Work

Situation: As one of the country’s oldest retailers, Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) has a rich history of investing in a variety of community causes. In 2012, CTC identified an opportunity to focus efforts on one signature cause – the power of sport – with the goal of affecting healthy change in lives and communities across the nation.

Insight: Working in partnership with North Strategic, Sklar Wilton designed a research tool focused on the end-in-mind, a process we call ‘writing the speech’. In this case, ‘the speech’ involved uncovering insights that would build a burning platform for the power and necessity of sport in Canada. What did we find out? 9-in-10 Canadians believe that physical activity is the right thing to do but aren’t doing it today. They cite lack of time and financial resources as the key barriers to a healthy and active lifestyle. Leveraging this insight, Sklar Wilton facilitated a work session with key stakeholders to design a signature program that would help remove these barriers.

Impact: In 2013, CTC launched an unprecedented multi-year program, enlisting more than 60 of Canada’s most influential sport, wellness and health organizations to help kids get ‘Active at School’. Together, they have pledged to use their networks, expertise and resources to ensure that Canadian children receive “one hour of quality physical activity before, during or after school everyday”.