French-first marketing means designing your communication in Québec French, then deciding whether an English version is useful, not the other way around. You can hear the difference immediately: a slogan conceived in French has rhythm, a translation rarely does. For a business selling in Montréal, it is often the cheapest and most visible change it can make.
This service ideally builds on an established growth strategy, so the messages serve a clear offer.
Who this service is designed for
Three profiles come up often. First, Montréal businesses founded by English-speaking or bilingual teams, whose marketing was born in English. Second, businesses from outside Québec opening the Montréal market and needing to adapt their materials. Third, French-speaking businesses whose copy was written in a hurry and no longer reflects the quality of their service.
In all three cases the goal is the same: the French-speaking customer should feel they are being addressed directly.
What's included
The exact content depends on your plan, but an engagement usually covers:
- Message platform. Your value proposition, your three main arguments and your answers to objections, written in French, with their English equivalents.
- Google and Meta advertising. Ads, keywords and audiences designed in French, with separate groups for English searches where relevant.
- Social media. A posting calendar, templates and standard replies. According to Éducaloi, a business must offer its social media pages in French, and a comment written in French calls for a reply in French. We take that into account in your standard replies.
- Emails to existing customers. Follow-ups, seasonal reminders and after-service check-ins, written to be read on a phone.
- House glossary. A list of the terms your company uses in French, so the whole team writes the same way.
We don't carry out compliance audits. For your obligations, the OQLF pages for businesses are the reference, as of October 2026.
Typical timeline
| Period | What happens |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1 and 2 | Review of your current copy and an interview about your customers |
| Weeks 3 and 4 | Message platform and house glossary |
| Month 2 | Launch of the ads and the social calendar |
| Month 3 onward | Monthly adjustments based on results |
How we measure results
We compare before and after on simple indicators: click-through rate of the French ads, cost per enquiry, email reply rate, number of enquiries that mention a post. When you run in both French and English, we track the two languages separately, so you know which one brings in what.
A useful calculation: if an ad costs $2 per click and your page converts 5% of visitors, each enquiry costs about $40. Raising conversion to 7% with better copy brings that cost down to about $29, on the same budget.
Mistakes to avoid
- Translating the slogan. An English pun translated almost always loses its meaning. Better to write a new sentence.
- Using overly formal French. European French or an administrative register can feel distant in Montréal. We aim for local French that is clear and professional.
- Forgetting the replies. A polished post followed by an English reply to a French comment sends a mixed message.
- Measuring both languages together. Without separating them, you can't tell which version works.
- Neglecting the website. A French ad that lands on an English page loses the trust it earned. See our French-first website service.
An example of a rewrite
The difference between translating and writing in French is easiest to see in an example. Take a website header conceived in English, along the lines of "Your trusted partner for all your [service] needs". The literal translation, "Votre partenaire de confiance pour tous vos besoins en [service]", is correct but empty, and you read it everywhere.
A version conceived in French starts instead from what the customer wants to know: "[Service] à [borough or area], soumission en [timeframe]". It is shorter, more concrete, and it answers the customer's question. We apply this principle to every message: start from the Montréal customer's need, not from the English sentence.
Going further
Our guide on the Charter and your marketing sums up the public rules worth knowing. Monthly retainer prices are on the Pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Do you translate our English copy?
We start from your ideas, not your sentences. The copy is written directly in French, then adapted into English if needed. The result is more natural than a word-for-word translation.
Can you confirm that our advertising complies with the Charter?
No. We don't give legal advice. We point you to the rules the OQLF publishes and we write in French first; compliance is confirmed with the OQLF or a lawyer.
Do you run our social media day to day?
We can prepare a calendar, write the posts and define standard replies. Day-to-day posting can stay with you or be included in a monthly retainer, as set out in the proposal.
Is the advertising budget included in your prices?
No. The budget paid to Google or Meta is separate from our fees. The details are confirmed in writing in your proposal.
Sources
- Éducaloi: Language Laws and Doing Business in Quebec (2026-10-23)
- OQLF: Entreprises, droits et obligations (2026-10-23)