Sunday, June 09, 2024
This opening statement is to inspire the next generation of content creators in Canada as we have the will, resources and passion to be world class. The COPAs have become an essential tool in the Canadian digital landscape in this annual showase for our industry of who is the best.
We must continue to grow and adapt in an ever changing world with technology companies pushing the next wave on us even if we are not ready for it like AI. Before that it was virtual reality, chat bots, big data and the list goes on. Some stick and some don’t like 3D TV and wearable glasses. Have you ever used a Chatbot on a telco website? What a horrible experience so there are more misses than hits.
We must continue to grow and adapt in an ever changing world with technology companies pushing the next wave on us even if we are not ready for it like AI. Before that it was virtual reality, chat bots, big data and the list goes on. Some stick and some don’t like 3D TV and wearable glasses. Have you ever used a Chatbot on a telco website? What a horrible experience so there are more misses than hits.
Personally, I had some creative growth in 2023 as my journey in the last year to become an actor that was part of my bucket list. So when somebody says it is over when you turn 60 they have been brainwashed by the “Freedom 55” ad campaign that has been embedded in today’’s mindset of success. ( BTW, I have hung around some retired guys and the most exciting thing they have to look forward to is the furnace man coming to the house, that's not me..LOL) You can still do great things in your 60's and 70’s. Here is a Keith Richards quote” You never stop growing until they put a shovel in the ground” as words to live by and if anybody was to die young it was Keith Richards.
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Star Trek Strange New World is shot on CBS Sound stages in Toronto
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This acting journey started with me wanting to get on Star Trek as background actor. It has shown me that we have some world class talent producing TV shows, movies and commercials. I personally have shot scenes in Toronto that represent cities in the USA like Washington, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and even an alien planet in the numerous sound stages scattered across the city. I got to realize the dream of being a background actor on Star Trek in Strange New Worlds this May 2024. Toronto is a global production hub as I shot a movie (Covid Drama) and Fantasy TV show where I play a Crime Boss just for Asian audiences not just for Hollywood.
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The Stromedy Channel has over 10 million Subscribers
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I even came across a YouTuber “Stromedy Channel” that had over 5 million million subscribers in July 2023 and now has over 10 million shooting from a home they purchased through YouTube ad revenue. I was in a clip that was seen 40K in 2 days as part of a ghost skit and now has over 500K. This experience greatly influenced the decision to add influencers to the COPA’s. This YouTube Playhouse I call them are an amazing group of people.
The journey also landed me a spot in a Quaker Oats Ad called “100 Reason to Rise” that was part of a global campaign, but was shot in Toronto because of the multicultural demographics that can represent the world. The client is based in London, UK along with the ad agency, but production was done in Toronto. If you ever take a stroll to all the cultural communities in Toronto you can go to little Italy, Manila, Greektown, Sri Lankan, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Russian, Caribbean, Mexican, Farsi and the list goes on.
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https://www.100reasonstorise.com
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(This experience taught me that long shots do come in as this was an open casting call and I pitched them my social media personna I had created and adapted for the ad pitch“ Grandpa Rent a Goalie” fueled by Quaker Oats along with a quote for a Rocky movie that I still have fire in the belly. I was also casted in an Expedia Travel ad that is still running, but only my elbow ended up in the ad LOL I have a reel now ClubMartySeto YouTube Channel)
Quaker - Rise Up Campaign
We at the COPA’s already knew about this culutural diversity and we have a catgeory for multi-cultutal stories and Orange Shirt Day on September 30 is the COPA entry deadline as a symbolic gesture like the call for Entries on July 1, Canada day.
My creative growth did have some unexpected turns too. I did a 5 min corporate video for Abbott Labs for a diabetes empathy story (I had to do a sugar shock scene 10x, so acting is hard work LOL). But the most fun was a live performance in a Murder Mystery skit at a corporate event where I got killed by a fork in the green room. This ride has taught me a lot things like all the film schools in Canada that are now part of the outreach of the COPA’s in the academic category.
Canada is home to some great talent that this posting is pat on the back to you ALL. As the producer of the COPAs I see it every year, but this past year I was on the other side of the content equation as talent and got to see the directors, cameras, lights and action. We have all the raw ingredients in Canada to create world class content on all levels in Canada. Let's keep telling the world about it so the next generation can be inspired to do better!
The 2024 COPA Call for Entries is July 1, 2024
The Canadian Online Publishing Awards (COPAs) the largest digital publishing awards program for Canadian content creators call for entries is on July 1, Canada Day. The deadline for entries is September 30, 2024. The 2024 categories have been released in 4 divisions ( B2B , B2C, News, and Academic). The COPAs is now in its 16th year. Visit the 2024 Rules Page here .
