What We Do

Adapt U.S. and global advertising campaigns for the Canadian market.

• We convert the U.S. media plan and creative -- whether digital, TV, print, or any other medium -- to their Canadian equivalents.

• We ensure that the media plan is proportionate to that of the U.S., and that the creative is culturally acceptable, modified where necessary, translated into French Canadian for Quebec, and implemented.

 

Why We Exist

1. We believe it makes no sense to reinvent the wheel at significant cost.

2. While there are (some) differences between Canadians and Americans, their purchase motivators are oftentimes the same. 

 

Why We’re A Better Solution

1. More cost effective than hiring a full-service agency in each country.

2. Harmonized look-and-feel across both countries.

3. Unlike U.S. agencies that know American consumers and Canadian agencies that know Canadian consumers, only Parallel-49 knows both because we are both. The founder is a permanent resident of the United States and citizen of Canada and the European Union, and has spent equal thirds of his career working on U.S., Canadian and global brands.

4. Unlike a Canadian ad agency that might be tempted to create an entirely new campaign, Parallel-49 uses its multi-country expertise to instruct clients which elements of their U.S. advertising plan can be utilized north of the border, and does it for them.

 

You Might Need Parallel-49 If You...

1. Don't know a lot about Canada and what makes it different from the U.S. 

2. Sense that Canada is too important to be ignored, yet are too busy running the U.S. part of your business.

3. Want your Canadian team focused on sales, not advertising.

​

 

“But can’t we just use the advertising we run in the U.S.?”

Yes, but...

1. The ad might not work. At all or not as well. Ad effectiveness ratings from Millward-Brown show that just because an ad tests well in the U.S. doesn’t mean it’ll test well in Canada.

2. It might be judged culturally offensive. Or tone deaf.

3. You need it translated into French. And Canadian English. Remember that Canada is part of the British Commonwealth, and therefore uses “The Queen’s English” diction and spelling.

 

We’ll tell you the degree to which your U.S. advertising needs to be tweaked for the Canadian market. Because we’re not compensated like traditional agencies, we don’t have a vested interest in creating a new ad campaign from scratch.

 

How It Works

1. You or your U.S. agency sends us your ad creative assets (TV, print, web, collateral) and media plan.

2. We review it and let you know which elements require tweaking, and provide you a fees estimate that will be far lower than using a full-service Canadian agency.

3. We alter the creative only to the degree necessary. 

4. We place it in Canadian media vehicles that are the equivalent of your U.S. plan, using leading media placement partners. 

 

 

CASE STUDY:

​

North American Region of a Global Consumer Products Company

A consumer electronics manufacturer uses different ad agencies in the U.S. and Canada. Working independently, and with different internal clients, the agencies create two ad campaigns. The Canadian agency is paid $1 million per year in fees in support of a $3 million media plan, driving the working:non-working dollar ratio down.

 

Parallel-49 adapts the U.S. creative, translates it into French, and places it in Canadian media. This saves the client most of the $1 million agency fee, enabling them to re-invest it in paid media or sales initiatives, or drop it to the bottom line.

​

​

THE BUSINESS CASE: