Canadian Direct Insurance makes some Noise

June 22, 2010

By Eve Lazarus

Canadian Direct Insurance has appointed Noise as its agency of record. Noise has worked as the Vancouver-based company's digital agency for the past six years, while Publicis Vancouver most recently handled creative.

Trisha Tyrrell, senior manager, business development, said Noise will handle all creative including television, print and radio, as well as develop marketing strategies to increase brand awareness.

"After working with multiple agencies for the past few years, we wanted to find one strategic partner to handle all of our needs," she said. "With the way lines have blurred between traditional and digital advertising, we needed an agency capable of executing any kind of integrated campaign across any platform."

Trevor Carr, president and CEO at Vancouver-based Noise, said he's seeing more digital agencies in the U.S. leading marketing strategy and believes that trend will continue here in Canada. "We've always viewed ourselves as an agency first," he said. "We think everything is digital and it doesn't make a difference if it's television, radio or print. These days everything needs to be through a digital lens."

Canadian Direct names Noise as AOY

Media In Canada

News Briefs
by Katie Bailey

Canadian Direct Insurance has named Vancouver and Toronto-based digital agency Noise as its full-service agency of record.

The move, announced yesterday, brings all of Canadian Direct's marketing initiatives together under one provider. Noise will now handle traditional and digital campaign strategies, as well as media buying and planning.

The companies have been working together for six years on digital strategies, and in the past two years, the lines between traditional and digital media campaigns were blurring, so it made sense to go with a single agency for both, Trisha Tyrrell, senior manager, business development, Canadian Direct, tells MiC.

"They've been involved with our traditional campaigns for the past couple years and since they've been involved, I've found that their creative ideas and way of thinking were taking the lead," she explains. "[Going forward] I wasn't interested in working with two different agencies and I felt that Noise could do the job on both sides."

Canadian Direct's digital strategies have been almost too successful in recent years, Tyrrell says. When the insurer started driving people to its website to book their auto insurance online, it quickly consumed 60% of their business, she explains, which was too much for the company to handle. They've since dialed back their marketing creative drive-to-web and that part of the business now sits at a more-manageable 30%, she says.

Online tactics will continue to be a priority for Canadian Direct's media planning, a release on the announcement stated, but TV, print and radio will remain in the mix. The company declined to comment on its average media spend.

Canadian Direct Insurance Appoints Digital Agency as Lead

Noise hired as advertising AOR for insurance company

Vancouver, BC; June 14, 2010 – Canadian Direct Insurance announced today that it has named Noise as its advertising agency of record. Noise has been working as Canadian Direct’s digital agency for the past six years and has now been tasked with providing full service to Canadian Direct.

The bold move comes as agencies and clients around the world are trying to determine whether marketing efforts should be led by traditional or digital agencies. In this era that Forrester has dubbed the Adaptive Marketing Era, significant confusion has arisen for marketers as to the roles of different agencies.

“After working with multiple agencies for the past few years, we wanted to find one strategic partner to handle all of our needs,” says Trisha Tyrrell, Senior Manager, Business Development, Canadian Direct. “Ultimately with the way that lines have blurred between traditional and digital advertising, we needed an agency capable of executing any kind of integrated campaign across any platform.”

Canadian Direct’s goals for Noise are to develop strategic marketing initiatives and increase brand awareness. While online tactics are a priority, the agency will be responsible for all creative execution including TV, print and radio.

The announcement is notable as it is rare to see digital agencies offered the opportunity to lead. According to Sean Corcoran, a Senior Analyst with Forrester “most interactive marketers don't trust their traditional agencies with digital work and yet most don't believe their interactive agencies are ready to lead yet either.”

One of Noise’s strengths is its mix of in-house talent. The agency’s creative team is lead by co-creative directors Brock Ellis and Michael Milardo. Ellis’ background lies in digital, while Milardo’s experience was gained at tier one advertising agencies such as Rethink, TBWA, BBDO Berlin, and Ogilvy Copenhagen.

“I have a great deal of comfort with Noise’s ability to deliver offline work,” continues Tyrrell. “Given their team and their track record with us, I am confident that they will deliver. In six years of working with them, they have never failed me.”

“This opportunity proves what we have been preaching for years: ultimately all work is digital,” says Trevor Carr, President and CEO, Noise. “Our clients are now giving us more opportunities to lead their entire account. It is a vote of confidence in the model that we have created and the teams that we have built in Vancouver and Toronto.”

Collector Takes Home $34,000 Souvenir from YVR

Last week a rare bottle of Rémy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl cognac was sold at the Aldeasa Duty Free store in the International Terminal of Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The bottle of Remy Martin cognac sold for $34,000 to a couple who were on their return home to Mainland China.

Anthony Gismondi writes about the significance of the sale in the Vancouver Sun.

Elettra is hiring a summer intern

Elettra Communications is looking for a star intern. This position will appeal to students or recent graduates who are looking to start their Communications career. Ideally, candidates will be enrolled in or will have completed a public relations or communications program.

The chosen candidate will gain valuable experience in media relations, event coordination, and account/office administration.

The ideal candidate will have strong writing skills, an impeccable work ethic, and a demonstrated interest in public relations.

This position is four days per week (Monday- Thursday). It is an unpaid internship with a monthly honourarium of $500.

Interested candidates should send their resume and cover letter to simone@elettra.ca no later than Monday, June 7.