With the federal election set for April 28th, the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA) is urging the country’s agency leaders to get engaged in the campaign by talking to federal candidates across the country about the sector’s financial contribution to the economy and make specific asks.
The ICA is providing the tools for industry as part of the “Tell Them!” campaign designed to ensure that agencies are being prioritized by the federal government, particularly as it attempts to diversify trade and stimulate economic growth in the face of threats to the economy posed by tariffs and a deteriorating relationship with the U.S.
Creative industries are economic powerhouses that also play a critical role in defining our national identity. The ICA is seeking recognition for Canadian advertising, marketing, media, and public relations agencies under three buckets:
To help here are some industry facts and questions to ask, you can also click here for a downloadable pdf to keep at hand.
Once you’ve identified who the candidates in your riding are, there are a variety of ways you can engage with them. The ICA is available to help with crafting emails, questions, or communications if you need any support.
Candidates and their supporters often knock on doors in their ridings. Keep your Cheat Sheet close by and take advantage of the opportunity to know where they stand on our issues. If it not the candidate, their proxy should take your information and have the candidate, or the campaign reach out with answers.
Typically, ridings have town halls and local debates – an opportunity for Voters in that constituency to meet and hear from all the candidates. The dates for these meetings will be published in local media and in campaign offices. Get ready to attend your local townhall or debate and submit questions to the moderators in advance.
All campaign offices will have an email address and social media and someone monitoring these. The ICA will be happy to help you craft an email and provide social media post graphics for you to Tell Them!
Most campaign offices have a volunteer staff who are taking queries so feel free to pop in.
If you’d like to Tell Them! all, you can always write a letter to the editor of your community newspaper using the key messages. The ICA can support with writing as needed.
To bolster this agenda, the ICA has established a Government Relations Committee and partnered with a Public Affairs firm. Alongside meetings with various ministers, the group has been invited to submit a pre-budget proposal in Ontario and is actively consulting with the federal Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) on the implications of AI.
To get involved email Scott Knox scott@theica.ca
