February 2025 President's Note
Happy February!
It’s been a busy and rewarding start to the year. I’m excited for all the ways we will bring our amazing marketing community together in the coming weeks, and help futureproof our profession. February also means that spring is one month closer, which I’m looking forward to after too many outdoor training runs in temperatures below -20 last month.
One benefit of CMA membership is free access to exclusive events and thought leadership. This month, you can choose from these four complimentary events and forums:
- Participate in one of our CMA Cafés for senior marketers:
- The Mind of the Creator on February 12 will discuss how to effectively manage personalities and expectations.
- Striking The Balance on February 19 will be an important conversation on reimaging brand building and performance marketing.
- Join our exclusive event on February 20th about Finding the right balance for CPG advertisers.
- Attend our inaugural CMA Marketing Talent Forum on February 26
- This forum will provide valuable insights for both marketers and your colleagues in HR, so please extend an invitation to them. Graduates from our Digital Marketing Skills Canada program will also be attending, so you’ll have the chance to meet Canada’s next generation of marketing leaders.
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you this Wednesday as we unveil the Most Influential Brands of 2024. With over 1,200 marketers attending from across the country, it will be a terrific morning.
As our profession and the consumer landscape continuously evolve, its challenging to stay on top of everything. That’s where the thought leadership from our CMA Councils and Committees can give you a competitive advantage. We’ve already published seven articles this year on topics as diverse as Reimagining Brand Safety: How AI Redefines Trust in the Digital Age; Understanding Canadians Evolving Media Habits; and Three key strategies for CMO’s to unlock customer insights in 2025.
The CMA is also helping members stay on top of Canadians’ changing views. To that end, here are some new findings from our recent research to understand how Canadians feel about sharing their personal data privacy:
- 73% of Canadians are willing to receive a digital ad that is relevant to them rather than a generic ad. (up from 61% in 2023)
- A strong majority (87%) are at least somewhat bothered when an organization sends them irrelevant information. This increased from 83% in 2023.
- Almost half of Canadians agree that, with all the technology available today, it is unacceptable for organizations to send them ads that aren’t relevant to them.
- Only 19% disagree.
Advocating on behalf of the profession is a top priority for the CMA. Our focus is to ensure an environment that is conducive to business and innovation, while being respectful to consumers. To that end, a CMA delegation, which included nine members, had a productive meeting in Ottawa with senior staff from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to discuss youth privacy and programmatic advertising. We also reached out to provincial privacy regulators to share our initiative on youth privacy.
February marks the start of Black History Month. This year’s theme is “Black Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations.” It’s an opportunity to recognize the achievements of Black communities in Canada, listen to their stories, and learn more about their history and contributions to our society.
As the year unfolds, I’m excited to share more new benefits and innovations that you can enjoy as part of your CMA membership. I look forward to seeing you at our events. I also welcome the opportunity to meet one-to-one, so, don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to chat.
I hope you’re looking forward to a fun Family Day weekend later this month.
Warm regards,
Alison Simpson
President & CEO
