Overview
of 2021‑2022

• Industry representation

  Government lobby to discuss our needs in a time of economic recovery and labor shortage:

  • with the Ministry of Economy and Innovation;
  • with the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity;
  • with the Ministry of Culture and Communications.

  Dossiers:

  • Bill 35 to harmonize and modernize the rules relating to the professional status of artists.
  • Negotiation of collective agreements between the Joint Producers Association (JPA) and the Union des artistes (UDA).
  • ACTRA-ACA agreement: continuation letter and conditions to allow the resumption of English-language advertising production in Quebec.
  • Labor shortages, skills development, as well as investment and financing challenges faced by the creative industry.
  • Raising awareness on responsible media best practices through the Mouvement média d'ici.

  Connecting agencies with leading organizations to provide access to relevant resources:

  • Montréal International which offers services to help recruit international professionals and students;
  • The Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ) for the development and sharing of tools on remote work.

  Involvement on various boards and committees:

  • Ad standards
  • Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC)
  • National Advertising Benevolent Society (nabs)
  • Comité permanent de formations mutualisées de L’inis
  • Comité sectoriel de main-d’œuvre des communications graphiques du Québec (GrafiCompétences)
  • Femmes en créa

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• Agency selection process

  45 clients of various sizes and sectors counseled to adopt best practices in this area.

  Submitted recommendations to the Centre d’acquisitions gouvernementales (CAG) to improve its selection process and update the compensation of selected agencies.

  Updating the Agency Selection Guide (to be launched in 2023) et and its related tools, including the Call for Proposals template.

  

• Advertising production

  Negotiations for the renewal of the APC-UDA collective agreements

  After a forced break due to the pandemic, negotiations for the renewal of the Internet and New Media (INM) and TV/radio collective agreements have resumed in the presence of a mediator between the UDA and the APC. The latter is composed of the A2C, the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) and the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA).

  The objective is to arrive at more flexible agreements that are better adapted to the current market, in order to encourage Quebec advertising production and the hiring of local artists for the benefit of the entire ecosystem. Many aspects must be considered, such as the integration of the next generation, the economic context of the different types of production and the Canadian and international competition facing the industry.

  A2C agreement with ACTRA and ACA

  When negotiations between the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA, the union representing professional English-speaking artists), the ACA and the ICA broke down in the spring, the A2C had to hold numerous and complex discussions with all parties involved, in the interest of its members. At their request, the A2C finally reached a special agreement with ACTRA and the ACA whereby: 1) ACTRA dropped the grievances sent to Quebec agencies that signed the 2022-2023 agreement and 2) Quebec representatives would now be present at the negotiating table in Toronto next year to represent the province's interests. Objectives: 1) to modernize the National Commercial Agreement (NCA) and 2) to maintain industry peace in Quebec and access to ACTRA members for English advertising production.

  Status of the Artist Act Update

  Following a review process that began over two years ago, the Minister of Culture and Communications tabled Bill 35 in April. A2C was consulted along with the other major producers' associations and filed a second memoir jointly with the APP and the ACA.

  The bill, which was finally passed, takes into account some of our recommendations, including requiring parties to consider different types of production when negotiating an agreement. However, it does not include any changes that would expedite negotiations or help move labor relations toward a more efficient and flexible approach on the ground (e.g., allowing for arbitration at the request of a single party).

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• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

  Following the launch of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (EDI) policy and the presentation of its first workplace barometer study’s results, the A2C's DEI Advisory Committee has put in place several concrete actions to promote a plurality of perspectives within the industry:

  • Establishment of an EDI resource and documentation hub on the Association's website;
  • Workshops dedicated to EDI practices:
    • Representation and Authenticity through the Creative Brief, addressing inclusive writing practices for casting purposes, as well as diversity representation in advertising.
    • Rethinking Inclusive Recruitment and Organization, focusing on best practices in recruitment and retention to foster vitality and diversity of viewpoints in agencies.

• Permanent Media Directors' Committee

  Following the integration of the Conseil des directeurs médias du Québec (CDMQ) to the A2C, a permanent committee has been created to pilot projects related to the media discipline. The committee chair is Luis Areas (CARTIER) and its members are Dahlia Trinh-Viêt (Glassroom), Alexandra Lafond (Jungle Media), Sébastien Royer (Mindshare), Julie Carbone (Starcom), Marilyne Alie (Touché!) and Marion Marchesi (Wavemaker).

  Projects:

  • Development of the Study on Investments in Local Medias, conducted as part of the Mouvement média d'ici initiative.
  • Development of the new format and programming of Immedia, an event that brings together all the professionals of the media ecosystem in Quebec. The first edition was held on September 22, 2022 by the A2C.
  • Organization of the Relève and Partenaire awards, given during the Idéa Awards.
  • Collaboration to the optimization of the Agency Selection Guide.
  • Monitoring of various media issues (e.g.: Numeris regional reports).

