February 2023 President's Note

I hope February is off to a terrific start and you’re looking forward to a fun Family Day weekend later this month.  

As I wrap up my second month with the CMA, the Association’s crucial role in advocating for the marketing profession is an important focus. With Bill C-27 (including the Consumer Privacy Protection Act)progressing through parliament,and a new consultation on the Competition Act underway, the CMA is actively pursuing the best possible outcomes for our profession.

To that end, we met with the federal Industry Minister’s office last week. I will be in Ottawa next week for meetings with other key government officials to discuss the privacy bill and advocate for a law that ensures effective privacy protection for consumers and enables Canadians to enjoy the enormous social and economic benefits of private sector data use.

I’m continuing my immersion into the CMA and had the pleasure of meeting with many members, attending Council meetings, and hosting our CMAinsights and CMAideas events in January. The compelling keynote from world-renowned digital anthropologist, futurist and eight-time bestselling author Brian Solis was an inspiring start to the year.

It’s clear from the capacity crowds and great energy at our recent events that there’s pent-up demand for our profession to come together more often to engage, learn, debate and network.

In keeping with that theme, I’m looking forward to unveiling Canada’s Most Influential Brands on Wednesday. The in-person event is at capacity, with 450 people. However, if you didn’t register to attend in person, you can still participate virtually.

I’m excited to be hosting a CMA Café this Thursday to discuss major consumer and business trends that will impact marketing in 2023. It sold out quickly, so I will host another CMA Café in April for everyone on the waitlist and anyone else interested in joining.  

The thought leadership developed by our member-based Councils, and Committees is another way for marketers to stay on top of our rapidly evolving profession. Our Adtech Resource Hub is one of many recent examples. You can easily access more thought leadership here.

I’m thrilled to be leading the CMA and committed to ensuring the Association is as dynamic, diverse and engaging as the vital profession that it represents.

Your feedback is invaluable in my ability to deliver in this important mission. So, we will be launching a membership survey later this month to make it easy for you to share your feedback and suggestions. Please be open and don’t shy away from suggesting ways we can improve.

I also welcome the opportunity to meet one-to-one. So, Let me know if you’d like to chat.

Warm regards,

Alison Simpson
President & CEO

P.S. Please join me in welcoming our nine newest members who joined in January: Turtleford Credit Union, Sparked Digital, Innovative Medicines Canada, University of Calgary, Horizon Media, Asset Digital Communications, BreezeMaxWeb, Third Wunder and the City of Brampton