According to a new national study entitled The AdFX Report, commissioned by the CASSIES, a full 78 per cent of Canadians say they want the future of advertising to be completely transparent, where companies share everything, “warts and all.”
The survey was conducted on the Angus Reid Forum revealed that the secret to sales success may be candidness. The AdFX Report found more than six in ten Canadians (63 per cent) say brands with candor ultimately win their loyalty.
“We are entering a communications era where consumers are developing a vested interest in their favourite brands’ activities,” said Jani Yates, president, Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA), presenter of the CASSIES, Canada’s only industry awards recognizing business effectiveness based on rigorous published cases. “Today the consumer-brand relationship has a dynamic of give and take.”
This brand relationship appears to be growing at a faster pace among the younger generation. The study discovered Canadians aged 18-34 were twice as likely as their older counterparts (20 per cent of 18-34 versus 11 per cent of those 35+) to report being guilt-ridden at some point over the past year, about supporting a competitor over their favourite brand.
“We were surprised by this finding – that so many young Canadians feel not just a sense of loyalty, but also a sense of accountability to their favourite brands,” added Yates.
So, how can brands claim that coveted “favourite” spot among consumers’ hearts? According to the AdFX Report, the glitz and glam of celebrity doesn’t have the same sway power as creative advertising. A large majority of Canadians (77 per cent) say creative advertising is more impactful every time. They say they appreciate it more.
Beyond building appreciation, great advertising also seems to have a more personal impact on Canadians. In a follow-up survey, a full 61 per cent of Canadians say advertising that pays homage to Canadian culture makes them feel more patriotic.
“Molson Canadian’s popular ‘My name is Joe, and I am Canadian’ rant – a CASSIES 2001 Grand Prix winner, is an excellent example of how advertising that touts our great land, fuels our patriotism,” said Yates. “This campaign went viral and became anthemic for many Canadians from coast to coast.”
Amazingly, 12 years later, close to four in ten Canadians surveyed (38 per cent) still recall – unaided – that the “I am Canadian” tagline belongs to Molson. “This finding speaks volumes to what the CASSIES looks for – creativity that’s connected to business-effectiveness,” explains Yates.
The AdFX Report also discovered that the jingles we hear in our childhood become etched into our memory. When the survey asked Canadians to think of the first advertising jingle that came to mind off the top of their heads, 49 per cent reported remembering one they had heard as a child.
Making a real statement on how jingles stick with us, the study found an astounding 82 per cent of Canadians remembered Smarties’ ever-popular jingle, “When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last?” which was originally created back in 1967.
“Great advertising can become a fond part of our culture, just like movies, music, and other forms of entertainment,” added Yates. “They can create shared social memories that we look back upon years later and still appreciate.” Case in point: some notable past CASSIES winners such as, Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty from 2007, Subaru’s Sexy Sumos campaign from 2009, and Knorr’s Salty campaign from 2011.
Winners of this year’s CASSIES awards will be revealed at a ceremony on Monday, January 28, 2013 in Toronto, kicking off the Institute of Communication Agencies’ FFWD Advertising & Marketing Week in Canada. Tickets for the CASSIES are on sale now at www.cassies.ca. This website also features a full CASSIES case library, which serves as a valuable industry reference and time capsule for communications enthusiasts. It captures the ebb and flow of our transformational communications landscape.
