How 3 Canadian companies harnessed AI to boost business

In a time where technology is quickly evolving, marketers are embracing agility and leveraging the powers of AI to innovate new solutions for their businesses.

Harnessing the power of AI is no easy feat, which is why at Google Canada’s inaugural Google Search Honours Awards, Canadian marketers and their agencies were awarded for finding innovative ways to use AI-powered Search strategies to optimize their marketing campaigns and boost their business results.

Three of the winners covered two categories: Value Impact (AI-powered work that uses smart bidding strategies to maximize investments) and Reach Expansion (work that leverages AI-powered Search tools to connect with a wider audience). Let’s dig into the three winners and their success stories.

Trust and open dialogue guides experimentation

The global supply crisis during the pandemic impacted the inventory of a major client for Saatchi & Saatchi Canada/Synergize, leading to increased competition and tighter budgets. It was up to the agency — who won the “Best in Class Award” within the Value Impact category — to get innovative with their solution to drive higher-valued leads and boost sales through Search, without an e-commerce platform to lean on. Partnering with Google, the company developed a value-based bidding strategy within Search Ads 360 to help it effectively bid towards sales and maximize return on ad spend (ROAS).

“By building a sophisticated and robust framework rooted in data as the foundation of the bid strategy, it was expected that we would be able to drive higher values and greater efficiency compared to a target cost-per-acquisition (CPA) bid strategy,“ said Melissa Redman, SEM account director at Saatchi & Saatchi Canada. With only a few campaigns active in the test, the company’s strategy contributed to a 71% increase in sales with a ROAS of 10.4 (up 47% year over year), and 19% more onsite conversions while maintaining their CPA efficiency.¹

Agency partners are crucial in keeping clients aware of the latest technologies and techniques. Showing them ways of experimentation begins with the basics: communication and respecting client boundaries. “Keeping our clients involved throughout the entire process is a key aspect of maintaining their trust in our partnership and success of their digital strategy,” said Redman. “As more and more [AI-powered tools] are made available, it opens the door to different solutions that are designed to drive results for our client’s businesses. Knowing how to use them and scaling that adoption will be a part of the journey as AI-powered search evolves.”

Maximize efficiency and effectiveness with AI

Simplii Financial developed a plan to shed its manual processes and welcome in a new, modern SEM structure to break down silos and revitalize their SEM efforts to help more Canadian consumers fulfill their financial ambitions. By streamlining its account structure, Simplii unlocked its Search potential through a data-driven and more collaborative approach, driving 10X more conversions and achieving an 85% more efficient CPA.² They won the “Rising Star Award” within the Reach Expansion category.

“Implementing AI-powered optimization in our campaign delivered a remarkable improvement in efficiency and effectiveness, leading to a multifold increase in conversions and a substantial decrease in CPA“ says Joon Kil, Manager, Paid Search at Simplii Financial. Using broad match coupled with Smart Bidding helped secure a competitive advantage to expand their reach. Additionally, integrating Looker Studio helped facilitate real-time data analysis, which allowed the company to address issues, seize opportunities, and cultivate stakeholder relationships.

Experimenting with AI-powered Search tools has fostered a culture of continuous improvement and innovation for the Simplii Financial team. Plus, it’s allowed team members to push boundaries and explore uncharted territories for the future. “For those who are hesitant to embrace the power of AI: Start small, focus on the data, and set clear goals. Numbers tell a story, and in our case, that story has been one of growth,” says Kil.

Increase reach and relevance with broad match

Canadian Tire, winner of the “Best in Class” Award within the Reach Expansion category, had already pivoted during the pandemic to focus on e-commerce. But the country’s new ease of restrictions meant the company had to shift its efforts again to meet consumers’ return to in-store shopping. The Marketing team was determined to meet its customers both online and in-store, and leveraging Smart Bidding and broad match helped them achieve that.

“Broad match implementation in 2023 allowed us to reach new customers and appear on more searches than ever before,” said Sean Chung, Associate Manager of Paid Search at Canadian Tire Corporation. Broad match also matched queries with high value and relevance, making them eligible for nearly 2.5X more searches than previously possible with exact match and phrase match.³ Most notably, these campaigns drove significantly more store visits year over year, which helped them bridge that online-to-offline customer journey.

At the root of Canadian Tire’s success was the willingness to experiment with AI using a “start small and test gradually” approach. “[An experimental mindset] allowed us to challenge existing beliefs, learn from data-driven insights, and adapt our strategies accordingly,” said Chung. “This mindset helped us achieve the incredible growth we have and successfully navigate the shifting retail market.” AI search tools like Smart Bidding and broad match can help teams drive the performance they’re seeking, while freeing up time to develop stronger strategies.

The effort that these teams have put into their campaigns goes to show that there really is no time like the present to master the art of AI experimentation to help you innovate solutions and set new performance milestones for the future.