• Mouvement média d’ici

  Launched in May 2020, the Mouvement was created to support local media. The industry was challenged to double the proportion of digital budgets going to local media over the next three years, in order to infuse over $200 million annually into the Quebec media ecosystem.

  Study on Investments in Local Medias: Among the various initiatives and actions that have been put in place to achieve this goal, the A2C conducted a vast data collection this year to track the evolution of investments in local and regional media among its member agencies. The results were unveiled during the Immedia event.

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• Valuations of agency services

  Formation of a committee to brainstorm solutions leading to better compensation for agency work in the current economic environment.

  Publication of a blog post in January 2022, titled Mission: talent. Four important considerations were shared in it in order to help agencies offer the best possible services: fair compensation for their work, the end of speculative work in selection processes, benevolence in business practices and the importance of investing in local media. This post fueled lots of discussion, helped raise awareness on these issues among advertisers and generated nearly 5,000 impressions on our website and social channels.

  View the post

• Post-pandemic support

  • Monitoring and sharing of recommended health measures in the workplace and on sets.
  • Memo on the legal implications of implementing a mandatory employee vaccination policy.
  • Updated remote work policy template.
  • Conference on talents compensation in an inflation and labor shortage context.
  • Surveys to take the pulse of recruitment issues and return to the office.

• Training activities

  Subsidized Training Program

  Created specifically for agency professionals, the program focused on various themes throughout the year, offering nearly 30 courses.

  Main themes:

  • Industry trends
    • Trends and media planning
    • Future without third-party cookies
    • Masterclass: virtual and augmented realitye
    • History of advertising
    • The three levels of leadership
    • Agency Managers
    • Compensation for talent
    • Difficult Conversation and Transformative Feedback
    • Inclusive recruiting and organizing
    • Representation and authenticity through the creative brief
    • The Art of Negotiation
  • Legal issues
    • Intellectual property and protected content (LJT Avocats)
    • Advertising contests (LJT Avocats)
    • Protection of personal information (BLG)
    • Advertising of alcoholic beverages (Advertising Standards)
    • Interpretation of UDA-CPA collective agreements

  New – A2C Academy

  The A2C Academy was created to address the challenges of integrating junior resources. It is a customized program designed to accelerate their professional development and their familiarization with the industry. Through a unique curriculum specifically tailored to the agency world, recruits are provided with tools and workshops based on current needs and industry trends. These workshops are given by some twenty professionals from different agencies, in order to have a variety of perspectives represented in each discipline. Two cohorts (35 graduates in total) have taken part to date. This program will be offered annually.

  
  

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• Studies and surveys

  • Survey on agency value: pricing, modeling and growth (ICA-A2C)
  • Agency Talent Management Survey (ICA-A2C)
  • Agency Talent Compensation Survey (ICA-A2C)
  • Status, Recruitment and Return to Office Survey
  • CAG Call for Interest Survey
  • Agency Internship Hiring Survey
  • Study on Investment in Local Media
  • Study on the positioning of the industry as an employer of choice

• New tools

  • Model clause for automatic annual indexation to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for agency rates
  • Updated remote work policy template
  • Internship Guide

  
  In addition to the many tools already available in Member Access.

Discover all of A2C’s services

• Industry positioning

  The A2C has committed to stimulate the interest of the next generation in the industry's many career opportunities and, ultimately, to expand the talent pool. The association took advantage of the Agency Open House (February 4, 2022) to launch its positioning campaign "That’s Agency Life". The campaign was based on the findings of a study conducted in the spring of 2021 among managers and employees of its member agencies, which highlighted the distinctive and particularly stimulating elements of a career in an agency. The campaign consisted of a microsite, six videos featuring professionals with different areas of expertise and Web banners in various local media. A special edition of Grenier magazine was also published for the occasion.

  The seulementenagence.com and thatsagencylife.com pages have been consulted over 13,000 times since their launch. In addition, the promotional campaign generated 2,813,762 impressions among the 18 to 25 year-olds.

  To support this major seduction operation, A2C has also increased its initiatives with the next generation of professionals by participating in Jeux de la communication, Happening Marketing and the HEC Montréal job fair; by organizing numerous classroom presentations and by giving Sherbrooke University Marketing & Communications Masters degree students their term project mandate. In addition to raising awareness about the industry, these actions have not only improved our points of contact with the next generation, but have also given us valuable insights into the barriers to entry.

  Campaign Partners

  • Promotional campaign: Rethink
  • Media placement: Espace M
  • Public relations: bicom
  • Illustrations: Vincent Hurtubise
  • Video production: Sud°Ouest
  • Recording: Circonflex
  • Media partners: Québecor Expertise Média and Bell Media
  • Platform programming: Acolyte

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• Concours Relève

  Each year, the concours Relève allow undergraduate students in communications and marketing to put their knowledge into practice by working on mandates from real clients.

