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Pixel to Product has launched its final wave for the Canadian Digital Marketing Outlook for 2011. This portion of the Pixel to Product research wave is an introspective look at how brands are using social media, mobile and email marketing. Through this research, Pixel to Product aims to understand how organizations are using social media, mobile and email marketing to promote their products and services, engage their customers and drive brand awareness.

I fully concur with Justin Kozuch, Pixel to Product’s Lead Researcher, who stated that “too often, we’ve been forced to rely on US numbers to make informed decisions for our Canadian clients or rely on outdated, expensive and inaccessible data to help us better understand the trends in social media.”

The company’s goal is to survey 1000 of the world’s biggest brands. They are aiming to better understand how Starbucks is using mobile to engage and inform their customers, and Pixel to Product is interested in better understanding how Dell is using social media to provide customer support over Twitter.

While this survey is focused primarily on Canadian companies, Pixel to Product is also interested in gathering data from American and international companies. To make this process as easy as possible, they’ve written copy to support that communication. If you’d like to use this copy in your communications, don’t hesitate to send Justin an email and he’ll be happy to provide it to you.

Finally, if you’re responsible for your organizations digital marketing efforts and a have deep understanding of how your organization uses social media, mobile platforms and email marketing, please take a few moments to complete the survey.

As with the recently issued report on the Canadian digital media economy, Pixel to Product will be making the report available free of charge. This report will be made available for download from their website in Q4 2011. In addition to the final report, Pixel to Product will be releasing the raw, anonymized data sets in a variety of open data formats. For an example of what the final report will look like, take a look at their report on the Canadian digital media economy.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has released the latest statistical and financial information on Canadian broadcasting distribution companies. Each year, the CRTC compiles financial data on the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications industries to produce a series of reports. The CRTC’s report on Canadian broadcasting distribution companies includes data for non-programming services, such as Internet access and telephony services.

For the year ending on August 31, 2010, this sector of the broadcasting industry experienced strong growth as the combined revenues for cable, satellite and multipoint distribution companies rose from $11.4 billion to $12.5 billion.

The CRTC has published similar reports for Canadian radio services and television services. In the coming weeks, the CRTC will also publish its Communications Monitoring Report. These annual reports allow interested parties to stay informed about the state of the Canadian communications industry.

Total revenues generated by cable companies increased by 9.7% in 2010, from $9.2 billion to $10.1 billion, while operating expenses went up by 9%, from $5.1 billion to $5.5 billion. As a result, cable companies reported profits before interest and taxes (PBIT) of $2.5 billion and a PBIT margin of 25.3%. These were both higher than the 2009 results, which came in at $2.3 billion and 25.1%, respectively.

The number of Canadian households that obtained basic television service from a cable company rose by 2.2% to reach 8.3 million subscribers.

In 2010, cable companies employed 24,076 people and spent $1.8 billion on salaries, compared to employing 22,716 and spending $1.7 billion on salaries the previous year.

Total revenues for satellite and multipoint distribution companies increased from $2.2 billion in 2009 to $2.4 billion in 2010—an increase of 8.9% from the previous year. In addition, operating expenses went up by 4%, from $1.75 billion to $1.82 billion.

Over the last five years, these companies’ PBIT has improved significantly from a deficit of $32 million in 2006 to a profit of $163.9 million in 2010. The PBIT margin followed a similar trajectory during the same period, rising from a negative profit margin of -1.9% to a positive profit margin of 6.8%.

The number of Canadian households that obtained basic television service from satellite or multipoint distribution companies increased by 3.7% in 2010 to reach 2.9 million.

In 2010, these companies employed 2,704 people and paid $232.7 million in salaries. In comparison, they employed 2,982 people and paid $226.2 million in salaries the previous year.

In 2010, broadcasting distribution companies contributed $367.9 million to Canadian programming. Of this total, $189.1 million was directed to the Canadian Media Fund (formerly the Canadian Television Fund), $52.3 million to independent funds and $126.5 million to cable community channels and other sources of local expression.

