The 2021-2022 annual report, published by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), summarizes government-wide advertising activities. Each year, on the last business day of January, the report on advertising activities is released for the previous fiscal year.
Despite record-setting federal government advertising expenditures of $140.8 million, primarily through the Agency of Record, print advertising remains at the bottom of the list with only 5% of total expenditures. The report no longer breaks out newspapers specifically and includes newspaper spending with magazines and ethnic/indigenous media grouped under Print.
Digital expenditures continue to grow, with social media (dominated by Facebook) at 18% and search engine marketing at 8% (dominated by Google) of total expenditures.
Download the 2021-2022 Report on Government Advertising by clicking here.
At A Glance: 2021-2022 Annual Report
“During fiscal year 2021 to 2022, from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, the Government of Canada (GC) spent a total of $140.76 million on advertising, involving 42 institutions, one Agency of Record (AOR) for media planning and placement and 10 creative agencies.
The majority of GC advertising activities were suspended when the September 2021 federal general election was called and resumed when the newly elected government was sworn into office, as required by the Directive on the Management of Communications. The COVID-19 pandemic remained a high priority, with advertising efforts from the previous two fiscal years continuing for a third fiscal year, to inform Canadians about government programs, services and public health measures as the situation evolved.
Net media expenditures for media placement through the AOR totaled $120.66 million. A variety of media were used, both digital and traditional. Across all media types combined, television received the largest share of media expenditures with 27%, totalling $32.07 million. Between digital media and traditional media, digital media received the largest share with 53%, totalling $64.05 million. Traditional media expenditures made up 47%, totalling $56.60 million.
Among the digital media types used, display programmatic received the largest share of digital media expenditures at 40%, totalling $25.46 million, followed by social media at 33%, totalling $21.21 million, search engine marketing at 15%, totalling $9.90 million, and display non-programmatic at 12%, totalling $7.49 million.
With respect to traditional media types used, television received the largest share of traditional media expenditures at 57%, totalling $32.07 million, followed by radio at 21%, totalling $11.67 million, print at 12%, totalling $6.51 million, and out-of-home at 11%, totalling $6.36 million.
COVID-19 advertising, which had started in fiscal year 2019 to 2020 and continued in fiscal year 2020 to 2021, carried on with various campaigns throughout fiscal year 2021 to 2022. During this fiscal year, a total of $62.01 million was spent for COVID-19 related media placement through the AOR, making up 51% of total media expenditures for the fiscal year (similar to the previous fiscal year). Of this amount, traditional media received the largest share (similar to the previous fiscal year), making up 53% and totalling $32.73 million. Digital media received 47%, totalling $29.29 million.”