Call for Judges
The COPA call for judges is now open if you are interested in becoming a judge and be part of the Who's Who of digital publishing in Canada. Register Here.
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Monday, March 11, 2024
The winners of the 2023 COPA were announced on February 9th, 2024 and this year’s winner saw the rise of branded content as award winning quality.
The Academic division saw the emergence of a new school Red River College Polytechnic with a gold and 2 silver. RRC Polytechnic campuses in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. UBC captured 1 gold a 3 silver was the other big winner. An entry from York’s film school won best Video.
In the B2B division saw York University capture 3 gold and 3 silver and was the big winner of the COPAs. University affairs won 3 gold and a silver. The Atlantic Association of CBDCs Ambitions Magazine won two silver that is part of the the rise in quality of branded content in this year’s winners.
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Deidre Kelly is presented a Gold for Best Digital Edition by Marty Seto
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The consumer division had multiple winners across all categories, but the emergence of branded entries from the Mental Health Commission (2 silver), Metrolinx (Gold and Silver), Travelzoo (Gold and Silver), Samara Centre for Democracy (silver) and Hockey Canada (gold) win a COPA medal this year.
The News Media division that caters to local community websites across Canada saw Discourse Community Publishing that caters to First Nation communities in BC win 3 gold and 3 silver. New Winners included the Breach based in Montreal with and gold and silver and By Blacks.com that won gold.
The Top Ten scores if the This year COPAs has 13 entries (ties allowed) with the Top entry for York magazine for Best Digital Edition. This design has worn multiple COPAs. University Affairs came is second for the Best Multicultural Story and Fête Chinoise came in 3rd for the ir Best Feel Good Story.
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Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Unless you have been living off the grid, the global economy is still suffering the effects of the tight money supply through higher interest rates to combat the post pandemic echo of high inflation. The strategy seems to be working as inflation was 3% in Canada in November 2023. But we are still not out the woods yet as the first six months of the year will still be tight as inflation needs to be at 2% before there will be a change in interest rate policy and that is expected to happen in the second quarter.
Snap Shot of the Post Pandemic Echo
Zoom, the video conferencing tool the world has been living through since 2020, laid off 15% of its workforce, or about 1,300 people, on February 7. 2023. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic Zoom’s profit skyrocketed more than most tech companies, leading to massive hiring, but the company is now saying it overdid it.
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According the Dentsu Global Ad Spend Forecasts (Dec. 2023) was a very turbulent year for media as we saw a contraction in global ad spending in automotive, finance, food, government/social, media and entertainment, pharmaceutical, retail, technology, telecommunications and travel industries, which was a a reflection of what the economy was suffering through. Only two sectors saw a growth and they were beverages and cosmetics/personal care. The Dentsu ad forecast will see a rebound back in ad spending in 2024 with an increase of 5% worldwide.
The movement by Canadian Ad Agencies to buy Local
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The growing digital spend with USA based publishers have not gone unnoticed by governments and now ad agencies in Canada have an industry goal of a 25% digital ad spend for Canadian media through an effort called “ The Canadian Media Manifesto”. Publishers can learn more about about this here.https://www.cmdc.ca/cmm
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What can Canuck publishers do as they confront the "Walmart Effect" of Canadia media going out of business caused by the digital giants. Well it is important to show relevance of your audience to today’s advertisers and reader research is always needed to keep in tune with the changing habits that seems to change every 6 months. Reaching Adults 18-34 today is totally different from a generation ago, as this market is the “ Cellphone Zombie Generation” and live on social and prefer video over text.
Its time to think outside your box to survive.
What is your digital delivery strategy to compete with SEO, programmatic and Influencers that have captured the attention of today’s advertisers. According to the Dentsu Dec. 2023 report you will also have to explore AI as 72% of their clients have AI on the marketing radar. There is no magic wand, It all comes time down to marketing basics target market fit, geographic location and timing ie: Right place, right time, right market. Build your plan in 2024 with sound marketing fundamentals, but you have to know your audience to compete.
Wednesday, September 06, 2023
My goodness things change so fast in digital it is so hard to keep up even for me after 35 years. The past year we have experienced some interesting developments in the digital world and I have identified some macro issues that will disrupt the market or shape its future. A couple of COPA Judges - Jean-François Bérubé and Anik Magny have chipped in on the discussion.
