Canadian promo is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. After months of strict lockdowns — particularly in Ontario, the most populous province, which had one of the world’s longest — reopenings are happening across the country as vaccination rates rise.

And yet, there’s still a ton of uncertainty to contend with. The delta variant could soon rear its ugly head, meaning officials aren’t yet allowing large-scale events. That’s promo’s bread and butter, which it needs for a full recovery. Rising inflation is putting a damper on consumer confidence once again after a heady summer. And promo firms are struggling to fill orders amid supply chain delays and staffing shortages.

In this special edition of Promo Insiders, Digital Content Director Vin Driscoll hosts a Twitter Space with Sara Lavenduski, executive editor of digital content for ASI Media, and Kate Plummer, vice president of sales and marketing at Clearmount (asi/45440) in Toronto, to discuss the current state of Canadian promo and predictions for the coming months as challenges continue.

Podcast Chapters (available only on desktop)
1:00: Guest intros
5:25: Ontario’s reopening status
13:45: Reopenings across the country
19:00: Ongoing concern about new lockdowns
21:00: How’s business at Clearmount?
24:13: Current challenges
31:00: Consumer sentiment
35:45: Popular markets and products
43:00: Group discussion

“There’s a real hesitancy in Ontario,” says Plummer. “Like, ‘Are we really opening up? Is this really going to happen? … We’re watching what’s happening in the U.S. and going, ‘Are we really ok?’” And that’s leading to trigger-shy promo clients, many who haven’t purchased promo in more than 18 months.

“We’re still working towards a really positive goal. We can see a light, there are just a lot of clouds in the way.” — Kate Plummer, Clearmount

Meanwhile, in addition to the virus and economic challenges, Plummer continues to monitor the mental health of her staff in the midst of ongoing uncertainty. “If you lose a staff member [due to mental health strain], the replacement costs are huge,” she says. “We should all be very cautious and alert of what is happening with our staff in terms of workload and happiness.”