Advertising In Atlantic Canada Is Harder

Measure Twice, Cut Once

The cityscape, the hustle and bustle, the fast meetings, the fast decisions, the high risk and high reward that gets your adrenaline pumping. There’s none of that in the Atlantic Canadian provinces. It’s a slow burn and your advertising needs to respect that. Atlantic Canadians don’t get stimulated by flashy ads filled with facts and calls to action like “must have,” or “buy now.”  It’s wise to remember that you are advertising to people that measure twice and cut once. Advertising in Atlantic Canada can be quite the undertaking.  

Community Involvement example (Volunteer)
Great example of community involvement. This works better than flashy ads when it comes to advertising in Atlantic Canada.

Advertise Through Community Involvement

Atlantic Canadians have a resistance to risk since they are generally less wealthy than their western Canadian counterparts. They need stronger anchors such as emotion and sentiment to pull them into your advertisement. They respond better to humour and subtle suggestions than they do facts and hard selling. So when advertising in Atlantic Canada, you have to display a sense of community involvement through fundraisers and charity events. Promises of individual wealth is not a big selling point for Atlantic Canadians. Their focus is on providing safety and longevity to their families, which means they prioritize their earnings and investments differently than individual growth employees in big cities would.  

Advertise The Intangible

Another thing to keep in mind is that advertising to Atlantic Canadians means you are advertising to people who work with the environment due to the nature of their jobs. Fishermen and farmers lead slower lives than tech employees do, and their priorities are different as well. So your advertising should reflect that. What that means to you is that advertising in Atlantic Canada essentially means throwing out the tangible benefits of your product, and focusing on the intangible ones. The things you can’t necessarily measure, predict, or repeat.  

Example of an intangible moment, valued by Atlantic Canadians
Example of an intangible moment that would connect better with an Atlantic Canadian audience.

Advertise Living A Fuller Life

Atlantic Canadians ask about a person before they do business with them. They ask about a business before they purchase something from it as well. Advertising in Atlantic Canada is as difficult as advertising to a tight knit community, because that is what it is. Atlantic Canadians are a giving and hospitable people, but their soft hearts aren’t swayed by money. They have a keen sense of who they are, and are happy with making less and living a fuller life. If you find yourself asking what the rush is, then maybe advertising in Atlantic Canada is better for you.

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