These companies also contributed an additional $100.7 million to the Local Programming Improvement Fund. Launched in September 2009, this fund supports local news and local programming in non-metropolitan markets across Canada.

In 2010, cable companies paid $1.9 billion in wholesale fees to the pay and specialty services they distribute, an increase of 11.6% from the $1.7 billion paid the previous year. The fees paid by satellite companies rose by 4.5% in one year, going from $367.7 million to $384.2 million.

Small business owners walk the work-life balance tightrope differently than the rest of us. Because their working lives are spent on their own business, they’re more likely to put in extra hours and still feel they’ve got more balance than a typical employee. Intuit Canada, makers of QuickBooks accounting software have released the findings of a national poll on work-life balance among small business owners and is offering expert tips to help them make the most of the time they spend on their business.

The recent national survey commissioned by Intuit found 88 per cent of the small business owners said they were satisfied with the balance between their personal and professional pursuits. The majority (84%) also feel they have a better balance than if they worked for someone else.

“Small business owners have told us before, work-life balance is as important to them as finding and keeping customers,” said Barb Anderson, QuickBooks product marketing leader. “Through QuickBooks, we help them carve out time for balance by providing tools that help organize and manage their business finances easily and more efficiently.”

Work-life balance is often measured by comparing the amount of time spent on the job against time spent on personal pursuits. However, 97 per cent of small business owners said their view differs from the norm.

“Even though nearly half of respondents (46%) said they work beyond 40 hours a week it’s the sense of ownership over the work they do, the ability to set their own schedule and do what they want when they want that contributes to their sense of balance,” said Anderson.

“Working smarter, not harder is the key to making the most of the time small business owners choose to devote their work and personal lives,” said Anderson. “We talk to entrepreneurs every day and invariably, those who embraced the right tools and strategies are better able to balance their schedules.”

To help small business owners improve their work-life balance, Anderson offered the following tips to help save time when managing finances:

• Get organized: Having your financial records scattered among a host of file folders or different programs on your laptop is inefficient. Financial management software provides a one-stop snapshot of money coming in and going out of your business so you always know where you stand
• Stop stuffing envelopes: Send invoices through email and eliminate the time it takes to print, prepare and post them. In addition to cutting out the trip to the mail box, it gets invoices in the hands of your customers immediately
• Save time with your accountant: Don’t pay your accountant to spend time sorting through your shoe box of receipts. You’ll make the most of your meetings by getting organized ahead of time, and getting the strategic advice you need to move your business forward.

Ultimately the secrets to achieving balance are as varied and personal as the more than 2.4 million small businesses in Canada. Intuit is inviting business owners to share their stories and tips on how they find balance on QuickBooksCanada on Facebook and on Twitter, reference hashtag #qbwlb.  Submissions will be collected from now until July 31 and made available for sharing on the QuickBooks, Facebook page in early August.

For those in the creative fields, anticipating and adapting to change — from the tools they’re using at work to the people they’re interacting with to the audiences they’re targeting — has become part and parcel of the job. A new research guide, The Creative Team of the Future, explores key trends shaping the marketing and design fields, and how industry professionals can prepare for and capitalize on upcoming changes.

The guide is part of a new research project, which also includes video interviews with leading creative thinkers, that was co-developed by The Creative Group and the American Advertising Federation (AAF). For the project, The Creative Group and the AAF surveyed more than 500 AAF Ad Club and corporate members, interviewed industry thought leaders and conducted exclusive research to assess how marketing and design teams may operate in the next three to five years.

Key Findings:

– Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of AAF Ad Club and corporate members said creative professionals will have more influence on their companies’ business decisions in the future. Fittingly, one-third of survey respondents cited problem-solving skills as the most useful trait for creative professionals to develop.

– More than six in 10 respondents (62 per cent) said they expect creative professionals to work more hours over the next several years. In addition, an overwhelming 85 per cent said they anticipate being more connected to the office outside of business hours by 2016.

– As collaboration tools become more accessible and affordable for creative teams, employers may offer their staff the ability to telecommute more frequently during the work week. In fact, 84 per cent of respondents said a greater number of creative professionals will work remotely in the next three to five years.