1. Facebook and Google taken to the Legislative wood shed.
The free ride of unfettered access to free content created by third party publishers is over. The theft of this content and I have been pointing this out for years to deaf hears. The news industry is grasping at a paid model, but a free to paid model is too late for some publishers. I noticed the newsstand copy of the Globe and Mail (very thin BTW) and was tempted to get one, but the cost was $4.00.
What the future holds?: The current legislation of the digital giants providing content fees to publishers is wrought with potential bear traps. How do you enforce it . Facebook just went offline for Canadian content and we are waiting to see the impact.
2. Influencers go mainstream - Only Fans becomes the new Playboy
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Even though Facebook and Google take a lot of heat for their profits through their market dominance. One side effect of this is the ecosystem of “Influencers” that was created . This is a multi-billion dollar ad market that that they do not get a cut off except for the free user generated content provided for this ecosystem. The use of “Adult” content on “Only Fans” page as become the new “ Playboy” with centrefold type celebrities sharing experiences with their fans. Ya gotta say its a better deal than a print magazine subscription and sex still sells in the digital age. LOL
Advertisers targeting A 18-34 are leaning this way as the best way to reach this group. But don’t ask Budweiser of the viral side effects of this tactic from the stealth marketing activity in the USA from the left and right to shape public opinion. Traditional media have been left in the dust for this generation of consumers as this group prefers video to text, use ad blockers and are smartphone zombies. The COPAs this year added this as new category.
Anik Magny, COPA Judge, Podcaster
The growing ecosystem of influencers is indeed something to keep an eye on. Several studies show that Generation Z is abandoning traditional media due to a lack of representation and diversity of opinion, but also out of mistrust and lack of confidence in institutions that all too often seem to follow a political agenda. As a result, they are turning to people who sound and look like them, with a variety of opinions. Some podcasts available online last for hours, so it's possible to capture the attention of Generation Z with denser content, but we need to rethink our formats and the way we deliver it.
Traditional media don’t always maintain a bond of trust or a sense of community with BIPOC communities. The strength of influencers lies in their proximity to the public and the sense of belonging and community they are able to create, which has become almost impossible with traditional broadcasters.
3. AI Generated Content opens a New Pandora Box
This is the latest salvo by tech using AI as a tool and promising a new and better world. But AI content software vendors are being sued by book authors for content theft and the USA is looking at regulations to keep deep fakes that are occurring in the market. The movie industry is at a standstill on the use of AI and its possible use in the industry.
I am a skeptic on AI right now as it is not 100% correct, your may get three different answers to the same problems from three different software. My brother who was an AI lab manager at Google and we discussed his work, he told me AI needs experience to work to achieve a better outcome of the 10% error rate of math. I always used the error rate of math with my brother to bug him about his work. LOL (Math Error rate is plus or minus 10% 19 out 20 times).
I am a skeptic on AI right now as it is not 100% correct, your may get three different answers to the same problems from three different software. My brother who was an AI lab manager at Google and we discussed his work, he told me AI needs experience to work to achieve a better outcome of the 10% error rate of math. I always used the error rate of math with my brother to bug him about his work. LOL (Math Error rate is plus or minus 10% 19 out 20 times).
BUT….I recently got casted in a commercial where I did the voiceover and script. During post production the script was changed and my voice was edited using AI. In this scenario the producers creativity is enhanced with minimal cost, so AI is here to stay
Jean-François Bérubé, COPA Judge, Content Creator
AI Generated Content has emerged as the latest technological frontier, offering a disruptive impact on a variety of industries. As with any change, many individuals are terrified or upset by it. However, AI is here to stay and will change the way we operate. AI is creating previously unimaginable opportunities and making individuals more efficient in their work. It can be a good thing in the creative process because it speeds up a lot of the phases in content creation and can be an excellent helper, removing the tedious tasks while humans handle the human activities. Having stated that, it is prudent for society to create guidelines while using such technology.
Anik Magny, COPA Judge, Podcaster
It's understandable, even natural and necessary, for artists to be concerned about the crazy rise of AI. But by talking with independent artists, particularly small production companies and non-profit organizations with a small or no staff, I saw a potential benefit in AI. Some are considering using artificial intelligence to assist them in applying for grants - a long and energy consuming process that discourages many. I found this interesting. Could artificial intelligence eventually offer the help that so many small players lack? I don't have the answer, but I found the discussion very interesting.
4. Dominance of USA Publishers in the Programmatic Ad market
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The cost to play in the market is that you have to make a profit based on $2CPM or less. Pretty tough for a Canadian publishers. Agencies the big players take a blind eye as clients want a low CPM. This is not sustainable for Canadian publishers as USA based ad networks have flooded the market with a low cost advertising that is putting Canadian publishers out of business. We need advertisers to buy Canadian. Here is a Toronto government ad that is on CNN, this should not happen.
