profound shift in mindset and methodologies. It compels us to think differently, embrace emerging technologies and pioneer fresh approaches to advertising. While pockets of innovation exist within the Canadian advertising landscape, agency owners must honestly question whether it’s sufficient to propel our industry forward.
Agency owners in Canada grapple with a distinct challenge: the culture of endless deliberation. Canadians have a predisposition to say “no” more often than “yes,” which can impede the growth of small, agile and tech-savvy agencies. Some have even discovered that launching in the United States offers a swifter and more productive path to growth. This challenge directly affects our ability to innovate.
As agency owners, it is our responsibility to champion entrepreneurial spirit within our teams and throughout the Canadian advertising industry. We must take the lead in initiating crucial conversations, challenging the risk-averse mindset, and actively supporting emerging startups and creative disruptors. By doing so, we can cultivate an environment where innovation not only survives but thrives.
In addition to these formidable challenges, we must acknowledge the homogeneity that often characterizes the agency world. Many agencies predominantly consist of thinkers rather than makers. While they enable creativity, they frequently rely on others to execute the craft. This structural limitation can create a gap between ideation and execution, underscoring the pressing need for a fresh approach to innovation.
From the perspective of an agency owner in both Canada and the U.S., the question of whether our ad market stifles its own innovators is not just relevant but profoundly significant. We, agency owners, possess the power to sculpt the industry’s future. By reevaluating our own culture and practices, initiating meaningful dialogues, actively championing innovation and addressing the issue of homogeneity, we can foster an environment where entrepreneurial spirit is not only recognized but celebrated.
Let’s seize the opportunity to unlock the full potential of our advertising industry in Canada and ensure that it not only survives but thrives.
Amir Sahba is the CEO of Thinkingbox, a creative experience agency that works with such brands as Adobe, Riot Games, IKEA, Verizon, Starbucks and Chobani.
