Spotlight

In a world of endless data and shrinking budgets, proving marketing ROI has never been more critical—or more confusing.This webinar with Kristine Neil from Stone-Olafson was based on CMA's latest ROI report, unpacks the pitfalls of short-term metrics, explores the digital paradox, and offers a practical roadmap for improving performance measurement.

Whether you're building a case for budget, fighting for long-term brand investment, or aligning with your CFO, this session will give you the clarity, language, and confidence to elevate your impact.

Where are Canadians traveling next?In this episode, we explore the findings from Globe Media Group's latest travel survey.Our guests:Andrew Consky – Head of Media Research & Insights, Globe Media GroupMark Iker – Advertising Manager, Globe Media GroupTogether, they share fresh perspectives on:Shifting Canadian travel trends — from bucket lists to border crossingsWhat survey data reveals about traveler attitudes in 2025How brands and advertisers can better connect with today’s globetrottersThe opportunities (and challenges) shaping the future of travel

In this episode of Spotlight, we sit down with Mandy Balak, President of The Gathering Summit, to explore one of the world’s most unique marketing events.

Hosted in the Canadian Rockies, The Gathering is more than a conference—it’s a three-day experience featuring 65+ sessions, four stages, and a lineup of global brand leaders.

Mandy shares the exciting roster of this year’s Brand Hall of Fame inductees, along with insights from the CMOs who will be revealing their brand-building playbooks.

We also talk about The Gathering’s new partnership with the Effies, its origin story from founders Ryan Gill and Chris Nealand, and how the event evolved from a business development idea into a global destination for connection, creativity, and celebration.

From Dana White’s unexpected three-day stay at the inaugural event to the magic that happens when marketing leaders drop their guard in the mountains, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what makes The Gathering so special.

In this episode, we sit down with Brad Hugel, Manager of Local Sales Strategy at Rogers Sports and Media, to talk about one of marketing’s biggest shifts over the past decade: the obsession with bottom-of-funnel tactics.

We explore why short-term thinking has become so seductive, the downsides of going all-in on BOFU, and how the concept of a “mindself” (aka SEO for the brain) helps brands own the triggers that actually drive buying decisions.

From jingles and mascots to media planning and reach, we break down how creative and smart media choices work together to build memory, trust, and long-term growth. Plus, we dive into bothism—why it’s not about choosing short-term or long-term, but about making both work harder.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The risks of short-termism in marketing

• How to build your brand’s mindself and category entry points

• Why creative assets (jingles, characters, slogans) stick in the brain

• The role of media planning in making memories last

• Why bothism (long + short) is the way forward

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the funnel, this episode is your reminder to think bigger, play smarter, and build a brand that people actually remember.

In this episode, Marc Binkley and Derek Hovinga sit down with Nicole Fisher from Petro-Canada to talk about the brilliantly timed “Visit Canada” campaign.

Launched in February 2025, just as the 51st state debate made headlines, this campaign flipped the narrative—spotlighting real Canadian towns like Miami, Manitoba and Austin, Quebec, and inviting people to visit the originals.

We dig into:

• The cultural insight that sparked the idea

• How the team moved fast without compromising strategy

• The impact the campaign had on small-town pride

• Why Petro-Canada had the right to show up in this conversation

• What success looked like—and how it’s still unfolding

Whether you're into marketing, media, or just love a good creative comeback story, this one’s for you.

👉 Explore the campaign: Visit Canada – Petro-Canada

In this episode, we sit down with Megan Spoore, EVP, National Practice Lead, Corporate & GM of Edelman Calgary, to explore the 25th edition of Edelman’s Trust Barometer.Trust shapes everything—from how we engage with brands to how we vote, work, and communicate. Now in its 25th year, the Trust Barometer continues to be a vital pulse check on global and local sentiment.Megan joins us to break down this year’s key findings, what they mean for businesses and communicators in Canada, and how trust has become a business imperative—not just a PR problem.In this episode:What’s changed in public trust over the last 25 yearsWhy trust is increasingly local and personalWhat brands need to do to earn (and keep) itThe role of business in solving societal issuesWhether you're in marketing, communications, leadership, or public affairs—this conversation will leave you thinking differently about how trust is built, broken, and rebuilt.

Read the Trust Barometer here

The SEO game is changing — fast. The old playbook of cranking out blog posts, waiting for Google to crawl your site, and hoping for clicks is quickly becoming outdated.

In this episode, we sit down with Ray Wang from RW Digital, a digital strategist who never followed that traditional SEO model — and turns out, they may have been ahead of their time.

We unpack:

• Why AI and large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are disrupting the way we think about search

• What Zero-Click Search (ZCS) really means and why it matters

• Whether ranking #1 still has value if nobody clicks

• How to shift your strategy: first-party data, long-tail keywords, PR mentions, and more

• What modern marketers should track in GA4 to measure impact in a zero-click world

If your search traffic is dropping or your SEO strategy feels stuck in 2018, this one’s for you.

In this episode, we sit down with Tyler Chisholm—entrepreneur, podcaster, and author of Curious as Hell—to explore how curiosity isn’t just a personality trait… it’s a leadership strategy.We dive into:Why curiosity beats ego in businessHow Collision became a marketing machine and relationship builderWhat modern marketing leaders can learn from asking better questionsThe frameworks Curious As Hell that helped lead, market, and connect more effectivelyWhether you're a marketer, founder, or team leader, this conversation is your reminder that curiosity isn’t a soft skill—it’s a power move.

On this episode, we're running back a webinar we held in May about Influencer Marketing.

Join our panelists Kristyn Snell, Gabe Mederos, Jessica Harcombe Fleming, and Umair Tazeem if you want to move beyond one-off influencer posts and build creator strategies that actually work.

In this episode of Spotlight, we sit down with Joelly Goodson—host of the Branding Matters podcast and the ultimate “Branding Badass.”

By day, Joelly is the Brand Ambassador and Business Development Specialist at BAMKO, a global leader in branded merchandise that actually drives results.

We dive into why branding really matters (yes, pun intended), how to transform a logo into true brand loyalty, and why great merch is more than just swag—it’s strategy.

Whether you’re a founder, a marketer, or just a fan of good branding, this episode is packed with insight, inspiration, and a few laughs along the way.