How do we do this?
We need barriers to entry to the Canadian market to level the playing field from the cheap USA digital imports that are flooding the market. Television faced the same issues in their history with USA border stations, magazines with USA titles restirected to newsstand only and we need to do the same for digital. Canadians are too soft and polite and we need to act like a Bear with tariffs, tax deductions and sales taxes as the weapons not the ill-fated content tax that is facing major hurdles. Where is Shelia Copps when we need her!!! Buy Canadian!!!
5. Streaming Opportunities for Canadian Content Creators
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Here Canada has already lost the battle to Hollywood. All the major streamers are USA based. Canada's only positive side effect is that Toronto and Vancouver have becomes hubs for USA film and commercial production outside of LA and NY. This can only be a good thing as it has fostered a independent film community that will help create the next generation of content creators in Canada for the video generation.
I had a first hand look at this new generation when I was casted as “ Human” in a Toronto Film School production of "Blood Sisters” produced by Jessica Duval as part the student's final thesis. The Toronto Film School is one the top film Schools in Canada and the COPAs will be reaching out to all the film schools in the country to participate in the COPA’s this year to help raise their profile.
I had a first hand look at this new generation when I was casted as “ Human” in a Toronto Film School production of "Blood Sisters” produced by Jessica Duval as part the student's final thesis. The Toronto Film School is one the top film Schools in Canada and the COPAs will be reaching out to all the film schools in the country to participate in the COPA’s this year to help raise their profile.
Jessica Duval - Producer - Blood Sisters
As a filmmaker you need like minded people to bring a story to life from the individuals in front of the camera to behind. You become family, working that many hours together. It’s been a pleasure working with the Toronto Film School and all the students who assisted on set to already working artists in the industry traveling from as far as Ottawa to provide their expertise and join the vibes. We as Canadians may be the cheaper route for Hollywood but we keep growing. I look forward to what the future holds for this production piece, resources are endless. A series might just be what the humans are asking for!”
6. Wink, Wink…Criminal activity is rampant in cyberspace
Ya think with all the chatter about cyber crimes it will go away, but it has not. As Barnum and Bailey use to say, “There is a sucker born every minute” and this is still true with all the scams out there, I have come across fake movies casting calls, but this latest one is a doozy as it uses fake video testimonials about an AI software from Elon Musk, CBS and even Premier Ford.
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You end up a getting a calling from a Quebec phone number, btw. These were posted on Facebook using multiple fake identities. This was a paid campaign on Facebook and they earned revenue on this. If Facebook can filter news they can filter this, but they did not. This poses the question does Facebook profit from all the scams out there?
What is the Roadmap for the Future for Content?
Anik Magny
In the years to come, it will be imperative to review the form of the products - it will no longer be possible to keep the classic 30- and 60-minute formats, for example. We need to adapt the form to the content, as well as the narrative structure, without abandoning quality content. The notion of format came up again and again during discussions with young BIPOC in the cultural industry. Quebec television is standardized, with few types of format: 30 minutes or 60 minutes, including commercial breaks. Many are calling for a carte blanche - a freer, more fluid space with lighter subjects.
Web Series is a new form of Content
Well, I have seen a glimpse of the future, I have been working on a Web Series cast as a Asian Crime Boss this summer and it will have 100 two minutes episodes that will be available on TikTok and another web series I worked on “Pork U” (trailer link) a comedy that will be available on YouTube this fall. These independent film productions is a new wave of content outside of traditional models.
Canadian Content creators need to adapt to this new environment , but to succeed is a very challenging as the industry needs protection from the global giants that dominate the industry. We welcome your comments for further discussion.
Thursday, June 01, 2023
The COPA’s are now in its 15th year and will continue to move to support digital content creators across Canada and this year we will create categories for the growing influencer community in Canada that exists on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook and You Tube. These influencers reach the Gen Z segment of the market (A 18-32) that grew up with a smartphone. Once I take out me personal generational bias it opened my eyes on this market after talking with few Gen Z’s.
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The holy grail of marketing is to create a personal one-on-one relationship with your customer on scale and “Influencer Marketing’ achieves this. We know influencer marketing works or does not work based on the recent experience of Budweiser using an influencer that had 11 million followers that the core market rebelled against resulting in a sales drop through a product boycott.
