What comes next

Afew of our features this issue – including our look at what the next decade of retail might look like – have me considering how impossible it is to predict the future with any sort of certainty.

Of course, we have data and trends, and conventional norms that suggest a path we’re likely to follow. But, as accurate as they may turn out to be, those are really just suggestions of what’s to come. There’s no way to be certain that what’s past is prologue (with apologies to William Shakespeare). The future is a tempest of possibilities, some more likely than others, but all within the realm of the possible.

Consider the potential impact of an aging Boomer demographic, 15-minute cities, looming scarcity, urbanization and Generation Alpha alone. It all makes predicting the future a tough gig – especially for marketers (with their DNAlevel obsession about knowing what’s coming next).

In the end, that’s why I’m not overly worried about AI. From a creative standpoint, artificial intelligence is – as it stands now, anyway – derivative. It’s the summation of our experience to date, not a secret window into what’s to come. It’s an imposter that poses, deep in thought, before it cribs someone else’s homework or makes a guess at the answer that’s as wild as any of ours. (As an aside, I’ve found it lies as much as we do, too.) Maybe it develops the ability to predict and create, but that’s not where we are now.

Mark Twain is often reputed to have said: “History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.” And, he’s probably right. What’s come before is often a good enough predictor for most of us in the day to day. But ask any sports fan and they'll tell you that even the best odds often don’t pan out. In fact, the universe seems to take pleasure in serving up the unexpected.

For me, it really comes down to the fact that what’s been is less interesting than what’s to come, or what’s possible. We still need human creativity and that guiding voice of experience to figure our way forward – and the instinct to know when things are about to go sideways (as they so often do), even in the face of reasonable odds.

But, more importantly, we’re going to need all our collective wisdom to build the future we want to see. And, really, that’s the future I’m most interested in.

Speaking of the future… This issue marks my last as interim editor. It’s been an honour to fill in for strategy editor and content director Jennifer Horn on the magazine side this past year. She returns to guide the ship for the fall issue – with our annual Agency of the Year report.

Brendan Christie Interim Editor, strategy

summer 2023 volume 34, issue 3 strategyonline.ca publisher | lisa faktor | lfaktor@brunico.com content director, editor | jennifer horn | jhorn@brunico.com (leave) interim editor | brendan christie art director | tim davin | tdavin@brunico.com special reports and c-suite editor | sheima benembarek | sbenembarek@brunico.com associate editor | chelsea clarke | cclarke@brunico.com associate publisher | neil ewen | newen@brunico.com digital editor | josh kolm | jkolm@brunico.com senior reporter | justin crann | jcrann@brunico.com senior reporter | chris lombardo | clombardo@brunico.com intern | noor abduljabbar | cnabduljabbar@brunico.com contributers | mike connell, wendy kan account manager | conidon pinto | cpinto@brunico.com account manager | nupur purohit | npurohit@brunico.com (leave) marketing co-ordinator | emily yuill | eyuill@brunico.com

CORPORATE president & ceo | russell goldstein | rgoldstein@brunico.com evp, strategy and realscreen & editorial director brunico | mary maddever | mmaddever@brunico.com director, finance & administration | michelle plaskon | mplaskon@brunico.com creative services & dist. manager | adriana ortiz | aortiz@brunico.com customer support supervisor | christine mcnalley | cmcnalley@brunico.com how to reach us

Strategy, 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1R9

Tel: (416) 408-2300 or 1-888-BRUNICO (1-888-278-6426) Fax: (416) 408-0870 www.strategyonline.ca customer care subscription rates

To order a subscription, visit strategyonline.ca/subscribe. To make a change to an existing subscription, please contact us by email: strategycustomercare@brunico.com.

Tel: (416) 408-2448 Fax: (416) 408-0249. 8799 Highway 89, Alliston, ON L9R 1V1.

STRATEGY is published five times per year by Brunico Communications Ltd.

