January 11, 2021
Why Quality Content Is More Important Than Ever

Anyone that has worked in an agency has noticed a growing trend of brands developing their creative in-house. Apps, user-friendly, integrative software and platforms make it easy for anyone and everyone to become their very own content creators and publishers. 

Evolution of quality content

In the 1960s, the creative concept was king, setting one ad apart from another. And with only a handful of television channels to choose from, it wasn’t difficult to reach your intended audience. As media channels became more abundant and fragmented, the creative’s overall role diminished in comparison to the growing importance of the media mix. 

Now, with social media advertising, creative rises back to the top, as newsfeeds on the most popular social platforms become cluttered with ads, all competing with organic content for attention.

Accessible authors

The result of all this is that there’s more accessible content today than ever before and this abundance is only growing. Over the last few months, online traffic has soared. Companies with an established online presence are thriving as audiences have turned to e-commerce and online venues for entertainment and shopping. 

This influx leaves advertisers with the same problem that they’ve always faced: how to stand out from the clutter of digital marketing messages. 

A flooded feed

That problem becomes exacerbated when you want to place your advertising message into the even more populated realm of consumer-generated content. Your message must now compete with personal updates, tweets, pictures and video content, memes, live feeds, and competitors’ messages. That means obtaining a meaningful share of consumer attention is becoming more and more difficult. 

The answer to having your message stand out is quality. Due to the quantity of brand messages and overwhelming content, an impactful message created around (or paired with) quality content will ensure that your ad gets shared. 

This is key to social media advertising. Ads or posts that inspire engagement are shared or saved, often resulting in a greater likelihood of being seen. This makes them extremely valuable on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. 

Consumer perception

With the incredible uptick in online shopping and overwhelming saturation of brands having a presence on social media, many consumers are using their feeds to find products. The look, tone and feel of your advertising helps relay the message to audiences that your brand is just what they’re looking for: authentic, reputable, engaging and worth the money they’re willing to spend. 

January 7, 2021
Colour names Randy Newman, new CEO

January 6, 2021 – HALIFAX

New York-based Randy Newman has taken over leadership of the agency’s Canadian and US operations, signalling the company’s commitment to growth at the intersection of data, technology and creative advertising.

Having successfully navigated through one of the most unpredictable years in our industry, 2021 brings a shift in senior leadership for creative-digital agency, Colour. 

Randy Newman joined the agency in 2016 as VP of Media and Strategy and opened the agency’s New York office, responsible for growing practice areas around paid media planning and execution, as well as reporting and analytics. He became EVP in early 2020 and began overseeing people, process and culture across all three offices, in addition to leading strategy for key client accounts. 

“It’s an honour for me to take the helm of a great agency with such deep roots as a creative force and digital leader. I’ve witnessed firsthand how the team at Colour has expanded the agency’s Canadian footprint over the past few years and I’m excited to replicate that growth south of the border in 2021 and beyond,” said Newman.

Newman follows in the footsteps of long-term CEO Chris Keevill, who stepped away earlier in 2020 to assume leadership of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. Keevill remains owner & chairman of Colour and will continue to advise Newman. “After meeting in New York at an alumni event, we became fast friends. Clients rely heavily on Randy’s smarts. He has a unique ability to simplify the complexity that connects creative story-telling to data and digital media.” says Keevill.

With global economic growth forecasted for this year, Newman maintains an optimistic outlook for the advertising industry as a whole and believes that the agency’s future looks bright. “2020 was an incredibly challenging year for Colour and for many of our clients, but our team persevered through sheer talent and the strength of work that’s been produced over the past few months. After some big wins to close out 2020, it’s encouraging to see us back on a trajectory of accelerated growth entering 2021.”

Colour is a creative-digital agency with expertise in media planning, social media marketing and content production — a combination that contributes to omni-channel marketing strategy and execution that integrates seamlessly across today’s most popular platforms. With offices in Toronto, Halifax and New York, Colour has seen its greatest growth of late in how it brings technology, data analytics and innovation to the forefront of the strategic marketing planning process in the areas of health and pharma, food, and automotive. Colour’s clients include AstraZeneca, Voortman Bakery, Nature’s Way Canada, Hankook Tire Corporation, Argus Insurance, Garrison Brewery, Sol Cuisine, and others.

For more information contact:

Leslie Keevill 
leslie@colour.ca
902-579-4598

October 16, 2018
Local McDonald’s Restaurant Owners Step Up to Help Youth in North Preston

Halifax, Nova Scotia – Four local McDonald’s franchisees are stepping up to support the dreams and aspirations of youth in North Preston. The four owners collectively will be the named sponsor of the initiative that supports the refurbishment of the basketball court in North Preston to give youth – through basketball – the opportunity to continue their education.

On the weekend of October 19th – 21st, $1 from every Big Mac sold at participating restaurants in the Halifax Regional Municipality will go directly to the North Preston Basketball initiative.

McDonald’s has a long history of building stronger communities and recognizes the role that sport and education play in fostering development of individuals in the community.

This gift was inspired by the initiative of Shaquille Smith, who grew up in North Preston. Shaquille drove this project with the help of a $100,000 grant from Nova Scotia Communities, Culture and Heritage, $100,000 from the Halifax Regional Municipality and $10,000 from the community fund of local Councillor David Hendsbee.

