Side hustlers are growing in Canada, and they can appeal to their Canadian customers with a .CA domain

Ottawa, ON – September 12, 2023 – After a year of flying across the country to help entrepreneurs and small business owners make the best choice when getting their business online, Bernard, CIRA’s persuasive goose now has his eyes set on Canadian side hustlers—he’s expanding his domain. A recent Royal Bank of Canada poll found that 84 per cent of Canadian Gen Z small-business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs are driven to start side hustles due to rising costs of living—it’s time for Bernard to extend a helpful honk. Bernard is a proud Canadian Goose and feels strongly that a .CA is the right choice for any Canadian business—especially Canadian Gen Z and Millennials in-the-midst of setting up a side hustle to supplement their income.

CIRA’s popular Choose success, choose .CA ad campaign is back for a second year and with four brand new videos designed to appeal to an untapped audience for .CA: Gen Z and Millennial side hustlers. In his persistent way, Bernard the goose insists Canadians should proudly show themselves as local and choose .CA over a .com domain. These videos highlight the common dilemma SMEs and side hustlers face when launching their brand online—which domain should I choose?

Well, Canadians are in for a honking good time. Starting today, CIRA debuts these brand-new videos across digital media channels and connected TV devices. Bernard takes side hustlers under his wing and builds on the success of his premiere performance in 2022. CIRA’s fully integrated campaign will expand to traditional broadcast TV, Spotify, Canadian SME Magazine and out-of-home advertising on October 2.

Award-winning agencies, G&G Advertising Inc., PUSH Media Inc., and Search Warrant, teamed up again with CIRA to bring the Listen to the Goose ad series to the Greater Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal areas.

Executive quotes

“If you are Canadian and have a side hustle or are thinking about starting one, look no further than getting a .CA domain. Truth is, Canadian’s prefer visiting .CA websites when online. And 85% of them prefer a .CA when supporting local businesses. So, what’s the best way to set up your side hustle online for success? A .CA domain of course. Listen to the goose.” – Paul Sarkozy, Marketing Director, .CA by CIRA

“Bernard the Goose is a proud symbol of Canada. Last year, his special blend of crankiness and pushiness (otherwise known as “Goose-itude”) persuaded small business owners to choose success by choosing a .CA. So, we brought him back again to let side hustlers know that Canadians prefer .CA over .com when supporting local businesses. He demands only red and white M&M’s on set, but he’s worth it.” – Alanna Nathanson, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, G&G

Additional resources 

Why Canadians trust .CA domain names
Why get a .CA domain – the definitive guide! 
Learn more about the .CA domain Canadian Presence Requirements

About CIRA 

CIRA manages the .CA top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. It also develops technologies and services—such as CIRA DNS Firewall and CIRA Canadian Shield—that help support its goal of building a trusted internet in Canada. The CIRA team operates one of the fastest-growing country code top-level domains (ccTLD), a high-performance global DNS network and one of the world’s most advanced back-end registry solutions.

About G&G Advertising 

G&G is a brand-building agency devoted to serving the brave ones. Those with an unwavering ambition to take the unconventional path in pursuit of outperforming their competition. By unearthing meaningful strategic perspectives, G&G brings brands to life in ways that stand out boldly in cluttered markets.