– In today’s global marketplace, collaboration often means working with people in different countries and marketing to a multicultural audience. But the colleagues sitting next to you will likely become more varied, too: Eighty-two per cent of respondents said they expect creative teams to become more culturally diverse.

– Two-thirds of survey respondents said spending on mobile-related projects will increase significantly in the next three to five years; another 28 per cent said it would increase somewhat. Further, 34 per cent of AAF Ad Club and corporate members said mobile will be the most influential advertising medium over the same period.

Design and marketing professionals are holding more sway in their organizations as companies recognize they can do more than develop eye-pleasing designs and catchy ad campaigns. The ability to think outside the box and pitch ideas effectively will become essential for creative professionals in the near future.

“Organizations are increasingly turning to their marketing and creative teams for help generating ideas and solutions that solve business problems, improve customer service and, ultimately, grow the bottom line,” said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group.

While smartphones, laptops, tablets and other communications tools provide employees greater flexibility, they also have made it more difficult for creative professionals to unplug from the office. “Mobile devices certainly free us up to work where we want, when we want, but they also blur the boundaries between our personal and professional lives,” said Farrugia. “Finding ‘me’ time on your calendar to relax or enjoy a hobby will become as important as juggling on-the-job deadlines and meetings.”

Creative professionals are interacting with more people than ever before, working with colleagues in different departments — and even different organizations — to concept, develop and execute multifaceted campaigns. Managing relationships with freelancers or business partners located in different cities, states or countries also will become more common. Consequently, the ability to communicate effectively with people across and outside an organization, who may or may not be familiar with design or marketing terminology, will be crucial.

“Being flexible is key to surviving and thriving in the creative industry of the future,” said Farrugia. “Professionals with an open mindset — who are willing to embrace new tools, consumer trends and work processes — will be in the best position to move their careers and businesses forward.”

To download a complimentary copy of The Creative Team of the Future, watch video interviews or find more information about the research project, please visit the study’s information page.

Growing security and compliance concerns signal big growth in the awareness and adoption of SIEM solutions in the coming year, according to a recent Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Vendor Landscape report published by Info-Tech Research Group.

“As security and compliance concerns grow with each new regulation, each failed audit and each publicized security breach, SIEM will finally begin to draw broader attention in the coming year,” said James Quin, Lead Research Analyst for Info-Tech Research Group. “Though the space is mostly populated by smaller players, some larger players are already marketing SIEM solutions and the recent acquisition of market-leader ArcSight by HP is a possible precursor of greater consolidation to come.”

The report, titled “Security Information and Event Management: Simplify Compliance and IT Risk Management with SIEM Tools,” lists Q1 Labs (USA), SenSage (USA) and Symantec (USA) as Champions with Nitro Security (USA) earning the Innovation Award.

NitroSecurity’s NitroView ESM offering garnered top product performance scores across the board and is listed at the second lowest price point of the solutions evaluated in the report. It is noted as one of the most feature-rich solutions and offers truly comprehensive and forward-looking correlation capabilities.

Symantec is the Value Award winner and a Champion in the report. According to Info-Tech Research Group, they offer a solid product backed by a solid vendor committed to the security space and at an attractive price point. The report recommends Symantec’s solution for organizations with generic SIEM needs.

SenSage and Q1 Labs also showed well in the evaluation and were listed as Champions. SenSage is one of the smallest vendors in the space, but makes up for it with their business intelligence like capabilities for security data. Q1 Labs is the largest independent player in the space and offers the broadest and most comprehensive set of reporting capabilities of any other vendor in the report. Info-Tech notes that Q1 has the potential to be looked on as a prospective target for acquisition by some of the big security vendors looking to get into the space as the demand for SIEM builds.

A comprehensive study of Canadian industry commercialization practices and the effectiveness of various support programs will be undertaken shortly by Canada’s largest high-tech business organization, supported by partners in the Industry, the Public Sector and the Academia.