“When we first met with Shaquille, his passion to make a difference in his community through basketball was something we wanted to support,” said Peter MacIsaac, local owner of McDonald’s. “Shaquille’s vision to help youth was built on his own experience. He got to attend university because of a basketball scholarship to Acadia University. By recognizing the importance of sport and education, we knew we could make a real impact for youth in the community.”

The McDonald’s North Preston basketball court will also provide education programs to better prepare youth for university or college. North Preston basketball alumni will play an important part of the education program.

“Although I am excited to bring a new basketball court to the community, this project is not just about basketball – it’s also about ensuring players who get to attend university or college are prepared for what’s to come. Finishing their degree is the goal,” said Shaquille Smith. “With the new basketball court, players from North Preston will have the same opportunities I did. With the addition of preparatory programs, we can help them be better positioned to finish their degrees.”

Smith added, “I want to thank the local McDonald’s owners for stepping up to build a stronger community in North Preston. I’m proud of their commitment to the community by fostering the development of youth.”

To recognize and acknowledge the best of community leadership, McDonald’s has invited Shaquille Smith to Atlanta for the 2019 McDonald’s All American in March. Shaquille will get to choose one high school player from North Preston to join him.

About McDonald’s

In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald’s restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together McDonald’s and our franchisees, proudly employ nearly 100,000 people from coast-to-coast and approximately 90 per cent of McDonald’s 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, beverages and packaging, more than 85 per cent is purchased from over 100 suppliers in Canada.

December 13, 2017
Colour Congratulates Aurora Cannabis on Winning 2017 Canadian Cannabis Award for Social Media Account Work

HALIFAX – At the recent 2017 Canadian Cannabis Awards ceremony in Toronto, Aurora Cannabis won first prize in the Social Media Account – Facebook category.

Aurora was chosen for this award based on votes received from the general public. Voting was held online between September 1 and September 30, 2017. The award ceremony took place on November 30, 2017.

“Since the summer of 2016, we have seen Aurora’s Facebook page grow to become the largest and most engaged of any licensed cannabis producer in the country,” said Savior Joseph, President of creative digital agency Colour. “We are very pleased to see Aurora receive recognition for this achievement and congratulate them on winning this award.”

Aurora Cannabis now has over 40% more “likes” than its next closest competitor and works closely with Colour to create content, with the goal of creating engaging, educational and relevant posts.   

Colour’s digital engagement team also collaborates with Aurora’s client care team and monitors comments through the work day in both official languages, plus evenings, weekends and holidays, helping to facilitate and foster an inspired community.

“The cannabis industry is complex, involves strict compliance and is rapidly evolving,” added Joseph. “This community initiative is a testament to our client’s trust and our team’s ability to make sense of the complexity and to execute within it in a socially responsible way. This is especially important to us as the law around recreational cannabis use is changing in 2018. Our continuous focus on responsible use is something to which we hold ourselves accountable.”

A publically traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: ACB), Aurora today operates state-of-the-art facilities – Aurora Mountain in Mountain View, Alberta and Aurora Vie in Pointe-Claire, Quebec. The company is also building a new production facility called Aurora Sky at the Edmonton International Airport, with a fourth facility being completed in Lachute, Quebec. Aurora is also pursuing new growth opportunities in Western Canada, Australia and the European Union.

“Colour is amazing to work with. The team is knowledgeable, constantly curious and fully focused on supporting our teams and our patients. They’ve been a vital partner in providing leading edge support across a variety of community initiatives,” said Neil Belot, Chief Global Business Development Officer for Aurora. “Our Facebook page has become one of the largest online medical cannabis communities and a safe place for patients to voice their opinions in a respectful way and to engage in meaningful conversation with our company and each other.”

With offices in Atlantic Canada, Toronto and New York, Colour is exporting creativity to markets everywhere.

November 16, 2017
Colour’s new Creative Director takes the reigns a week early

TORONTO – Creative digital agency Colour’s new creative director Chad Raymond is excited to get started helping Colour’s clients.

The former associate creative director for Canopy Growth Corporation and senior art director for Bensimon Byrne started at the agency’s Toronto office last week. His original start date was Tuesday, but he couldn’t wait to get started.

“With the growth that Colour has seen over the last year, it’s important for us to invest in a creative director that is able to lead our work across all digital channels,” said Savior Joseph, Colour’s President. “We’re very excited to have Chad join the Colour team. His expertise in all things creative and experience with technology, as well as in leading teams, will greatly benefit our clients.”

At Canopy, Raymond was responsible for building, evolving and maintaining the company’s three major brands. At Bensimon Byrne, Raymond was creative lead for such brands as Scotiabank, iShares, and HollisWealth. Raymond also worked three years as senior art director for Loyalty One / Air Miles. He began his career as art director of Digital Cement, where he worked for such global clients as Kraft, FedEx, John Hancock and AstraZeneca.

“Colour is working in a great space for clients, connecting creative with social, digital and PR,” said Raymond. “In week one, I really enjoyed getting to know the team and clients and I am looking forward to helping our clients achieve results with great creativity.”

Raymond holds diplomas in multi-media design and fine arts from Fanshawe College.

With offices in Atlantic Canada, Toronto and New York, Colour is exporting creativity to markets everywhere.