Ask 10 Web developers what they consider to be the most fundamental principle of Web design, and you'll surely get 10 different answers. As in online ad design and development, a Web design project is guided by your objectives and your audience. But it is also influenced by any number of additional factors, from content and context to tone, technology, and trends.

Read More >> In print advertising, advertorials have long been a successful way to garner readers' attention. Promotional materials that resemble editorial content can be more effective than standard ad placements. There are two very good reasons why: they're immune to ad blindness -- that condition whereby consumers consciously or unconsciously ignore ads – and they inspire a sense of trust because they appear to be associated with the publication to which readers are loyal.

Read More >> As media strategists, our jobs are very much about making choices: choices about which sites to include in our media plans, which ad creative to use in our campaigns, and which ad formats to employ. Not only must we select from among a plethora of options, but we must also weigh the value of these against one another. Should we go with a Leaderboard unit or Half Page Skyscraper? A floating ad or a rollover banner?

Read More >> With every passing month, social networking becomes more entrenched in Canadian culture. As Forrester Research reported last year, 57 per cent of Canadians now use social networking at least once each month – more than our US counterparts (their number comes in at 51 per cent, while the United Kingdom – third on the list – comes in at 38 per cent). In fact, of the 12 countries regularly surveyed by the research company, Canadians are "the most active social networkers" in any market.

Read More >> The life of a thirty-something Canadian mother is a hectic one. Each new day brings with it a new set of child-rearing challenges that intermingle, often unexpectedly, with activities, classes, play dates, arguments between siblings, and the "simple" task of getting the family dressed and out the door. There's a saving grace to Mom's day, however -- a tool that she can use to assist her with virtually any trial she may face. This savior -- her great liberator, mentor, and personal assistant -- is digital media.

Read More >> Meet Carl. Carl is a connected consumer living in the year 2010. He is a young urban professional who relies on digital media to entertain him, inform him, and assist him in the tasks and activities relating to his day to day life.

For Canadian media planners and buyers, Carl is a desirable character. He's the consumer retailers, restaurants, electronics companies, travel services, and countless other advertisers are trying to reach. And there are numerous ways to reach him: through TV spots, print ads, even ads on bathroom stalls in the numerous bars and pubs Carl visits with friends after work. Increasingly, though, the best way to reach consumers like Carl is through Web-based and portable digital media.


Read More >> With the 2010 Winter Olympics behind us, Canada has a lot to be proud of. We have the most Gold medals we've ever won at any previous Olympic Games, and more Golds than any other host nation in Winter Olympic history.

And then there are the digital marketing campaigns.

Our country won't be remembered for its champion performances, hospitality, and picturesque scenery alone, thanks to the creativity of Canadian marketers eager to align themselves with the Olympic "brand" and promote their products in the context of this major international event. February saw a proliferation of clever campaigns incorporating social media and mobile applications. Here's a rundown of some of the most memorable, and what made them so:



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The old Bob Dylan song, "The Times, They Are a-Changin'" wasn't written with the digital marketing industry in mind, but it certainly applies to what lies ahead for those of us active in the field. A recent Ipsos report confirmed what most of us already suspected: marketers and advertisers are completely modifying their media mix in an effort to incorporate more digital channels.


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Like all digital strategists, you're probably asking yourself what's in store for 2010. Even if you already have media plans finalized through the first quarter, it's always prudent to stay abreast of industry trends. One way to do this is by analyzing what your peers are doing and determining the degree to which your efforts are in line with their own. Another is to look at the activities of your vendors, who have the best interests of your future campaigns in mind.

Read More >> We may not like to admit it, but media strategists, buyers, creative developers, and digital marketers of every ilk make mistakes. We've already looked at some of the more common offenses, including failing to follow through with blogs, Twitter accounts, and Facebook pages, and assuming that consumers are as excited about sitting through our repurposed 3-minute commercial spots as we are. Sadly, these aren't the only wrongdoings our target consumers are subject to in the online media space.



Read More >> As any experienced media strategist knows, the business of online advertising is not without its flaws. We've struggled with e-mail marketing, working for years to renew consumer trust after spending the previous years overloading them with messages they couldn't easily control. We increased our ad sizes to get Internet users' attention, decreased them when our audience was dissatisfied, and again pumped them up in order to be able to deliver more engaging ads. This is still, at its core, an experimental business, and as is always the case in such matters, it requires a certain degree of trial and error.

As such, our beloved medium has facilitated countless mistakes. These have come in virtually every shape and form, from social media gaffes to mobile marketing missteps.

Read More >> If there's one thing that publishers have learned since the birth of online advertising over a decade ago, it's the importance of being flexible. Now more than ever, they are flexible when it comes to the type of ad units they accept, where those units are placed, and most of all, the traditional definition of what constitutes advertising versus editorial content.

In the beginning, site sales reps were known to stick to their media kits, offering only what their organization had previously deemed to be acceptable forms of advertising. This system worked for advertisers when the medium was still considered to be a supplementary part of one's overall advertising strategy, and when placing ads on the Web was more of a novelty than a necessity. As competition increased, however, and consumers became more accustomed to online advertising and better able to avoid it, marketers began to realize that, if they were going to be noticed, they would have to deliver something more unique.

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