The marketing universe was good over 2007, according to our poll of Canada’s industry execs. Almost three-quarters of you rejoiced in your brand’s improved ad image over the past year. And over half of you said that your marketing department continues to grow in size.
Seems you’re all rather content in your work, too, with over 80% describing job satisfaction as either ‘excellent,’ ‘very high’ or ‘high.’ Morale was similarly strong, which makes sense, given 70.4% said the influence of marketing in the overall company is growing. But if looking to leave your job, 39.1% would do so for personal development.
Meanwhile, almost 60% said ad budgets increased – with just 23.5% remaining the same. And on the partner front, your interactive agency is becoming increasingly important (17.2%), followed by media (16.8%), then PR (14.5%).
Work life
The length of my work week is (in hours):
41-50 41.9%
51-60 26.8%
40 15.6%
61+ 12.9%
24/7 2.8%
The greatest stressor in my job is:
Balancing work with family obligations 41.9%
Delivering on ROI 17.9%
Staying motivated/inspired 14.5%
Staying current on industry trends 10.6%
Other 8.4%
Staying current on technologies 6.7%
The BlackBerry is my:
Friend 69.8%
Foe 30.2%
Crack’s good
Is the BlackBerry your friend? According to almost 70% of you, it is.
Virgin Mobile Canada CMO Nathan Rosenberg, the proud owner of his fifth BlackBerry in four years – this time a Pearl – agrees, for the most part.
It’s helped him to effectively blend his work and personal lives within his day. But Rosenberg admits to a slight dependence on the PDA, which is increasingly a lifeline for many execs to check emails, make calls and organize their schedules. ‘I won’t put it down,’ he says. ‘In fact, I seem to sleep with my hand in a cradle shape now so it doesn’t even need to leave my side.’
But others, like DDB Canada chairman Frank Palmer, are staging interventions. Last month, Palmer started an agency-wide effort to discourage his staff from using PDAs and other mobile devices during client and internal meetings by introducing a penalty system like the one used in soccer: yellow card for a first offence, red for a second. The consequence? The offender (rather than the company) has to pay his
or her own PDA invoice for the month.
Me and my brand
When it comes to marketing disciplines, in the past 12 months I have spent the most money on:
Traditional media (newspaper, TV, radio, OOH) 51.4%
Online and websites 21.2%
Point of Sale 8.2%
DM/fax mail 6.1%
PR 5.7%
Sponsorship 3.9%
Other 3.4%
Mobile (SMS, podvertising) 0.0%
When it comes to new marketing media, in 2008 I will spend the most money on:
Broadband advertising 35.2%
Social media (online communities, CGM) 24.0%
Viral marketing 15.1%
Other 8.9%
Mobile (SMS, podvertising) 7.3%
WOM 7.3%
Advergaming 1.1%
Blogs 1.1%
Are you embracing social media? (Facebook, MySpace, YouTube)
Still testing 45.3%
Not at all 30.7%
It’s already part of my core marketing efforts 24.0%
In the area of innovation, where does the majority of your focus lie?
Customer-action related 43.6%
Product innovation 35.2%
Improving process 21.2%
To reach the consumer in the immediate future, the priority for my brand development will be:
Better execution of existing programs 31.8%
Build a better retail environment 20.7%
Create a CRM strategy 17.9%
Better product innovation 11.7%
More innovative research (beyond focus groups) 11.7%
Other 6.2%
Facebook, everyone?
Seventy-six percent of you are ‘still testing’ or ‘not at all’ embracing social media. But brands like P&G’s Pampers are already doing it with relative success.
In February 2007, the diaper brand launched babyjourneys.com, an unmoderated blog exclusive to this market as a forum for parents. One of the first for P&G Canada, it was based on the insight that ‘new moms are sometimes isolated in the first couple of years’ of parenthood, starting in the latter months of a pregnancy, says Lara Banks, external relations, P&G BabyCare.
