Dear Ad Club Members,
Writing my first message to you is both auspicious and daunting. I can say without exaggeration though that it’s one of my life’s greatest honours to head up a volunteer organization that has stood in Toronto for at least 50 years (our exact beginnings seem to be shrouded in the mists of time) and over those decades, has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the advertising and marketing industry’s own charity in NABS, as well as fund hundreds of scholarships across the province to allow the next generation of industry professionals to conquer our world.
Speaking of that next generation, I was struck the other day by the poignancy of a LinkedIn post from one of our industry’s brightest lights, Daniel Mak. He spoke of the difficulties of creating any sort of networking opportunities for three new members of his team and decried the fact that they didn’t have the same ability to foster the friendships and valuable mentorships that those of us who entered advertising pre-pandemic take as a matter of course as the team no longer has office hours and because of the dearth of in-person industry get-togethers. His team is not alone…although they certainly feel as if they are. According to a 2022 study conducted by the GenWell Project in conjunction with the University of Victoria, 60% of Canadians feel lonely many times during the week as they work from home. Time Magazine’s 2021 poll had 63% of 21-24 year olds feel isolated in remote work, compared to only 34% of those aged 45-54.
At this time then, the Ad Club’s mandate to act as the connector for those entering our industry and the re-connector for those of us already here has never been a more crucial mission. Over the next few weeks, the entire Ad Club Board will embark on a number of agency presentations to remind the industry what we do and why we do it, including the salient fact that our events draw people back together in a world where we’ve never felt further apart. I was delighted to watch a number of new industry members who had never skied before, take to the mountains, fall down, laugh and then pelt each other with snowballs, building those working relationships – and a few lobsided snowmen – at February’s Ski Day. It made my heart sing to hear the ear-splitting conversational volume at the Ad Club Student Day networking event even before I entered the building. I cannot wait to see what the Digital Day team has in store for Ad Club Digital Day on April 27th, given that one of the subjects to be discussed is the future of the digital universe in a time of massive upheaval. As well, to Daniel specifically, I wanted to say that, after the roadshow, the Ad Club will be setting up a number of coffee mornings designed to reconnect us in a more informal setting, which will allow your team – and many teams like it – to chat with industry leaders and with people going through exactly what they’re facing. They say that isolation dwells in darkness and so the Ad Club wants to continue its mission in light, warmth, and welcome.
See you at the next Ad Club agency presentation – I’ll be the one holding the giant basket of pastries that I’ll bring to entice you to talk to me (bribery via baked goods has always been part of my brand)!
Yours in light – and high-calorie introduction,
Amanda
President, Advertising Club of Toronto
