• by Jess Nelson , March 11, 2016

Canadian email ad spend grew 14.8% in 2015, according to an eMarketer study released Wednesday -- despite the introduction of one of the world's strictest anti-spam laws in 2014.

Canadian email ad spend totaled over $21.8 million CAD in 2015, or $17.1 million USD. This is a significant jump from the previous year, when $19 million CAD was spent on email advertising that appears on desktop, laptop, mobile phones and other Internet-connected devices.

Email advertising spend is expected to continue growing by double-digit numbers this year, with 10% growth -- and is expected to finish 2016 at an estimated $24 million.

Although the email ad-spend market will continue to grow, its growth rate will steadily decline over the coming years. eMarketer predicts 8% growth for 2017, followed by a 7% growth in 2018 and a 6.1% growth in 2019.

The growth of email ad spend in Canada has come despite the introduction of CASL in 2014. The legislation, which went into effect on July 1, 2014, applies to any “Commercial Electronic Message” (CEM) sent from or to computers and devices in Canada.

Examples of CASL consent violations include: not having a clear unsubscribe process, failure to explain the type of content they would send to potential subscribers, and not providing a physical address on email collection pages.

Although CASL was originally an impediment for email marketers reaching Canadian audiences, eMarketer asserts that it has since resulted in cleaner email lists and improved email marketing performance.

For any marketer interviewing potential vendors, it is essential to double-check that the company complies with any regional or national anti-spam legislation. The repercussions could be insurmountable.

In Canada, failure to comply with CASL can result in a fine of up to $10 million per violation. There is a transition period until 2017 for marketers to ensure their lists are in compliance with the law.