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Canada's Chartered Accountants Launch CA Advantage Ad Campaign
Intense Sports Images Focus On CA Leadership And Teamwork
Toronto, Ontario (September 12, 2006) - The CA profession today officially launched a multi-tiered, multi-million dollar national branding advertising campaign targeted at enhancing the highly positive but limited perception of Chartered Accountants. The campaign, CA Advantage, focuses on the real benefits provided by real CAs working in business and other organizations across Canada - business insight, strategic thinking, leadership and superior financial expertise.
The campaign's primary message is "CAs do so much more" than the financial functions they're traditionally associated with such as tax, audit and financial reporting. The CA Advantage website, a bilingual one-stop-reference created for the campaign, brings this message to life by profiling real CAs in challenging and exciting roles that benefit the private and public sectors alike.
"With more than 60% of our members working in industry and CAs holding a large share of the top jobs within Corporate Canada, it is clear that CAs provide a broad base of professional services that are essential to the success of Canadian businesses," says Kevin J. Dancey, FCA, President and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA).
"Canadian CAs are CEOs, CFOs, Chairs, Directors, Treasurers and other prominent members of the broader business community, including public institutions and not-for-profit organizations in Canada. Yet many people do not think of CAs in these roles," says Dancey. "With this new Branding ad campaign and the broader branding program that supports it, we will change perceptions."
The CA Advantage campaign creative was created by Cossette Communication Group's B2B division in concert with representatives from the provincial CA institutes, the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec, and CICA. It delivers the message in a bold and unexpected way for broadcast, print, internet, out-of-home and elevator screen media.
TV commercials open with footage of intense sporting events in progress - a baseball game in one case and soccer match in the other. As the games build in intensity and suspense, there is an unexpected twist - a player enters the scene dressed in business attire, in stark contrast to the rest of the players on the field. In the baseball game, it's a young male CA making a spectacular double-play that ends in a dramatic out at home-plate. In the soccer sequence, the CA is a young woman, who scores a highlight-reel goal.
"The creative is intended to surprise people and get them thinking about CAs in a different way. It's meant to emphasize the added value that CAs bring to the business world," says Daniel McMahon, FCA, Chair, CA Branding Committee and President, CEO of the Ordre.
"CAs are extremely proud of their profession and coveted designation," says McMahon. "CAs have long been recognized for their financial expertise. With this campaign, the provincial Institutes and the CICA are joining their marketing efforts to raise awareness about all the advantages CAs provide, which will further strengthen our reputation as the pre-eminent financial and accounting designation in Canada."
The campaign is running across Canada both in French and English languages. Current plans project the campaign will grow and evolve over the next several years. Full details of the campaign are available at www.caadvantage.ca and www.avantageca.ca.
About the CICA:
The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), together with the CA institutes/Ordre, represents approximately 71,000 CAs and 9,500 students in Canada and Bermuda. The CICA conducts research into current business issues and supports the setting of accounting and assurance standards for business, not-for-profit organizations and government. It issues guidance on control and governance, publishes professional literature, develops continuing education programs and represents the CA profession nationally and internationally.
For further information: or for copies of the print and television ads, please contact: Angela Kooij, Manager, Media Relations, CICA at (416) 204-3450, or by e-mail at angela.kooij@cica.ca