Our annual Brands of the Year issue begins with a boisterous internal debate, as we look back to see which companies have been building momentum and consistently doing things right – developing a strong brand identity through a combination of business savvy, clear vision and clever marketing. Then, with the help of industry experts, we whittle our long list of potential candidates down to five.
This year – still a financially challenging one – a diverse group rose to the top, from the speedy brand-building of Koodo, to Mark’s transformation and A&W’s emotional homerun, to two of Canada’s entertainment winners, Degrassi and TIFF, both of which surpassed all odds to achieve triumph on the world stage at age 30-something. We hope their stories inspire the kind of bold action required to make the A-list next year.

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A&W cooks up nostalgia
Degrassi keeps hitting the mark
Koodo makes a knockout entrance
Mark’s knows what works
TIFF takes the spotlight