The Most Influential Brands in Canada, 2022

2022 was hardly the worst of times, but for many of the over 100 brands and 19 categories that Ipsos analyzed, it was a bumpy ride. However, even a market shakeout couldn’t keep Canada’s influential brands from outperforming the competition.

If brands weren’t already living in the age of continual adaptation, they certainly are now. Many extended their influence by expanding into fields with large fanbases, like live sports or podcasts. Nearly half of the brands in our Top 10 built out their audio streaming offerings, while spending on TV programming continued its sky high trajectory.

Influencer marketing became a key tool not just for reaching younger audiences, but for listening and holding two way conversations brand accountability was more consequential than ever. Meanwhile, digital experiences became more pervasive, more immersive, and more personal even as privacy concerns meant that brands had less identifiable data to work with.

As the market cap for the tech sector fell, it became clear that innovation for innovation’s sake was no longer sufficient. Canadians wanted innovations to be anchored in assistance, helpfulness and solving problems. But no matter the sector, brands needed to create an exchange of value that was meaningful.

In a year of diminished consumer spending and interlocking crises, successful brands needed to do more with less, while also connecting with Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z alike. Even as economic anxieties ran high, the influence equation boiled down to the fundamentals in 2022: Engagement, Trustworthiness, Leading Edge, Corporate Citizenship, Presence, and the two newly added dimensions, Empathy and Utility.

In our 2022 report, we take a deep dive into your Top 10 Most Influential Brands, the biggest Gainers, Influencers of note, and in some cases, how it differs by generation.

Be sure to also hear what the CMOs have to say - watch these interview videos here.