How government uses advertising

Determine what Government of Canada advertising is. Learn how it helps us communicate with Canadians. Find out what our responsibility is when it comes to our advertising.

On this page

• Defining advertising
• Communicating with Canadians
• Government responsibility in advertising
• Selecting media

Defining advertising

Two criteria define Government of Canada advertising: 

• Any message communicated in Canada or abroad
• Paid for by the Government of Canada for placement in media including:
  • digital (Programmatic, Direct, Social Media, Search Engine Marketing, Out-of-Home, audio, Connected TV (CTV), etc.)
  • radio
  • television
  • cinema
  • out-of-home
  • newspapers and magazines

The activity must meet both criteria to be considered advertising.

Communicating with Canadians

Advertising helps us communicate directly with Canadians.

The purpose of our advertising includes:

• communicating policies and priorities
• informing of programs and services available to individuals, families and businesses
• providing information about issues of importance to help make informed choices
• alerting Canadians about environmental, public health and safety issues
• notifying people about their legal rights

Government responsibility in advertising

The Government of Canada is responsible for ensuring that their advertising:

• aligns with government priorities
• meets the communication needs of Canadians
• complies with acts, policies and procedures
• provides value for money

Selecting media

Find out how we select media for our advertising campaigns.

Defining media

Media are vehicles used to convey an advertising message. Media include:

• digital (Programmatic, Direct, Social Media, Search Engine Marketing, out-of-home, audio, connected-TV, etc.)
• radio
• television
• cinema
• out-of-home
• newspapers and magazines

Selecting media

Government of Canada institutions select media based on several factors and media availability.

Selection is based on:

• campaign objectives
• target audience
• markets
• timelines
• budgets