Two longtime sponsorship and marketing execs, Kim Harland (above, left) and Tanya Witty (right), have joined forces to launch Vero.
According to the release, the new marketing and sponsorship shop is aimed at “redefining how brands invest in corporate, sports and entertainment sponsorships.”
Based in the GTA, Vero strategically launches ahead of the FIFA World Cup 26, with a mandate to support both global and domestic brands that will be on full display during next year’s Canadian-co-hosted tournament and looking to maximize the impact of their sponsorships.
The agency offers a full suite of services, including sponsorship strategy, research-driven activation planning, experiential marketing and fan engagement programs, all designed to deliver measurable results.
As president of SDI Sports, Harland spearheaded campaigns for brands including PepsiCo, FIFA, Rogers, Molson, the NHL and Canada Soccer. She was engaged in the expansion of the firm’s Middle East presence and establishing relationships with some of soccer’s leading governing bodies such as CONCACAF.
As former head of brand and partnerships for Rogers Communications, Witty has led brand and partnership strategy with the Toronto Blue Jays, MLSE, the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks, the Edmonton Oilers, Tennis Canada and Rogers Hometown Hockey, in addition to launching an entertainment portfolio including LiveNation, Taylor Swift The Eras Tour, the Toronto International Film Festival and the GTAA.
“Brands have an incredible opportunity in the years ahead, especially with FIFA World Cup 26 bringing global attention to North America,” Harland says, adding that Vero’s goal is to ensure companies are making “informed, impactful decisions about how they engage fans and customers.”
“Too often, sponsorships are treated like one-off media buys, when in reality, they’re powerful relationship platforms,” Harland tells strategy. “Many agencies focus on visibility – logos, signage, impressions – but miss the deeper opportunity to connect with fans in ways that are meaningful and measurable.”
According to Harland, that’s where Vero, which means “truth” in Latin, fills the gap: using data and consumer insight to understand consumers’ motivations and add value through a strategic partnership with insights firm IMI.
Every campaign will be developed with fact-based target market insights, and each concept validated with independent consumer data and fan psychology research, Harland adds, giving brands confidence and measurable ROI results at every stage.
Vero has also partnered with XM and retailer marketing shop Brand Momentum, “ensuring the capability to deliver high-level events and execution at scale.”
“Together [with IMI and Brand Momentum], we’re giving clients a rare combination: world-class research, cultural insight and flawless execution,” Witty says.
“Canada has incredible creative agencies and experiential partners, but where we see a gap is in the strategic layer that ties brand, business and performance together,” Witty adds. “Marketers are under immense pressure to justify spend – every activation dollar needs to be backed by data, and every partnership has to prove its worth.”
