How to Reach an Audience That Tunes Everything Out
Some audiences are just hard to reach, and it's rarely because marketers aren't trying.
Young men are one of the toughest groups to move with traditional advertising. They over-index on ad-blocking, skip pre-roll, and tune out anything that reads as a lecture. Rural and remote Canadians present a different problem entirely: smaller population pockets mean some geographies simply don't have enough digital ad inventory to target affordably, pushing marketers back toward offline channels. Shift workers and trades face a scheduling mismatch with most media buys, since campaigns built around a 9-to-5 audience miss them by default. And newcomers to Canada often sit outside English or French-language campaigns altogether, even when they're squarely in the target demo.
Each of these groups requires the same basic move: stop trying to interrupt them, and go find where their attention already is.
That's exactly the problem the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) had to solve. Men aged 18 to 39 are overrepresented in powerline contact incidents in Ontario, and they're also among the hardest groups to reach with conventional safety messaging.
“Thinking differently and being a bit unconventional isn't always what people expect from a regulator, but it's exactly what this audience demands," said Karen Ras, Vice President, Communications, Strategy and Innovation at ESA. “That's why we take a data-driven approach to understand where their attention is and how they engage. We know they significantly over-index on sports consumption, so we focused our strategy on meeting them in those high-attention environments, aligning critical safety messages with moments that capture attention to make our message relevant, memorable and ultimately more impactful."
That insight shaped the execution. Rather than running a standard safety ad, ESA built a sports trivia format that embeds its core message, staying at least three metres away from overhead powerlines, directly into content this audience already watches.
“We set out to do something bold: take a life-saving safety message and deliver it in a way that doesn't feel like traditional safety advertising," Ras said. “By embedding the message into a World Cup trivia format, we're using a cultural moment to drive real impact. By leveraging channels like Connected TV and live fan environments with digital placements, we're pushing boundaries to meet audiences where they are to deliver safety information in a way that not only reaches our audience, but sticks."
The activation runs alongside tournament coverage through Connected TV placements, chosen for high ad recall and strong audience attention, and extends into digital out-of-home around BMO Field to reinforce the message at peak moments of fan engagement.
It's a useful case study for anyone thinking about hard-to-reach audiences: the channel and the cultural moment matter less than the underlying strategy, meeting people where their attention already is, rather than asking them to come find your message.
The Takeaway for Marketers
ESA's approach works as a broader playbook, not just for safety campaigns, but for any brand trying to reach an audience that's stopped listening.
Start with the data. Know where your audience's attention actually goes, not where you assume it goes.
Borrow a format your audience already trusts. Don't force your message into an ad format they've already learned to skip.
Anchor to a real cultural moment. A World Cup, a local event, a seasonal shift, something your audience already cares about, rather than inventing a reason for them to pay attention.
Choose channels for attention quality, not just reach. A smaller audience that's actually paying attention beats a large one that scrolls past.
Bonus: If You're Trying to Reach One of These Groups
Young men: Connected TV, sports streaming, gaming platforms
Rural and remote Canadians: radio, local newspapers, community sponsorships
Shift workers and trades: early morning or late night radio, workplace signage, trade publications
Newcomers to Canada: in-language digital content, community organization partnerships
About the Electrical Safety Authority:
The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is an administrative authority responsible for enhancing public electrical safety in Ontario. Acting on behalf of the Government of Ontario, ESA administers regulations related to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, licensing for electrical contractors and master electricians, electricity distribution system safety, and electrical product safety. Beyond regulation and inspection, ESA works with stakeholders across the province on education, training, and public awareness campaigns aimed at reducing electrical harm. More information is available at esasafe.com.