The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) is working with the University of Waterloo (UofW) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), with funding support from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the Export Development Canada (EDC), the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) and the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (SCA) and in partnership with the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises of Public Works Canada (PWGSC- OSME), the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC), the Conference Board of Canada (CBoC), ACCT Canada, Springboard West (SBW), the Centre of Excellence in Energy Efficiency (C3E), the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), BioTec Canada and the Rx&D (Pharma) associations.

While there is no doubt that Canada is doing well in matters of academic research, concern has arisen that the translation of this research into ‘bankable commerce’ is lagging. The performance of Canadian firms in commercializing innovation is a more important economic factor than quantity of innovation, if a large percent of innovations are left sterile in the labs or do not make their ways into tangible economic benefits, according to study director Dr. Sorin Cohn, who stated that “there is a perception that Canada is not doing so well when it comes to commercializing its products, services and processes into the global marketplace. Canada is a nation of SMEs, with over 99.8% of the more than 1 million companies in Canada having fewer than 500 employees, and the SMEs need better ways and means to enhance their positions in the global marketplace.”

CATA and its partners are urging enterprises and organizations to take an active part in this survey in order to acquire a meaningful understanding of what works and what does not for Canadian companies in matters of commercialization. The results will help Canadian executives — in Industry as well as in Government — to benchmark their organizations’ success in commercialization of innovation and to develop better practices and programs for ensuring competitiveness on the global scale.

“This is unique research into how companies bring products and services to market in the face of global competition,” said Paul Day, VP of the Information Communications Technology sector at Export Development Canada. “We hope to use the findings to understand how we can better serve the needs of innovative Canadian companies as they pursue International Trade.”

The study is starting with a survey of thousands of small, medium and large size enterprises throughout Canada. The survey addresses questions pertaining to product, service and process innovations that have been commercialized in the past 5 years, the strategies and cooperating arrangements pursued to achieve effective commercialization, the factors for success, the problems and obstacles encountered , the Federal, provincial or municipal programs that were used and were most effective in aiding commercialization, the financial aspects of commercialization, the relevant intellectual property issues and the roles played by lead customers and/or “anchor” companies in achieving successful commercialization of innovations.

Interactive Ontario, in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Development & Trade, is conducting a short survey of the interactive digital media industry in Ontario.

In an effort to monitor the evolution of the industry, IO will be requesting your cooperation on a periodic basis to help us improve our knowledge of key trends. The information collected will be used in aggregate in order to improve programs and policies that serve the industry.

Please note: these questions may best be answered by the person most familiar with key financial, human resources, and other strategic issues with your company. All responses will be kept strictly confidential, and your participation in this survey is of the utmost importance and is greatly appreciated.

If you have questions about this survey, please feel free to contact Astrid Rosemarin at Interactive Ontario either via email or by phone at 416.516.0077 extension 232.

The National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) is pleased to announce the release of the Investment Activity by Canadian Angel Groups: 2010 Report.  This report, the first of its kind, was completed in partnership with the Government of Canada and authored by Professor Colin Mason. It highlights the importance of Angel capital to the growth of Canada’s high-potential companies.

Significant findings of this report include that:

• 90% of companies funded by Angel groups in 2010 were new not follow-on.
• Angel groups collectively received around 1,850 business plans. 14% were considered in detail. Roughly 32% received investment.
• Angels groups invested CAN$35.3 million in the 88 deals for which we have information; an under-estimate as some groups did not report the amount invested. Co-investors were involved in 58% of investments and invested at least a further CAN$29.4 million. It should be noted that these statistics are for Angel groups only and do not include individual Angel investments.
• Angels invested in a wide range of industries but with a strong technology focus including: ICT sector (43%), followed by life sciences (18%) and clean tech (16%).
• 74% of investee businesses had sales revenue in 2010.

“This landmark study confirms the strong activity level of organized Angel investors across all of Canada,” said Bryan Watson, Executive Director of NACO. “We encourage the Angel community that NACO represents to keep investing, through the Year of the Entrepreneur, to support the businesses best positioned to drive the economy forward.”

“Angel investors invest experience and mentorship along with capital, and continue to invest in new companies even as other investors consolidate around their previous investments,” said Michelle Scarborough, Co-Chair of NACO.  “This makes Angels an increasingly vital part of the innovation ecosystem as they support their investments to exit.”

