We have been reporting on Canada’s top 100 most valuable brands for more than decade. The ranking during this time, especially the top ten, has been reliable and sometimes even predictable. Strong, traditional, legacy brands form the bedrock of the Canadian brand economy, and accordingly, banks and telcos and have historically dominated the top ten. This reflects the Canadian economy generally: low-risk, conservative, and effective.

These traits have historically been a safeguard against economic crises; however, the pandemic has put forward a unique set of challenges for Canadian brands. Brands have been required to constantly adapt to shifting pandemic response policies. This manifested as a blessing in disguise for some sectors, and a quagmire of cutbacks and logistics for others. The typically reliable Canada Top 100 has never been more dynamic.

There is also some light at the end of the tunnel.

From 2020 to 2021, the aggregate value of the Top 100 Canadian brands fell by 1%. It was the first time that the brand economy decreased in value since we began our study . This year, we are happy to report that Canadian brands are back in the green, having grown in value by an average of 22%. Canadian brands (for the most part) are bouncing back.