
Robin Whalen
President & CEO
Church+State
With strategy, creative, content, and media. From Montreal, Toronto, and beyond.
Let's talkAbout
Success is like making maple syrup. It's not enough to tap the trees, to collect the sap, buy the buckets and spouts, and to start the fire. You need all of it - every tree, every spout, every tool - to work together for one magical moment: when the sap reaches 219 degrees. That's when the raw and natural resource turns into the sweetest, richest syrup that everyone loves.
Group 219 is a network of specialist independent Canadian agencies seamlessly collaborating with the best tools and talent to create results for our clients. Forget tapping trees. We're tapping into something far more potent: the power of ideas and performance to fuel business growth.
Agencies
Our strength lies in the balance we've achieved between independence and interdependence. When it adds value for our clients, we come together -- bringing diverse expertise, fresh perspectives, and complementary skills -- to deliver something bigger. And sweeter. This partnership is rooted in trust, shared purpose, and a relentless drive to elevate our work for every client, on every project, in every possible way. Collaboration isn't just a practice. It's a mindset. It's not just what we do. It's how we think.
Montreal
Proudly rooted in Montreal’s South West, Substance is an independent and bold agency combining content, creation, and media to propel brands onto the national stage...
Toronto
Any ad can be a piece of content if it’s good enough. And any content can be an ad if it’s authentic enough. But creating something that blurs those lines? That takes more than skill...
President & CEO
Church+State
Founder
Church+State
Founder & President
Substance
Vice-President Operations / Partner
Substance
Creative Director
Church+State
Group Account Director, Strategic Product / Partner
Substance
Digital Performance Director / Partner
Substance
Group Account Director
Church+State
Group Creative Director
Church+State
Communications and Influencer Marketing Director / Partner
Substance
Account Director / Partner
Substance
VP Executive / Partner
Substance
Director of Strategy
Church+State
Digital Performance Director / Partner
Substance
Group Account Director / Partner
Substance
Account Director & Creative Product
Substance
Let’s be honest - strategy is the foundation of growth. Without it, content, creative, and media are just random, disjointed efforts that might impress, but won't deliver. Without strategic cohesion, the other tools of the trade won’t deliver the focused and efficient growth that clients demand and deserve. At Group 219, strategy isn’t just part of the process - it’s the spark that powers all marketing activities.
Our national team of strategists brings deep expertise across industries like retail, CPG, not-for-profit, financial institutions, automotive, and more. We’re not just thinkers. We’re insight-driven connectors. We dig deep into your brand, audience, and category, crafting strategies that ensure every piece of communication - whether they're internal OR external - works together seamlessly.
From brand strategy and positioning to communications planning, customer journey mapping, insight mining, market research, social strategy, analytics, AI virtual audiences, and trend reports, our strategy practice isn’t just supporting growth, it’s leading the charge.
Look around. Content is kinda everywhere. But it’s not just about pumping out social posts or cranking out videos. It’s about creating meaningful, engaging, and strategically aligned content that connects with the who, where, how: the people you want on their platforms in their preferred method of consumption. We don’t just create content. We craft stories that inspire action and strategies that deliver results.
From always-on social content across every platform imaginable to B2B white papers, recipe videos, brand podcasts, custom publishing, documentary films, and more, our content offering is as diverse as the audiences we reach. And then some.
Our national content team includes in-house creators, designers, producers, content strategists, and more. We also know that the best ideas don’t always live within our four walls, so we also partner with external creators and run end-to-end influencer programs featuring everyone from rising stars to A-list celebs and online icons.
Whether it’s driving entertaining engagement on TikTok and YouTube, crafting visual inspiration on Instagram, developing a binge-worthy podcast, or crafting a thought-provoking thought piece, we make content that captivates, inspires, and delivers results. Because the right content doesn’t just fill feeds, it fuels growth.
Any brand’s growth is driven by three things: a clear purpose, specific actions, products and services that reinforce that purpose, which also has to be communicated effectively to the world. Growth isn't a social media click-count. True growth happens when employees, partners, customers, and prospects adopt a brand’s passion, ideas, and narratives as their own, leading to higher acquisition, greater retention, and unbound loyalty. Not surprisingly, that adoption hinges on creativity.
People no longer vote with their wallets. They vote with their time. Winning that vote requires creative content that’s interesting enough, relevant enough, entertaining enough, timely enough, insightful enough, and “wow-I’ve-never-seen-that-before” enough to capture attention in a crowded, distracted world. That’s where our creativity comes in.
From traditional and digitally exclusive advertising and PR campaigns, brand creation, brand design, and brand re-design to film, customer experiences, point-of-sale, and social creatives, our fully bilingual and national team of creatives combines years of experience with passion and constant exploration. With some of the most respected talents in the industry, we deliver work that doesn’t just communicate what your brand believes, it moves people to believe in it, too.
Because, in a world full of noise, the brands that win are the ones worth listening to.
The medium is the message. And this is what it's saying: media is no longer just about placing ads. It’s about precision, impact, and accountability. Successful media doesn’t just amplify a message, it transforms it into measurable, meaningful business growth.
Our approach starts with thorough research and data-driven insights to identify the right audiences, on the right platforms, at the right time. From there, we build high-performing, intelligent campaigns that convert, whether it’s through media planning and buying, performance campaigns, or 360° strategies. Every decision is fuelled by data and constant optimization to ensure your media investment drives maximum ROI.
Many think it’s about the numbers. We think it's about influence. With cutting-edge tools like data management platforms (DMPs), attribution modelling, and advanced reporting, we ensure your brand doesn’t just show up. We ensure it stands out in all the right places.
Group 219 goes beyond planning campaigns to power connections. In today’s complex media landscape, success comes to those who turn precision into impact.
Clients
Group 219 thrives on partnerships with clients who share our passion for bold ideas, clear purpose, and transformative growth. We collaborate with some of the most dynamic brands and organizations across industries, including DoorDash, Dulux, GardaWorld, Google, Greenshield, Innovative Medicines Canada, METRO, RONA, Saputo, SICO, and many more. Clients that aren't afraid to take risks. Clients that challenge us to bring our best every day.
The clients we love to work with want an agency that both gets it AND gets it done. We take pride in being that partner. Because when every element—ideas, execution, and trust—comes together perfectly, that’s when the raw ingredients become sweet success.