Insights

Producing COVID public health advertising for the Government of Canada proved to me that research is an indispensable part of any communications campaign. Now I’m joining spark*advocacy to help make it the most research-driven communications and marketing firm in the country.

My role comes at a pivotal time in public relations, where the way in which people consume news or stories is changing at lightning speed.

Building a personal brand is a chance for you to communicate what drives you, the experiences you’ve had, and the value you create.

Meta’s Twitter-competitor “Threads” was launched with a bang on Wednesday night, with over 30 million people creating accounts within the first 24 hours. This overwhelming start was marked by both excitement and uncertainty of what this could mean for the world of social media.

Starting in 2024, Google is eliminating third-party cookies, replacing them with its new Privacy Sandbox. What does this change mean for web users and advertisers though?

What’s the mood of the country? For a long time this question has been understood as a surrogate for “how do I feel about Canadian politicians in power”. How true that ever was is open to debate, but generally if people thought things were “on the wrong track” they were more open to challengers and more skeptical about incumbents. Something’s different today.

This April marked one year since Ontario’s Bill C-218 took effect, removing a federal ban on sports betting and opening the doors to an expanded market for bettors and operators in the province.

Given three choices to describe the state of the nation: (“Canada is broken, Canada is going through some challenges, but isn’t broken, or Canada is actually doing well”) one in three believe Canada is broken.

It’s not quite 100 years old, and it’s not a sure thing it will make it to 100.

In 2015, the Liberals gained good momentum by talking about “fighting for the middle class, and all those working to join it.” Our research suggests there’s remains plenty of appeal in that theme, on the surface of it, that seems good.

New spark* polling data shows more people think Poilievre understands their lives, and has a plan to help them, than think Justin Trudeau does.

Google Analytics will stop collecting all data for websites that have not migrated over to its latest version: Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

Barely half of Canadians say the healthcare system is working well enough to meet their needs.

Using AI programs to write content is an enticing option - but do these programs live up to human expectations of what content should look and sound like?

The National Hockey League made headlines this fall with the introduction of a brand-new system of ‘digitally-enhanced dasher boards,’ which uses AI-supported technology to replace physical in-arena advertising with virtual ones – in real time.

Did you see our national coffee day video? Those unique visuals for social media were designed using open-source artificial intelligence, a cutting-edge technology that is quickly taking over the world of experimental design.

Video content accounts for over 80% of global online traffic. With decreasing attention spans and more content available than ever, short form video content is taking over the Internet.

The SERP is the result of bots crawling every page of the web, collecting information from each page, and putting them into an index. You can think of this index like a giant library.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through two easy ways to take your videos to the next level. All you need are two simple tools: a phone or a computer with a webcam and a light source.

The most popular app downloaded globally in 2020 and 2021, TikTok is an outstanding platform to reach consumers both through digital advertising and organic posting. With one billion active monthly users, organizations can use the platform’s unique algorithm to their advantage, potentially attracting an audience of millions.

The IABC World Conference brings together communications professionals from across the world to meet peers, learn from experts, and share information on the latest and greatest communication tools and trends.

From guiding content strategy to gaining industry insights, social listening is an essential tool to ensure your organization is communicating effectively on social media.

The Facebook algorithm can be a bit of a mystery. We're here to help you decode the platform and test out new strategies to maximize your results.

Political advertisements are critical to generate, modify, or reinforce political attitudes of voters by triggering emotional responses, leading to shifts in an individuals’ feelings and moods.

One of the many lessons we’ve learned over the past year and a half is just how reliant we are on the digital world. When COVID-19 kept us at home, the only way we could communicate with one another was through calls, emails, and social media – pushing us further into the digital norm.

Amid a rising 4th wave of COVID-19, the Liberals are again asking Canadian voters to trust the Trudeau brand. In what amounts to a referendum on his pandemic leadership, the election is essentially a two-horse race with respect to who can form government: Trudeau's Liberals and O'Toole's Conservatives.

We have all heard and used terms like “unprecedented” and “uncertain” and they reflected the situation, but we have moved beyond the initial response and so should your communications.

Social media has created an easier way for conspiracy theories and misinformation to spread among the abundance of COVID-19 information out there these days. How you navigate that and what it means for your communications is the challenge.

A decline in interest around COVID-19 from the public, is showing a shift in mood not a lack of care.

The spark* team has a little fun picking, reviewing, and analyzing our favourite Super Bowl ads.