In Canada: One year CA$80.00 Two years CA $144.00 (HST included. Registration #856051396 RT) copyright and trademark postmaster notification

Single copy price in Canada is CA$6.95. Please allow four weeks for new subscriptions and address changes.

STRATEGY and the tagline “Bold vision brand new ideas” are trademarks of Brunico Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced from STRATEGY in whole or in part without written permission. Reprint requests should be sent to rgoldstein@brunico.com. © 2018 Brunico Communications Ltd.

Canadian Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Strategy, 8799 Highway 89, Alliston, ON L9R 1V1 strategycustomercare@brunico.com

U.S. Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Strategy PO BOX 1103 Niagara Falls NY 14304 Printed in Canada. Canada Post Agreement No. 40050265. ISSN: 1187-4309.

Member of

Celebrating the 2023 Canadian Cannes Lions Jurors

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the largest gathering in the creative community and where the Cannes Lions Awards are announced. I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to the Canadians who have been named to the 2023 Cannes Lions juries. As the most recognized and prestigious marketing and advertising awards in the world, the selection of these jurors once again recognizes the world class expertise in the Canadian marketplace. On behalf of the Canadian advertising industry, congratulations to the leaders named to this year’s Cannes Lions Awarding and Shortlist Juries.

Cannes Lions Advisory Board Members

Andrew Saunders

Chief Revenue Officer, The Globe and Mail Chair, Canadian Cannes Lions Advisory Board

Cannes Lions Awarding Jurors

Design

KATE BATE COO, Tendril Design + Animation and Forever Co

Canada

Health & Wellness

NEILL BROWN President, IPG Health

Creative Effectiveness

Film

TYLER TURNBULL Global CEO, FCB

Cannes Lions Shortlist Jurors

Brand Experience & Activation

DOUG MUIR Executive Creative Director, PROOF Experiences

LEIA ROGERS Partner, Executive Creative Director, Rethink

SCOTT PINKNEY SVP, Executive Creative Director, Publicis Hawkeye

JORDAN DOUCETTE Chief Creative Officer, Canada, Dentsu

Director, Brand and Design, Sid Lee Industry Craft NANCY CRIMI-LAMANNA Chief Creative Officer, FCB Canada Creative Commerce - President ANDREW SIMON Global Creative Director, Edelman Public Relations BRENT CHOI CEO, Angry Butterfly Social & Influencer JAY CHANEY Partner & Chief Strategy Officer, Broken Heart Love Affair Creative Strategy CHRISTINA YU Director/Creative, Merchant Films Film Craft MAN WAI WONG VP, Group Creative Director, Leo Burnett Outdoor SUSAN IRVING Chief Marketing Officer, Kruger Products Inc. Entertainment for Sport SONIA CARRENO President, Interactive Advertising Bureau of

Direct HELEN GALANIS CEO, Initiative Canada

The Marketing Awards just wrapped on 101 years spent recognizing Canadian creativity, and we’re proud to see that the work coming out of Canada continues to be nothing short of amazing.

I often geek out on the impact that advertising has had at the intersection of culture and society – creative influence acting as a force for change; helping to build a better future while building better brands.

The adage “to know where you’re going, you need to know where you come from” certainly shines in this issue, as we look at the impact of the industry builders, innovators and leaders inducted into strategy’s second annual Hall of Marketing Gold this year.

We celebrate Judy John (pg. 62), whose fearless work sparks cultural conversation while tackling hard issues in a way that's relevant for marketers. She creates meaningful work that just makes sense.

And Frank Palmer (pg. 63), the adland prankster, who is known for cultivating creative bravery across both agency and client alike. Having the vision to always aim higher and empower his teams to do the same has launched generations of changemakers in our industry.

We also look at the mark left by the late Don Watt (pg. 63). He forever shifted retail norms with his keen design-thinking approach. His stripped-back, yet impactful, style broke through the blandness of retail, catapulting iconic brands into