December 2023 President’s Note

Happy December.

It was great seeing so many of you celebrate the incredible creativity of our profession at the CMA Awards gala a few weeks ago. Having 850 marketers and agencies together made for a fun and inspiring evening!

As the country’s largest marketing association, the CMA is the only place where the full marketing ecosystem comes together to network, learn, and work on important and complex topics that impact all of us.

The CMA is committed to helping futureproof you and your teams so you can thrive. We’re kicking off the new year by introducing three new member benefits and innovations:

• We’re launching CMA Forward, an online forum exclusive to CMA Members, where we will share thought leadership, discuss the profession, and debate hot topics important to all of us.
• CMA Forward will also feature career-stage communities so you can easily meet and interact with new peers.
• We’ve increased the number of high-quality events that will be included in your membership. They'll cover a wide range of topics.  
• We’re kicking off the first quarter of 2024 with five events you can enjoy for free. Stay tuned for details!
• We’re introducing CMA Marketing Week in May.
• Get ready for a week packed with inspiration and innovation as we delve into the future of marketing.

Advocacy – and ensuring any new privacy law enables innovation while protecting Canadians – continues to be a top priority.

• The CMA is the only marketing association in Canada invited to appear as a witness in front of the federal parliamentary committee studying privacy law reform, and we’re happy to share our opening statement, and our full submission.
• In November, we hosted a lunch with Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne and a small number of senior CMA members to discuss consumers’ evolving expectations, and the beneficial impact of data-driven marketing on Canada’s economy. It was an impactful conversation and one of many we are having in support of our profession.

We recently published the following new Member-only resources to keep you well informed across a range of important topics:

• A detailed blog on the Quebec Privacy Regulator’s final consent guidelines for Law 25, along with a chart that compares the final guidance to the draft the Government released in the summer.
• The CMA Guide to Truthful Marketing, which will be publicly announced tomorrow. This guide provides essential information to marketers about understanding and avoiding misleading representations and deceptive marketing practices.
• Our new Quebec French Language Guide outlines key changes to Quebec’s French Language Charter that affect marketing activities.

These are a few ways the CMA is helping elevate the role of marketing and marketers in Canada. We look forward to continuing to innovate and provide additional resources and benefits in 2024.

At the CMA Awards, we raised a toast to Lucy Collin, our wonderful VP Member Experience. After an amazing 40+ year career in marketing and sales – the last eight with the CMA – Lucy is retiring at the end of this year. Lucy, thank you for making our profession better and for the terrific impact you've had on the CMA.

I’m also pleased to announce my new executive leadership team. We’re gearing up for an exciting year ahead and look forward to supporting you and our profession.

As always, I welcome the opportunity to meet one-to-one, so, don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to chat.

Now more than ever, connecting with our communities and making time for the people we care about is important. So, whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa, I wish you a memory-rich holiday season.

Warm regards, Alison Simpson

P.S. Please join me in welcoming our newest members: Interac, YMCA Canada, Foresters Financial, Canadian Women & Sport, Parkinson Canada, Osmow’s, Bob’s Your Uncle, Canadian Protection Plan, CISL, Food Banks Canada, Heads Up from Inspiration Inc, TPMC Consulting, Norton Rose Fulbright and Camp Tech