  • 48
    participating students
  • +100
    persons at the Recognition of the new generation evening

  Relève Communication

  • Winning team: Agence Évolution of FSA Ulaval
  • Client: Desjardins
  • Volunteer coordinators: Pascal Routhier (Rethink) and Jean-Hugo Filion (Cossette)

  Relève Marketing

  • Winning team: Aspire de HEC Montréal
  • Client: Bombardier
  • Volunteer coordinators: Joanne Nantel et France Wong (Bleublancrouge)

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• Open House Day

  • +400
    participating
    students
  • 41
    sponsoring
    agencies
  • 8
    scholarships
    awarded

  
  

  • In collaboration with the Alliance des cabinets de relations publiques (ACRPQ), Grenier aux nouvelles and URBANIA.
  • 100% virtual event for a second year, due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in early 2022.
  • New: launch of an ambassador program that allowed four participants to document their experience during the day. Their testimonials were then shared on A2C platforms and picked up by the Grenier aux nouvelles.
  • Return of the webinar offered in collaboration with Grenier recrutement, to help the next generation prepare for the agency hiring process.

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• Le monde de la comm.

  This series of virtual conferences, which was back for a second edition in the fall of 2021, was designed to demystify agency professions for young people and help them steer their educational path according to their interests. Featuring four profiles - Technos, Crea, Strat. and Media as well as Connections - the activity allowed young people to discover the reality of professionals in the field in a relaxed setting. The event brought together a dozen speakers from our member agencies and recorded 250 remote connections.

  • 250
    student
    connections
  • 12
    speakers
    and panelists
  • 4
    virtual
    conferences

  
  

  View the conferences

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• Media presence

  A2C contributes to the promotion of the services and expertise of all its member agencies by developing articles and dossiers on various initiatives with Grenier aux nouvelles, by responding to journalists' requests for various industry questions and offering subjects and experts recommendations.

  Online presence

  • 81 428
    sessions on a2c.quebec
  • 72 969
    sessions on concoursidea.ca
  • 13 051
    views on seulementenagence.com / thatsagencylife.com
  • 8 250
    (+3,2 %)
    subscribers on Facebook
    27% increase in the page's reach
  • 5 740
    (+32,6 %)
    subscribers on LinkedIn
    1 281,4% increase in the number of unique visitors to the page
  • 2 220
    (+20 %)
    subscribers on Instagram
    282,5% increase in the page's reach

  Presence in print media

  • Article and brief covering the Idea 2022 competition in La Presse.
  • Visibility worth over $300,000 in the business media:
    • Coverage of the Hall of Fame, That’s Agency Life, Agency Open House Day, Concours Relève and the Idea Awards.
  • Over a dozen questions answered from journalists about the industry.
  • Development of a youth partnership with URBANIA.
  • Sustained presence in French and English industry media.

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• Hall of Fame

  Through a digital campaign conducted in the fall of 2021 presented by CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions, the A2C highlighted the exceptional careers of Jacques Dorion (Builder), Thérèse Paquet-Sévigny (Beacon) and Robert Ayotte (Ally), by inducting them in the 2021 Hall of Fame. They were honored through interviews and video testimonials, which showed how their achievements have shaped the industry as it is today. Watch the clips below.

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• Idéa Awards

  The third edition of the Idéa Awards, powered by A2C in collaboration with the Société des designers graphiques du Québec (SDGQ), allowed the industry and its artisans to celebrate the best in creative communications in a hybrid format for the very first time.

  New elements:

  • A full day of festivities in three parts (Bronze Awards, Silver Awards, and Gold Awards and Grand Prizes)
  • Different options to enjoy the evening with peers.
  • Celebration in person at New City Gas; also available virtually.
  • Subsequent roundtable discussion with some of the jury chairs and members to share their experience of the deliberations.

  
  

  • +1 400
    submissions
  • 427
    winners
  • 8
    preparatory webinars
  • 1
    special edition of Grenier magazine
    available in digital and print formats

  Collaborators:

  • Promotional campaign Promotional campaign: Bleublancrouge, Gimmick, Fieldtrip, Lamajeure and U92
  • Award ceremony:
    • Direction: Gabriel Poirier-Galarneau
    • Animation: Nicolas Ouellet
    • Editing: Chop Chop
    • Visual conception: Gimmick
    • Music and sound design: Lamajeure
    • Video production: Sud°Ouest

  Relive the third edition of the Idéa Awards:

  • Overview of the 2022 finalists
  • Unveiling of the Bronze Awards
  • Unveiling of the Silver Awards
  • Gold Awards, Grand Prizes and Special Awards Presentation

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