There’s no crystal ball to tell us what 2023 will bring, but Canadian media leaders do have a very clear idea of what their hopes are for the year ahead – or the things they are bracing for. We spoke to executives across different agencies to hear about what they are prioritizing within their own companies, as well as predictions for the big things that will be shaping the industry.

Scott Stewart, general manager, Glassroom

Resolutions: Staying humble, staying focused on our philosophy of work over hope, continuing to build new client relationships while staying hyper-focused on the great client relationships we are very fortunate to have at Glassroom. From a people perspective, keep elevating the incredible culture we have built at Glassroom and ensure we grow in the right way that puts our product and our people first.

Predictions: Continued volatility in the Canadian economy will accelerate some agency movement. We will also see more marketers wanting to move from a traditional AOR model to wanting to in-house and hybrid their current media agency relationships. Collaboration will be the most essential marketing superpower for success.

Veronik L’Heureux, EVP, managing director, Spark Foundry Canada

Resolutions: We just want to continue to build on our strong foundations. One year ago, we redefined the mission of Spark Foundry and this has been our North Star since then. We have seen an incredible progress by putting culture first and empowering our people to drive positive change. We want to see a growing impact on our clients’ businesses, a stronger engagement in the challenges of both our industry and society, and to keep our efforts in making our workplace one of Canada’s Best Place to Work.

Predictions: With the digitization of media, the proliferation of walled gardens and the pressure on marketing budgets, we should expect data and measurement to take an even bigger part of conversations with clients. They need more clarity on the fragmented consumer journey as well as on the impact of media on their business objectives to deliver cost-efficiency, relevancy and to future-proof their marketing efforts.

Societal issues, such as DE&I, environmental impact of advertising and local media support will continue to generate conversations and hopefully we should see a shift from “education” to “action” with more bespoke initiatives from clients and agencies.

Finally, from a people perspective, most companies are re-writing their playbook. The ways of working and the expectations people have toward their job have changed with the pandemic, and this represents an opportunity for co-creation and increased employee engagement.

Axel Dumont, president, Cossette Media Canada

Resolutions: Stay focused on our mission to make media matter, and to continue to do our part in working toward a future where Canadians trust the media they consume.

Predictions: In 2023, I expect that many large global brands will cut their media spend, potentially drastically, and that this will leave space for challenger brands. The brands that continue to invest in media consistently throughout the recession, even if it’s at a lower level, will bounce back faster and higher because they’ll have less ground to make up than those who scale back their media investment dramatically.

Matt Ramella, president, Reprise

Resolutions: Continue focusing on the needs and wants of our diverse agency talent and client partners. We’re committed to continued transformation to help our teams work differently, including removing more of the “joyless tasks” from the workflow so that people can do more of what they love. We’ve already seen the benefits of these efforts, including great momentum in our employee retention, engagement and client sentiment. In 2023, diverse perspectives will continue to make us stronger, and our agency teams will continue to be positively challenged, successfully building their skills and contributing to our clients’ success.

Predictions: I’m an eternal optimist, so even though we’re likely headed toward further macroeconomic bumps and big tech fallout, this disruption will also bring new ways of thinking to business. In 2023, successful organizations will be the ones that are flexible and open to transformation efforts, while leading agencies will be accelerating how we add even more value to clients who are looking for greater support in the face of internal cost pressures. I predict that 2023 will be a vibrant year full of opportunities to think differently, more responsible and diversified media investment across digital platforms, and adapting with purpose to find better ways of doing the work that we’re passionate about as a marketing community.

Cynthia Steele, president, Mediabrands Content Studio

Resolutions: We know that 2023 is going to be a year that poses many challenges to our clients and team members – the trepidation and uncertainty around the economy, the declines in geo-political stability and the ongoing fight for social justice. Our resolution in 2023 will be to lean into and live our value to embrace playfulness. This doesn’t mean we aren’t serious or that there aren’t anxious times ahead, but playfulness is our way of thinking, our sense of curiosity, and it’s our intention to make space to connect with one another, and our commitment to finding space to unwind and keep things in perspective.

Predictions: My prediction will seem overly simplistic to many, but brands that continue to invest in brand storytelling and focus on delivering a brand experience that meets the expectation of consumers will win in the long term. All too often, in times of change and pressure, this is de-prioritized in the name of short-term results.