ICA Members benefit from a wealth of resources, services and expert counsel. More detailed information can be found in the Members' Area of the website.

ICA Benefits of Membership

1. ICA helps to keep the industry healthy via advocacy and government and industry relations, addressing:

• Industry self regulation (supports ASC & CCA)
• Champions the value of advertising
• Represents Canadian-based agency interests
• Negotiates with ACTRA, AFM, SAG, UdA
• Formulates policy with  ACA, AAAA, IPA, AAPQ
• CRTC / Competition Bureau
• Media, media association issues
• Media accreditation
• Sector specific advertising: children, pharmaceuticals, etc.
• Healthy Active Living Group involvement, against obesity
• Speculative creative
• Fair remuneration
• Copyright protection issues
• Agency search process
• Media liability
• Client / Agency appraisals
• Expert evidence in member court cases
• Government Procurement of Advertising
• Erroneous press reporting

2. ICA champions the benefits of Canadian-based agencies creating world-class advertising.

• Excellence in Brand Communication book
• CASSIES (Canadian Advertising Success Stories awards)
• Advertising Effectiveness Committee

3. ICA provides professional development to improve skills levels, enhance productivity and raise performance standards.

• Specialist Programs: designed for an in-depth level of skills advancement.
• Accreditation Program for Communications Professionals (CAAP)
• Broadcast Commercial Production Course (BCPC)
• Certification Program for Print Professionals (CPPP)
• Creative Portfolio Design Course (CPDC)
• Essentials of Brand Communications
• Masters Certificate in Brand Communications (MCBC)
• Workshops: designed for efficient performance enhancement in specific skill areas.
• High Performance Account Management (Advanced)
• Strategic Account Management (Intermediate)
• Creative Leadership
• Creative Strategy Design
• Managing Creative Development
• Writing the Sells
• Powerful Presenting
• The Essentials of Creative Broadcast Production
• Introduction to Print Production
• Pitching to Win
• Business Building through Storytelling
• Great Idea? The Art of Asking For and Recognizing the Right Idea
• Creating the Killer Brief
ICA also outlines career opportunities in the marketing communications industry through its initiative: www.mybigfuture.ca.

4. ICA provides professional heavyweight counsel with specialist consultants.

• Library, research and information services (Jo-Ann McQuillan)
• Broadcast Talent Advisor (Winnie Alford)
• Sales Tax & Finance Advisor (Melissa Myers)
• Operations, strategy, policy (Gillian Graham)
• Industry Relations (Gillian Graham)
• Media Accreditation (Melissa Myers)
• Government/Industry Relations (Jani Yates)

5. ICA's management surveys and counsel help improve an agency's margin and profitability.

• Financial benchmarking
  • Hourly Billing Rate Survey
  • Operating Statistics Survey
  • Salary Survey
  • Senior Management Survey
  • Ad hoc Surveys
• Individual agency counselling
• Frequent technical bulletins
• Business & Finance Committee
• Payment by Results Study

6. ICA provides no-cost services as well as discounts on group purchases.

• Agency media accreditation
• Meeting room
• Discounts on office supplies, conference calls
• Job postings

7. ICA helps its member agencies in new business.

• Agency Search Service
• Best Practices in Agency Search and Selection publication
• Agency profile database: www.agencysearch.ca
• Intercedes in poor client search practices
• Opportunities for international partnering and acquisition

8. ICA helps its members improve their professional services to their clients.

• Professional development
• Code of Ethics, practices, and obligations
• Client/Agency Evaluation guide
• The Client Brief: a best practices guide
• Magic and Logic: Redefining sustainable business practices for agencies, marketing and procurement

9. ICA builds relationships with peers, government, advertising media, unions, etc.

• With the strength of over 80 ICA member agencies which account for 80% of national business
• Advocacy on many agency / advertiser issues
• ICA West / ICA Quebec/ ICA Atlantic regional meetings
• Government & Industry Relations Committee and other Best Practice committees
• News & Views Newsletter

10. ICA works with agency professionals to develop best practices with the following committees:

• Advertising Effectiveness
• Broadcast
• Business and Finance
• Professional Development
• Government & Industry Relations
• Human Resources
• Media Policy
• Traffic

We also provide a rich variety of publications.

Members can access the secure area of our website to find the following valuable resources and services.