Involved Media, the full-service media agency brand that’s part of the Active International network, was introduced into the Canadian market a year ago with industry veteran Caroline Breton, former SVP of Dentsu’s Carat, hired as managing director to launch it. In one year of being in business, has been adding to its client roster with Rustoleum, Betway, Melitta and in recent weeks the signing of a financial client and a QSR brand.

MiC connected with Breton to get her thoughts on the agency’s first year of operation.

MiC: Are you investing in particular operational areas or in capabilities that you believe are  under-invested in by Canadian agencies?

Breton: As a new agency, our priority at launch was to focus on developing our strategic and digital capabilities. Kate Dorofeeva (director of digital strategy) and Sanjula Bhaumik (director of planning and strategy) were hired specifically to support that.

As we move into 2024 and beyond, one area of focus will be measurements and analytics, specifically the development of robust measurement frameworks and analytics capabilities to track the performance of campaigns and demonstrate ROI to clients. We also want to grow our expertise around retail media and e-commerce. We are looking to double down on our data partnerships and solutions as we navigate the evolving landscape and privacy regulations.

We are looking to add to the team but also leverage both our Active International network and sister agency in NY.

What makes Involved Media different from other agencies?

Our culture leads to high retention. Involved Media has been set up as a hybrid model, operating separately but based at the headquarters of Active in Markham. Our people have the flexibility to work at home or the office, but there are eight days a month where they need to be in the office, at a conference or a client meeting. We want to give them the flexibility and the freedom to do what works for them. It’s very important to our culture, and I think that’s a big differentiator for us. We know that makes people happy and it keeps people longer. Our (Active International) turnover is 6%, which is very low when you look at the industry average. So, the people that are on your business today are going be there tomorrow. We also spend more time on a client’s business. We’re not constantly recruiting, hiring and onboarding. It also means your business is run by seasoned media experts.

What would you like the agency or the industry at large to stop doing in the coming year?

It’s been going on for years, and we have done it to ourselves but let’s stop commoditizing our business. We, as media agencies need to stand by our craft and be seen as a competitive advantage because of the thinking we can bring to the table. Media has the ability to impact business outcomes, but for that to happen you need a seasoned team that can think about your business beyond media. It becomes a difficult task when clients only look at costs. When you are looking for an agency, it should be about the partnership, the thinking, and the talent on the business. We want to partner with brands to help them grow.

What would you like to start doing? 

As an agency, we want to continue to enhance measurement and analytics opportunities beyond media metrics. As a business partner, we care about the business impact that advertising activity has on client’s business, and as a result aim to further enhance our analytics delivery with focus on overarching brand health metrics, as well as sales impact. Between strategic partnerships and proprietary tools at Involved Media, we offer privacy-compliant holistic measurement opportunities which can inform media on a business level and again, help brands grow. Currently the biggest challenge is convincing all stakeholders on the client side that there are benefits to providing their agency with data, be it sales or first party.

And as industry, we feel strongly that clients benefit from creative and media agencies partnering more effectively in general. Media isn’t just about executing creative, it’s also an insight tool.  The level of data and intelligence that comes from campaign performance can provide powerful insight and thinking that can influence both business and creative strategy to drive real growth. There’s a real tangible value to that, especially for brands who may not have deep research budgets.

What would you like to change going into year two of the agency?

We are in growth mode – both within Canada and globally with a new market launch to be announced in the near future. Within Canada, I see a real opportunity in Quebec and Western Canada. As a Québécoise myself, I understand the Québec market is unique and local resources are important, but you need to be all in. You can’t do it from Toronto.