What We Do

 

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

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

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

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(The 49th parallel is the line of latitude that marks the >5,000-mile border between the U.S. and Canada). 

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Why We Exist

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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. In fact, we believe that globally consumers are more alike than different.

 

Why We’re A Better Solution

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

2. Harmonized look-and-feel across countries.

3. Unlike U.S. agencies who know American consumers and Canadian agencies who know Canadian ones, only Parallel-49 knows both because we are both. The founder is a citizen of the U.S. and Canada (and the UK), and has spent equal thirds of his career working on U.S., Canadian and global brands.

4. Unlike a Canadian ad agency that's incentivized to create an entirely new campaign, we use our multi-country expertise to advise clients which elements of their U.S. advertising plan can be utilized north of the border, and implements it for them. 

 

You Might Need Parallel-49 If You...

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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.

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

 

Oftentimes, the answer is 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. Canada is part of the British Commonwealth, and therefore uses “The Queen’s English” diction and spelling.

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How It Works

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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 fee 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 outlets equivalent to those in your U.S. plan, using leading media partners whose services are billed to you on a transparent, pass-through basis.

 

 

CASE STUDY:

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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.

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THE BUSINESS CASE: