We are a core team of 15 well-adjusted (well, as much as anyone can be in this business), experienced marketing professionals who collectively have over 120 years of marketing/advertising experience.While we consider ourselves a ‘digital first’ agency, we also are fluent in legacy media - from OOH to print to TV/radio to experiential marketing when required.We have been in business for 12+ years.We are based in Toronto, Canada, but provide a range of marketing and advertising services to clients in Canada, the USA, Europe and Australia.We work in almost* any industry but have deep experience in financial services, education, public advocacy, CPG, and food & beverage. *We would not consider work in tobacco, gambling, payday loan, BNPL or any MLM sectors.We believe that successful marketing requires a blend of clear, organized data and insight-driven creativity, and that great ideas can come from anywhere and anyone, regardless of job title or rank.We understand that each business is unique with their own needs, and make our recommendations on a case-by-case basis, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Our most successful B2C and B2B customers include:- Service based businesses- Niche products- Online events/ticket salesWe have significant experience in:- Event promotion- Fashion/Footwear/Jewelry- Insurance/Finance- Food and beverage- Sporting goods- Education- Travel/Leisure
- Creating brand identities and positionings- Establishing Value Propositions- Defining customers, customer journeys and stakeholder message maps- Building brand/market awareness- Generating leads- Growing distribution channels- This is always through a mix of owned, earned and paid channels using relevant tactics that are appropriate to the task.
Our most successful relationships are with companies who have a dedicated annual marketing budget of $100k to $2MM. We provide the expertise that bigger agencies do at a fraction of the cost and time required - making more of your budget work for you. For startups who have a dedicated marketing budget (even pre-sale if that’s where you are at) we plan and execute custom/bespoke marketing programs.
It’s pretty simple. First, we set up a complimentary intro call between our two senior teams to talk about your company’s history, future, challenges and objectives.We (and you) get a sense or not of whether this is a bunch of people with whom you want to work. Chemistry is important.If it feels like a good fit, and based on your needs/wants/budgets, we put together a proposal incorporating the things you’ll need to get to where you want to be.You’ll review that proposal and accept, reject or ask for modifications.Finally, we’ll come to a mutually agreed scope of work, then we’ll roll up our sleeves and get to work!
- A rough idea of what your challenge/problem is - A list of existing brand assets- Some idea of what your business’ USP is- A list of your competitors in your market(s) and what they are doing
We work with our clients in three ways: retainer, project or consulting. Each one has particular advantages for particular situations.1. RetainerThis is where we plan a whole year (or at least 3 quarters) of work, set a budget and break the cost out into 12 (9) monthly pieces. Upside: you pay the lowest unit cost for stuff and you know exactly what you’re getting and what you’re paying every month. No surprisesDownside: it doesn’t allow for maximum flexibility for youRequires: minimum budget of $7k a month2. ProjectThis is where we create a discrete program to do a particular thing, and you only pay the prequoted amount for the program. It could be 1 week or 1 month in length, or happen once a quarter over the year.Upside: it allows more flexibility for you and you know exactly what you’re getting and what you’re paying. No surprisesDownside: you pay slightly higher unit cost for stuff and integration with other marketing activities is not as seamless as it could beRequires: minimum budget of $15K3. Consulting OnlyThis is where you just buy hours from us a la carte - like you would a lawyer or accountant. Upside: allows you maximum flexibility to address discrete and specific needs from specific personnel.Downside: you pay the highest unit rate for time/resources.a) Senior Consultancy - $275/hr or b) Production Consultancy - $155/hrFor 1-off matters, we offer short introductory consulting sessions: a) FREE 30 minute session, b) $145 for 60 minutes or c) $200 for 90 minutes
This depends on the arrangement: for retainer-based relationships, this can be built into the budgeting framework. For some retainer work and all project-based work, media budgets are separate and are billed directly to you, allowing you via a company credit card to avoid a media commission fee. We recommend any significant campaign that requires outbound media have a minimum $5k per month.
Yes, you do! You will get to work directly with your designated key point of contact.
Out of scope work is pretty common, and we always outline exactly what it is, what it will cost and how and where it will be added to the budget BEFORE we do it. Again, ‘No Billing Surprises’ is an important part of how we take care of our clients.
We’ve done work in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish and German recently. We are partnered with a marketing-specific translation agency that can support up to 120 languages, including many Indigenous ones.
It usually takes 2-8 days to set up the formal part of the business relationship (SLA/contracts etc.). We typically begin the work in the contract within days of that being completed. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, design and production can take anywhere from 3-12 weeks. Our goal is always to spread the work out as evenly as possible so as to not overload any one part of the production.
If projects are planned well, there shouldn’t actually be any rush requests, but we realize that this isn’t a perfect world, and things do come up last-minute. We can accommodate rush requests, but they will incur a surcharge on top of agreed-upon rates.
