Search for content of interest

  • About
  • ServiceS
    • Branding
    • Innovation
    • Naming
    • Strategy
    • Research
    • Design
  • Work
  • Insights
  • News
  • LOCATIONS
    • Shanghai
    • Paris
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia

CN FR
  • About
  • ServiceS
    • Branding
    • Innovation
    • Naming
    • Strategy
    • Research
    • Design
  • Work
  • Insights
  • News
  • LOCATIONS
    • Shanghai
    • Paris
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
CONTACT

EN

  • CN
  • FR

Home Insights Our Thinking Detail

EXPERTISE

  • Research
Contact Us

Brand Potential: Is there a Brand Canada?

With the celebration of Canada’s 143rd birthday last week and the upcoming G8/G20 summits in Toronto later this month, Canada has recently received a lot of attention in international media. The question being asked domestically is centered on its national identity; specifically, people want to know: does Canada have a “brand” and brand potential that it can export overseas?

Place or nation branding is not a new or foreign concept. Often, cities and countries launch big budget advertising campaigns to attract economy-boosting tourism. These advertisements present the location as having something unique to offer; in this way, they attractively differentiate the place from the areas around it. For example, Malaysia highlights its multi-culturalism and diversity with “Malaysia, truly Asia”, Australia’s tagline is There’s nothing like Australia”, to name a few. Beyond these campaigns, countries can also build their brands over time by linking their names with certain quality products. France is associated with couture fashion, and Japan with electronic gadgets. With high expectations stemming from these associations, brands can collect premiums on these products and maximize their brand potential.

Canada’s brand can be said to be constructed on three main pillars—its excellence in agricultural production, protective economic policies, and a reputation for peace-making and stability.

1. Agriculture


If the recent “Canadian Corridor” is any indication, Canada’s idyllic landscape is a top seller. The $1.9 million indoor pavilion was built for the media center at the G20 summit; it simulates a Canadian cottage, with an indoor lake and dock, a Muskoka chair and even the sound of calling loons. Evidently, Canada wishes to highlight the fertility of its natural environment to the press. By extension, this also sheds light on its agricultural industry.

In addition, “Branding Canada” is an initiative sponsored by the AAFC (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) to boost Canada’s reputation for high-quality food products that are safe, fresh and natural. In order to increase the sales and profile of Canadian food and agriculture products, it encourages Canadian brands and companies to plaster Canadian flag graphics on their domestically manufactured goods.

2. Financial Security


Other than agriculture, Canada also boasts the title of the world’s soundest financial sector, as rated by the World Economic Forum. Its protective government policies have kept its own market stable during periods of economic crisis. It also has a unique access to the North American market through NAFTA.

Last week, The New Yorker magazine revealed that all the ads in the edition coinciding with the G8 and G20 summits were bought by Canadian companies and paid for by various federal, provincial and local government departments. These advertisements, which invited foreign investments through boasts of clean energy industries, serve as proof of the Canadian government’s close involvement with fiscal matters.

3. Peace, Order and Good Government


Canada’s international reputation seems to be glowing: a recent international survey commissioned by the Historica-Dominion Institute reports that 77% of Chinese and 53% of the world’s “24 leading economies” would immigrate to Canada if given the choice. Stated reasons were its “quality of life,” “tolerance of people from different racial and cultural backgrounds,” “welcoming of immigrants,” and “respect of rights and freedoms.”

Canada’s reputation for such friendliness and harmony may have to do with its historical roots. The value of “peace, order and good government” comes directly from its Constitution Act of 1867. Compared to the US, which also celebrated their national day this month, Canada was founded not on revolution, but on a union between four founding provinces. This may explain the difference between autonomy-loving Americans, and cooperation-minded Canadians.

The findings of this survey, however, might need to be interpreted carefully. Countries with the highest percentages of positive responses towards Canada consisted of second world countries like China, Mexico, India and Turkey. Countries like the USA, Japan and Sweden actually had much lower positive responses. Furthermore, as an organization centered on spreading “greater knowledge and appreciation of Canadian history,” the Historica-Dominion Institute is not exactly an objective source.

Just as companies can profit considerably from investing in brand equity, so too can countries gain political, economic and international leverage from enriching their “brands.” Canada’s brand seems to be hinged on the core idea of dependability in both in its food production quality and government policies. But is this idea differentiating and relevant enough to sustain international interest and appeal? In the current global climate, it appears to be, but Canada must continue to work on its brand in the years and decades to come to maintain its position as a preferred nation brand worldwide and maximize its brand potential.

  • SHARE
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
BACK

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest insights, tips, and trends in branding, naming and innovation.

Related Article




Brand Identity: How To Pick a Great Colour Palette and Make Sure It Stays Great in Print

Color plays a pivotal role in shaping brand identity, influencing emotional responses, and leaving lasting impressions on consumers. According to a Loyola Maryland Univer…

Building Brand Resilience: Takeaways from FUSE Miami 2016

Global Branding Agencies and B2C brands worldwide recently gathered at a singular event. The backdrop: Nobu Eden Roc, Miami. The central theme: Leveraging 'Design as a St…

How to Create a Good Brand Name? – Use 4 Facets Branding Model as a Guiding Tool of Brand Naming

IntroductionAt Labbrand, we consider a good brand name needs to meet 3 basic criteria: easy to communicate, attractive to consumers, and representing the brand. While all…

The Value of Employer Branding: Building Nimbler, More Responsive Brands from the Inside Out

“No matter the industry or the fact that a brand is product or service, B2B, B2C, or B2B2C-oriented, its brand promise lives and dies by its employees and their ability t…

Multi-Brand Strategy in the Modern Market

We all know that our lifestyle is filled with a large number of branded products, but you may not realize that many of the most commonly used product brands—Crest toothpa…

Dairy Brand Naming: Innovative Strategies for Plant-Based Dairy Brands

The Rise of Plant-based DairyFrom almond, soy, macadamia to coconut, plant-based dairy is one of the most developed plant-based food categories globally. Before, plant-ba…

Best Brand Tagline: The Secret of Building an Emotional Bond with Your Consumers

Another “Singles Day” is here. The creator of this shopping fest, Tmall, has begun a variety of exciting promotions since the beginning of October. Among these, one of th…

Unlocking the Art of Condominium Naming with the Top Singapore Branding Agency

Most probably don’t know that buildings' naming in Singapore follow a comprehensive set of guidelines established by SBNB, the Street and Building Names Board. As a multi…

Ready to take your brand to new heights?

Let's start a conversation.
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CAREERS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Labbrand Group
  • Labbrand
  • Madjor
  • SpringPillar

* Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy

A Labbrand Group Company © 2005-2025 Labbrand All rights reserved

沪ICP备17001253号-3
  • Follow us:
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

Contact us to get the latest insights, tips, and trends in branding, naming, and innovation.

* Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy

Cookie Notice

To improve your experience, we use cookies to provide social media features, offer you content that targets your particular interests, and analyse the performance of our advertising campaigns. By clicking on “Accept” you consent to all cookies. You also have the option to click “Reject” to limit the use of certain types of cookies. Please be aware that rejecting cookies may affect your website browsing experience and limit the use of some personalised features.

Accept Reject