Change can be pretty intimidating, even when it’s change for good. We tend to fall in love with the status quo. It’s comfortable, after all. We know it. We know what’s coming next and we know how we’re going to handle it. But sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between a well-travelled road and a deep rut. One thing is certain: Canada has changed. Canadians have changed. We’re bigger, bolder and better than ever before. Our priorities are evolving, too, and with them, so too are the things we look for in a brand.
The five companies that topped strategy’s Brands of the Year list in 2023 definitely challenged the status quo. They made us think differently about things – whether that was the way we look at each other, the way we look at the planet, or the way we think of Canadians: Molson came up with a new approach that better reflects modern Canadian demographics; Goodee cut down waste by giving consumers access to way better stuff; Dove found heart-wrenching ways to challenge our preconceptions; Pizza Pizza fully embraced its mass appeal; and Decathlon opened more doors to participation in sports.
So, read on below, and see how our brand picks made all the difference.