The ecosystem of influencers in Canada has a low of 10,000 followers and up 1.2 million based on published reports by talent agency vendors who provide access to the influencers through their networks. The more notable name on this list is pro hockey player /celebrity Mitch Marner with 500K followers. On the other side of the coin are the digital agencies that manage the influencer campaign with all the ad tech tools for tracking and reporting. This new ecosystem is estimated to be a $20 billion market worldwide that is provided for free from all the major social media providers Twitter, Tok Tok, YourTube, Facebook and Instagram.
The content of the influencers is sliced along like magazines based on niche topics like fashion, beauty, health, sports, and wellness, but is personal and not branded like in magazine or newspaper. I can call an influencer a micro magazine but instead of words they use video and pictures. If a Gen Z were to ask to read an article or watch a video they will watch a video. This where my personal generational bias is a factor as I am the opposite, this was confirmed when I was planning an Instargram account to reach this community in the COPA’s search for Canada’s Best Influencer on social media. Today’s journalists need to create stories with pictures and video a not words to reach this market as they live on social media.
This is the new digital media and its has been dubbed the “Creator Economy” that had different names in the past like bloggers, vloggers, but today’s influencers have scale. Look if a magazine has a subscription base of 500K that would be amazing, but a personal brand like Mitch Marner, pro hockey player/celebrity has 500K too. If you want to make a personal connection to your brand this is a good way to go for today’s Gen Z.
When the brand is a good fit with an influencer and they have a good reach these mini-magazines are now part of today's digital media buy for some consumer brands. The revenue potential is based on reach, but the industry rates for influencers are modest at $100-$250 per post, but it can add up quick you work with 20+ influencers. But Gen Z’s are smart and they don’t believe everything they hear or read. During my research I discovered the TOP 100 beauty Influencers were displayed on the World of Beauty Italy website https://wbcosmetics.com/famous-canadian-beauty-influencers/
When the brand is a good fit with an influencer and they have a good reach these mini-magazines are now part of today's digital media buy for some consumer brands. The revenue potential is based on reach, but the industry rates for influencers are modest at $100-$250 per post, but it can add up quick you work with 20+ influencers. But Gen Z’s are smart and they don’t believe everything they hear or read. During my research I discovered the TOP 100 beauty Influencers were displayed on the World of Beauty Italy website https://wbcosmetics.com/famous-canadian-beauty-influencers/
Social media is at a pivotable point in its growth. One one hand you a a free digital communications system via text, photo and video that is available for free that is used by millions of people around the world. According to some of the industry marketing hype provided in The State of Influencer Marketing benchmark report by Influencer Marketing Hub states, the Influencer Marketing Industry is estimated at $21.1 Billion in 2023. The Key social media tools used by brands are Tok Tok (56%), Instagram (51%), Facebook (42%) and YouTube (38%).
Twitter’s move to clean up social media from all the bad actors has been a good one. We all know all about fake people on the internet and their paid model is a good step. If I am advertiser in one of the many influencers networks I want to have the confidence that my ad/content does not go into an ad farm with fake clicks and people. The paid model is a good way to have people authenticated that they are real people. Considering that a $20 billion industry has been created using free tools, people will be willing to pay the fee if they make money on it, so it will work, but not all. Instagram is also following suit.
As a publisher though I have been reluctant to accept content from the Digital agencies. Here is a pitch from an agency I recently received for $500.
1) The published article must get indexed and It should not be backdated.
2) Links should be Do follow- 1 Client link,1 Internal link, and 2 High authority links.
3) The post must be on the homepage for some time and it should be accessible from the homepage (via a relevant category).
4) The Article and links should not be marked as a sponsored post, paid post, guest post, etc. Also, there should not be any kind of disclaimer like: “This post may contain affiliate links’’ in the article.
5) The post and links should remain permanently archived on your website.
They ask for a lot for $500, but the kicker is the lack of transparency of the post and to most publishers this is too big of a risk. This is why for many years I have always been skeptical on this type of approach and as you can see there is a lot of stealth articles being posted on the web as authentic.
Trust is key to the relationship between the influencer and the consumer and the Ad Standards of Canada introduced guidelines to help ensure that influencer content is not deceptive. It requires that the representations disclose any material connection between the influencer and the entity behind the brand, product or service being promoted. The guidelines further requires this disclosure to be clear, prominent, and in close proximity to the representation being made. https://adstandards.ca/resources/influencer-marketing/
With the advent of AI generated content, let’s see if any virtual influencer shows up creating content for this digital ecosystem. But at any rate it is here to stay and we are now beginning the search for Canada’s Best Influencer as part of the 2023 COPA’s.
About Me
Martin Seto
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reflexmediasales.com or 416-907-6562, and on LinkedIn.
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