RONA Stands Out Thanks to its Marketing Initiatives

The company and its creative agency Sid Lee were honored at Strategy Magazine’s “Marketing Awards” gala and at the awards ceremony for the Idéa competition powered by the A2C in collaboration with the SDGQ

Last week, RONA Inc., a leader in the Canadian home improvement sector, operating and serving some 425 corporate and affiliated stores, and its creative agency Sid Lee, distinguished themselves with their marketing initiatives at the Marketing Awards gala organized by Strategy Magazine and at the awards ceremony of the Idéa 2025 competition. The company and its partner won gold in the Integrated Web Campaign category of the Marketing Awards for the “La langue de chez nous” campaign carried out as part of the launch of RONA’s new AI-powered search tool. RONA was also the most awarded advertiser in the Idéa competition, winning a total of 18 awards, including two grand prizes.

“I am speechless with all this recognition from the industry. Our campaign stood out while addressing a real issue for Quebec consumers,” says Catherine Laporte, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Customer Experience at RONA Inc. “Our language is the result of true teamwork involving our internal teams, the creativity of Sid Lee, and the execution of our Media team, work recognized by the very first A2C Customer Award. We are proud,” she adds.

“Our language” resonated strongly, even outside Quebec

In the fall of 2024, RONA launched a new search tool, integrated into its online sales site, to offer its customers a more personalized electronic shopping experience. The tool uses artificial intelligence to learn in real time and automatically adapt the results offered to the actions of its site visitors. It is this improved search engine, as well as the company’s desire to reconnect with its roots during its 85th ^anniversary , which gave RONA and its creative agency Sid Lee the idea to launch a new initiative on social media: La langue de chez nous . The Quebec language is unique, and even more so when it concerns renovation. That’s why RONA wanted to make it easy for the Quebec community to find, in their own words, what they are looking for by visiting rona.ca .

“Receiving an award at the Strategy Magazine gala, which showcases successful marketing efforts across Canada, for a campaign launched in Quebec is quite an accomplishment. It shows that the campaign had a real impact,” concludes Catherine Laporte. The campaign earned RONA and Sid Lee gold in the “Integrated Web Campaign” category at Strategy Magazine’s “Marketing Awards” gala and numerous awards in the Idéa competition, including:

• The Grand Prize for Advertising Creation;
• The Grand Prix Business Results and Strategy;
• The Media Favorite Award;
• Gold in the Digital Campaign category;
• Gold in the Conversational Strategy category;
• Gold in the Customer Experience Strategy category;
• Gold in the Best Use and Exploitation of Content category;
• Silver in the Social Media – Post (Single Item) category; and
• Silver in the Brand Activation category.

This is also the first time in the history of the Idéa competition that the same campaign has won both the Grand Prix for Advertising Creation and the Grand Prix for Business Results and Strategy.

Several campaigns and initiatives highlighted during the Idéa competition awards ceremony

In addition to the nine awards for the “Our Local Language” campaign, several other campaigns and initiatives developed by the company and Sid Lee received honors during the awards ceremony.

Among these:

• The ” RON Hasn’t Said His Last Word ” initiative won gold in the Video category, silver in the Talent Attraction, Mobilization, and Retention category, and bronze in the Connection – Planning category. This initiative was deployed as part of RONA’s 2024 recruitment campaign, for which Ron Fournier hosted an open line during a Facebook Live after a Montreal Canadiens game.
• The ” Heritage ” campaign won silver in the Art Direction category and bronze in the Production – Advertising Film for a Service, Product or Retailer category. This campaign was developed to mark RONA’s 85th ^anniversary and demonstrates the evolution of the home improvement market in a humorous tone, presenting trends from yesterday to today.
• The ” RénoveRONAimeca ” campaign won bronze in the Music category. It was rolled out across the country in early 2024 to promote a mindset focused on people who love to create, uniting professional experts and amateur renovators.
• The Tools Anthem won silver in the Sound Design category. This anthem was developed for Le Hockey des Canadiens on RDS and reproduced with various sound elements related to construction and renovation, the melody of Hockey Night.
• The big RONA construction site , in collaboration with Bell Media, won gold in the Partner Media Award category. This is the largest renovation show in Quebec, and RONA is a partner.
• The Customer of the Year award, a brand new category in the competition this year, was also awarded to RONA.

To share this news on social media, please use @RONAFR  (Facebook), @RONA (LinkedIn) and @RONAinc (X).

About RONA

RONA inc. is one of Canada’s leading home improvement retailers headquartered in Boucherville, Québec. The RONA inc. network operates or services some 425 corporate and affiliated dealer stores under the RONA+, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, and Dick’s Lumber banners. With a long and rich history, RONA inc. supports Canadians in their home improvement and construction projects since 1939. To achieve this, the company relies on a team of 21,000 employees, to whom it strives to provide an inclusive workplace where everyone is invited to contribute. RONA inc. has been one of the Montréal region’s Top Employers since 2021. As a result of its ongoing efforts in sustainable development, the company is recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. To learn more about the company, visit the website www.ronainc.ca.

Source: Rona Inc.