With the Internet increasingly a way for people to gain information on issues of health care, the brand’s Influencer Marketing team considered the blog ‘a good way to reach out to people who are searching for answers.’
Banks says hundreds of thousands of Canadians have visited the site, which consists of seven Canadian moms and dads from Alberta and Ontario who represent five stages of a baby’s development – pregnancy, new baby, baby, toddler and preschooler. They aren’t paid, she says, but given a ‘welcome basket’ at the start of a year-long contract.
The effort has proved successful, not only in driving hits and unique users to the site, but also in generating new registrants on Pampers.ca.
Me and my agencies
The creative work of my principal creative agency has been:
Above average 46.9%
Average 25.7%
Outstanding 17.9%
Below average 6.1%
Unimpressive 3.4%
The account management of my principal creative agency has been:
Average 36.3%
Above average 34.1%
Outstanding 15.6%
Below average 8.4%
Unimpressive 5.6%
I want more from my principal creative agency in this area:
More overall strategic insight 39.1%
More integration across marketing disciplines 29.1%
Better creative 22.9%
More senior-level involvement 8.9%
In 2008, the involvement of my media agency will:
Increase 41.3%
Stay the same 58.7%
My media agency’s strategic input is:
As important as my principal creative agency 61.5%
More important than my principal creative agency 12.2%
Less important than my principal creative agency 26.3%
The BIG one
The biggest issue currently facing the marketing industry is:
ROI pressure 29.1%
Media fragmentation 21.8%
Ad clutter 15.1%
Integration 11.7%
Consumer control 7.8%
Media advertising costs 6.1%
Other 3.4%
Corporate responsibility 2.8%
Accountability 1.7%
Privacy 0.5%
Some stats
Ad spend by medium* % of total spend
Dailies 42.4%
TV 38.6%
Magazine 7.1%
Radio 6.2%
Out of Home 5.7%
*Note: Nielsen does not include Internet in its measurement. All data sourced to The Nielsen Company. Data is national from Jan. – Sep. 2007 inclusive.
Top ad spenders
(The over-60 million-aires)
1. Procter & Gamble
2. Rogers Communications
3. Government of Canada
4. BCE Corporation
5. Miscellaneous Real Estate Developers
6. General Motors
7. Ford Motor Company
8. Chrysler Dodge Jeep Dealers Association
9. Provincial Government Lotteries
10. Johnson & Johnson
All data sourced to The Nielsen Company. Data is national from Jan. – Sep. 2007 inclusive. All companies in the top 10 exceeded $60 million in advertising expenditure. The top 10 companies accounted for 13.6% of the total expenditure, holding steady with 2006, which was at 13.5% for the same measurement period.
Category rank on total media
1. Retail 13.2%
2. Automotive 11.6%
3. Entertainment 7.4%
4. Food 6.6%
5. Real estate 5.5%
6. Financial and insurance services 5.2%
7. Local automotive dealer advertising 5.1%
8. Travel and transportation 4.6%
9. Telecommunications 4.5%
10. Restaurants, catering services, nightclubs 4.1%
All data sourced to The Nielsen Company. Data is national from Jan. – Sep. 2007 inclusive. All categories in the top 10 each exceeded $250 million in advertising expenditure. The top 10 categories accounted for 67.8% of the total expenditure.
The poll-takers
•179 marketers filled out our survey conducted from Dec. 21, 2007 to Feb. 8, 2008.
•Most held the title of VP or director of marketing (30.2%), followed by marketing manager (26.2%), then president (21.8%).
•On the salary front, most were making over $201,000 (27.9%), followed by by $101, 000 to $150, 000 (22.3%). Almost 22% made between $71,000 and $100,000. (None made under $30,000).
•The respondents skewed male (56.4%) over female (43.6%).
•Age-wise, most were between 36 and 45 (41.4%), followed by 26 and 35 (27.9%), then 46 to 55 (22.3%).
