Phase one of Canada's Consumer-Driven Banking Act (sometimes called “open banking”) goes into effect early this year. 

In a nutshell, open banking is about giving consumers total control of their financial information. It’s a big technology story with fancy terms like FAPI, mTLS and screen scraping (sounds gross, kinda is).

This might seem like something just banks and fintechs need to worry about. They’re certainly the most affected, to be sure. The act ends registered account transfer fees, it makes it dead simple to switch banks, and you’ll look back in horror at how much paperwork there was just to shop a rate around by this time next year. But we don’t think it is confined to just the operational ins-and-outs of banking. In fact, we think there’s a story here for any organization that deals with money, which is to say all of them.

Your customers don’t experience your marketing in silos, they move seamlessly from social feeds to radio spots, from billboards to search results, all in a single day. The brands that win aren’t choosing between digital or traditional; they’re showing up consistently across the right mix of channels to build familiarity, trust, and real results. So the question isn’t where should you advertise, it’s whether your strategy reflects how your audience actually lives.

January is the season of resets, and this year your content may need one too. AI has accelerated creation, but it has also accelerated clutter, leaving many brands with swollen libraries that dilute their story instead of strengthening it. As search behavior shifts and saturation deepens, content health is becoming essential. Here is why intentional cleanup may be the most impactful move you make this year.

H2 Accelerator is pleased to announce the promotion of Rae Scott from Social Media Manager to Senior Digital Strategist, recognizing her exceptional talent, strategic insight, and consistent contributions to the agency’s digital leadership.

The past year forced a different kind of planning. Fewer certainties, more scenarios, and a growing sense that something fundamental was shifting in how people and brands show up online. The tools stayed mostly the same, but the way identity, creativity, and expression played out inside them did not. This moment demands a closer look at what brands should hold onto, what they should let evolve, and how clarity can win in an era of reinvention.

Many teams are doing everything right on paper. Campaigns are optimized, costs are stable, and performance looks healthy, yet growth feels slower than it should. The issue is not broken tactics, but an overreliance on short-term performance to do all the work. There is a bigger opportunity most brands are missing, and understanding it can change how you think about growth. Read on to see where the next wave of impact really comes from.

We’re excited to share the next chapter of H2’s growth with the opening of our Calgary office – a move that builds on more than 25 years of helping brands grow through strategy, creativity and execution. As we expand into Alberta, we’re bringing our full-service capabilities to a new market while deepening our connection to the business community shaping the region’s future.