Strategy’s annual Brands of the Year process begins with a search for companies that have spent the past few years building strong and unique identities for their brands, using business savvy, a clear vision and imaginative marketing. We then come up with a long list of candidates and ask industry experts for their input.
This year our winners are Telus, Mini, Cineplex and Procter & Gamble. They all stand out in their sectors for devising ingenious and entertaining ways to reach their audiences, and have been rewarded by strong consumer response. But our overall winner just has to be P&G, which has achieved a major shift in its consumer messaging, incorporating a new emotional resonance into its previously rational approach to marketing. It turns out that an awful lot can be done with a smile…
And the winners are:
Procter & Gamble – P&G’s innovation with a smile
Mini Canada – Maximizing the Mini