NACO would like to acknowledge Industry Canada and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario for their support of this research.

Research conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) with the assistance of its American counterpart, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and the participation of the U.S. Embassy (Ottawa) reveals a number of challenges and obstacles small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must overcome in order to be able to successfully conduct business across the border.

Earlier this year, Canada and the U.S. issued a declaration on the countries’ shared border. The objective of the pact was to ‘streamline and decongest’ the Canada-U.S. border, as well as find ways to reduce and prevent regulatory barriers to cross-border trade. A high-level commitment to improving the efficiency of the border will reduce the costs of doing business, enhance security and facilitate trade. “A Canada-U.S. border that is more effective, secure and trade-friendly will increase Canadian competiveness and create jobs on both sides of the border,” stated CFIB vice president, national affairs, Corinne Pohlmann.

CFIB’s policy brief, Border Barriers: SMEs Experience With Cross-Border Trade involved interviewing 12 small business owners: eight Canadian and four American. This report offers mixed results from Canadian small business owners about their experiences with border agencies on both sides of the border.

The number one obstacle in cross-border trade for smaller companies relates to the complexity of the process and its related paperwork. The data shows the common thread in the problems faced by small business is the varying requirements of government agencies and complicated rules and regulations. “And, although the requirements of any one entity may not be unreasonable, it is the combined effects that impede SME participation in cross-border trade,” said Pohlmann.

“Simple measures, such as providing information in plain language, making information sources readily accessible and easy to find, providing contact information (email/telephone) to respond to questions and creating a one-stop web portal with trade and border information specific to SMEs, will help address some of these issues,” said Pohlmann. Adding, “With this in mind, the brief offers policy maker’s practical recommendations on how to make trade and border processes more small-business friendly.”

As both Canada and the U.S. have a strong entrepreneurial presence with SMEs accounting for half the GDP, more than half of employment and the bulk of net new jobs, this research offers ways to encourage cross-border trade. By focusing on small-business friendly policies, making an extra effort to provide information and services geared to small business’ unique needs, and creating a culture of service and understanding of small business challenges within the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may help to encourage more small firms to take the plunge and start looking to other markets to grow and expand their business.

Retailers who focus on getting their product and services messages out on Facebook and Twitter are probably spending time and effort in the wrong area, according to data sourced from KubasPrimedia’s Major Market Retail Report (MMRR) study – a survey of over 1,500 consumers on their retail shopping habits and store preferences.

“Social media, like Twitter and Facebook, has been heavily hyped in advertising and promotion circles,” said Ed Strapagiel, Executive Vice President of KubasPrimedia. “MMRR shows that retailers and product manufacturers who are relying on social media to sway consumer purchase decisions may be misguided.”

“When consumers are researching a purchase online, over 70% visit retailer and product manufacturer websites. Only about 25% turn to social media sites or blogs for product or shopping information,” said Strapagiel.

KubasPrimedia has been conducting retail analysis for over 15 years. MMRR, based on surveys of Canadians in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, examined shopping behaviour in 33 product categories at 147 retailers to determine competitive retail metrics, such as market coverage, shopping levels, drawing power, loyalty, and retailer performance scores.

MMRR found that that 77% of Canadian consumers “often” or “sometimes” visit retailer websites and 71% visit manufacturer websites to get information about upcoming purchases. Only 27% use social media and just 23% use blogs. Comparison-shopping, such as pricing a specific item, is the most popular online retail-related activity, with 76% of consumers doing so “often” or “sometimes”. Comparison shopping activity is high across all demographic groups.

“Given consumer behaviour, a company’s website is still by far the top online priority for retailers,” said Strapagiel. “Retailers that pursue other digital marketing avenues risk taking resources away from where they’re most needed”.

While services like Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress are free, they are not cheap, says Strapagiel, “Utilizing social media properly and effectively requires time, money, and talent. Retailers have to focus on what will provide the best return on investment considering where their customers are turning to for information.” Read the rest of this entry »