Canadian consumer brands: an untapped mine?

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Roger Parry is a British entrepreneur in media, marketing and technology who has moved to Canada.

Canada tops the polls, like the one from the Reputation Lab, as the world’s most admired country. And it’s the most desired destination for people looking to relocate, according to the company 1st Move International. The Maple Leaf is in the top three most recognized flags. Canada sets the gold standard for positive national image. But search the 2025 Kantar BrandZ list of the world’s 100 most valuable consumer brands and the only entry from this country is Royal Bank of Canada.

Walk around any Canadian city and you see famous names. Air Canada, Bell, Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd., Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Rogers Communications Inc. and Shoppers. These commercial giants dominate the local market but barely make a dent in global consciousness.

It is argued that Canada’s home market is too small to grow big international brands. But the economy is about the same size as Italy, and they have global winners such as Gucci America Inc., Ferrari, Maserati and Pirelli. Or Sweden, one third the size of Canada in economic terms, can boast Electrolux, Ericsson Inc., Hennes & Mauritz AB, Ikea, Saab, Spotify and Volvo.

BlackBerry Ltd. had its global moment until the iPhone took over and the brand declined. Shopify Inc. is a hugely successful, homegrown world beater but it is a B2B technology solution. Thomson Reuters and Brookfield Renewable Partners LP have significant global presence as corporate owners but are not household names. Arc’teryx, Canada Goose, Lululemon Athletica Inc. and Roots successfully promote and exploit the Canadian lifestyle vibe but are relatively small, niche brands on the world stage.

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What appears to be the exception is Tim Hortons Inc., which is growing fast in India and China. Timbits are now on British menus. They proudly display and exploit their Canadian and hockey credentials. Tims may be on the verge of global brand breakthrough. We need more such brands. The potential is there for others to join them.

Canada’s heritage is in commodities. Beaver pelts, lumber, wheat, potash, steel, aluminum, oil and gas. Products that did not need branding. The skills of design, advertising and marketing were not central to success and have not been as prized here as in other countries.

It’s not just the soft skills of brand building – it is the financial approach. Amazon.com Inc., Apple and Google Inc. have a shared characteristic: They were supported by investors who, in the early stages, accepted periods of low or no profits to finance rapid brand building.

The more conservative approach of Canadian funds – seeking hard asset backing and solid cash flows to pay dividends – does not help local entrepreneurs build intangible, global consumer brands. What worked well for developing mines and oil fields is not the right approach for consumer goods and services. It is one reason Canadian brand owners often sell out early in their corporate lives.

For many decades, Canada has taken the easy road by supplying the vast American market. At the same time, it sheltered its own domestic retailers, banks and telcos, creating local giants. Canada helped fuel the growth of American brands whilst protecting its businesses at home. In some ways, it reflects Northrop Frye’s description of a “garrison mentality.” It worked well – until it did not.

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That north/south relationship has now been disrupted and may never return to the way it was. Canada needs to build on its resource-economy fundamentals and move to a new phase of national economic development – serving the world market with proudly Canadian products and services.

Consumer brands derive value from their image, emotion, heritage and origins. Canada’s strong national identity offers opportunities to attract consumers, much like Ikea and Volvo do with their Swedish roots.

Bombardier Inc. is not a consumer brand but is famous in the business aviation world for its quality engineering. It proves Canada can compete successfully in global markets. So why not a Canadian Bosch in the world’s kitchens, a Canuk beer in the world’s bars, Canadian cars replacing Tesla Inc. in European driveways or even a Canadian equal to Nespresso (Switzerland) or Red Bull (Austria) on the grocery beverage list. It is a matter of ambition and mindset not the restricted scale of the home market.

So come on Mark Carney. You lived in London – getting a feel for global markets. When Ottawa or the provinces are planning their next advertising campaigns, do not just think of tourism with vistas of geography and geology or confronting tariffs with quotes from Ronald Reagan.

Use the money to showcase Canadian brands. When meeting the pension funds remind them global growth needs their help – with a newfound tolerance for risk and an acceptance of low returns in the scale-up phase.

Canada has an enviable national image and some of the world’s biggest pension funds. It is time to leverage both to create world-class Canadian brands.