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Membership Benefits

Membership Benefits

An ICA Membership is a declaration that your agency is a future-thinking, collaborative partner, delivering business transformation consultancy for brands in Canada and globally. 

Amplify


ICA initiatives are aimed at amplifying your agency and the agency sector. 

Report on Marketing – an online hub created in partnership with The Globe and Mail, the ICA’s Report on Marketing is a valuable source of thought leadership for Canadian marketers as well as a new benefit for ICA member agencies. Check out the RoM hub here.

Awards – the ICA supports the Effie Canada effectiveness awards. Celebrating and teaching the alchemy of effectiveness. In partnership with the Creative Power Group, the ICA created a transparent methodology for recognizing the value of creativity with the Creative Power List

Marketing/New Business – saving you over $1,000 per year, your agency is enrolled on the Little Black Book platform, an international search system used by clients to review agency work and content.  A globally recognized publication, LBB plugs members into the best-in-class creative from around the world.

Marketing – our website carries member agency case studies and contact details to put you and your business in the spotlight. Viewed by a healthy audience of prospective clients, your listing will drive a high level of awareness.

Protect


The ICA’s Industry Protection Unit is here to defend the agency sector from the growing mechanics used by corporations to commoditize and undervalue the agency sector. 

Pitch Watch – the ICA will act on behalf of a single agency or the sector to push back on bad practice. This includes naming and shaming if needed. The ICA will also showcase those brands leading the way in great practice. 

QBS – the long-awaited agency search best practice guide is a toolkit for Brand marketing and procurement departments. It teaches them how to source creative professional services resulting in innovative and strong agency partnerships: Qualification-Based Selection. With an emphasis on value as opposed to cost. 

Transform


The ICA is here to help member agencies transform their teams and business, as the sector faces both challenges and opportunities. 

An ICA Membership gives you full access to training programs solely aimed at improving the skills of agency team members. The focus is on providing easily useable and immediately actionable skills by employing a combination of live digital events and curated workshops facilitated by industry leaders. Check out the ICA Community Calendar for upcoming events here. 

Participate in Transformation Advisory Groups – the ICA invites all members to be part of collaborative peer groups: Future Talent; Media; Business Environment; Creative Power; Agency Operations; IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Advertising). Each aimed at sharing ideas and developing strategies that can improve agency performance. Each committee is tasked with promoting a member-only presentation/event each quarter, plus ad hoc workshops, thought leadership, and education throughout the year. 

Research - The ICA provides expert secondary research assistance to members. Members have access to our exclusive information resources and customized research services. Most requests are included as part of your membership and are completely confidential. 

PRIME Manifesto - The ICA supports the agency community by empowering local and diverse media and driving other key initiatives in the media industry. C-Suite leaders of ICA member agencies establish these initiatives via the PRIME (Purpose & Responsibility in Media Economics) Leadership Group. PRIME also represents Canada as part of the World Federation of Advertisers’ Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), the Partnership for Responsible Addressable Media (PRAM) and continues to support and direct the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC) and Ad Standards.

Procurement Relationship Unit – works in conjunction with the Transformation Groups to educate and inform public and private sector procurement on Agency Search best practices. 

Agency Pricing, Agency Compensation, Agency Growth Driver, Talent Census and Talent Management benchmarking surveys. Tools, guidelines, and white papers providing practical assistance when implementing best practices into your business, as well as improving profitability and growth. 

Diagnostics – the ICA has an agency diagnostic tool, Agency Performance Pit Stop, aimed at focusing ICA membership support on where you need us most.