By Viviane Roy, President and Owner — VRoy Communications, PRBI Member
When building a public relations campaign in Canada, it is important to consider its three major markets and adapt them to create impactful messages. The vast territory of the country results in a segmentation of markets that each has its own unique challenges and opportunities. PR companies must take these into account when developing their strategies. Whether it is the highly competitive landscape in Toronto or the dominance of French-language media in Montreal, understanding the nuances of each market is key to success in the Canadian media industry.
Ontario
Toronto is the largest media market in Canada, with a population of over 6 million people. It is home to many of Canada’s largest media companies, including Bell Media and Rogers Media. Toronto is also home to the headquarters of several major newspapers, including the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail. The media landscape in Toronto is highly competitive, with many companies vying for audience attention. The diversity of the city also means that media companies must take a nuanced approach to content creation and distribution.
Quebec
Montreal is the second-largest media market in Canada, with a population of over 4 million people. It is home to many of Canada’s largest French-language media companies, including KO media, Quebecor and TVA. The city is known for its rich cultural heritage, and the media landscape reflects this. It’s major differentiating factors, which come to play a big role in how content and strategies are developed in marketing and public relations initiatives in the province, are the dominance of French-language and its specific star system of influencers and actors who are highly valued by the public.
Western Canada
There are two large cities in Western Canada, Vancouver and Calgary. Calgary is known for its oil and gas industry and Vancouver for its vibrant arts and culture scene, as well as its proximity to the Pacific Rim making it an important market accessible to Asia and the West Coast of the U.S. Many media outlets are based on the West Coast of Canada such as Corus Entertainment, Vancouver Sun, the Calgary Herald and Corus Entertainment.
International companies are often tempted to grow business by penetrating the Canadian market because of its proximity to the U.S. They usually seek help from local marketing and public relations agencies to develop a customized approach that will cater to the different Canadian markets. Adaptability, nuance and agility are therefore integral to a successful pan-Canadian PR campaign.