How Canadian marketers can lead through economic uncertainty
Aug 01, 2025
Council
Media
Lessons from the CMA Media Council
Amid economic uncertainty and shifting consumer sentiment and behaviour, Canadian marketers are being called to lead with strategic clarity and long-term vision. This article outlines key considerations, from navigating risk-averse leadership and balancing brand vs. performance, to rethinking traditional TV buying and supporting Canada’s influencer and media ecosystems.
With a “Buy Canadian” mindset gaining traction and performance metrics under scrutiny, marketers must focus on effectiveness over efficiency, invest in resilience, and elevate their role in business decision-making. The path forward demands creativity, accountability, and a renewed commitment to building a stronger, more representative Canadian media landscape.
1. Understanding the economic backdrop: A storm marketers can’t ignore
Canadian marketers are facing a multifaceted crisis: household debt is at record highs, consumer confidence has plummeted 32 per cent in just three months, and trade tensions (especially around tariffs) are driving both policy and perception shifts. Inflationary pressures, stagnant GDP growth, and a declining housing market are reshaping consumer behaviour and influencing where and how brands choose to show up.
Among the most striking trends:
- Shift to debt repayment and budgeting: Consumers are prioritizing essential goods and cutting back on discretionary spending.
- Buy Canadian sentiment: National pride, exacerbated by political tensions, is leading consumers and retailers to favour homegrown products. Some retailers have even pulled U.S. goods entirely from shelves.
For marketers, this means rethinking not only product positioning but also where to place their media dollars and how to connect with consumers navigating economic stress. Supporting local ecosystems, whether through retail, influencers or media channels, is becoming both a strategic and socially attuned imperative.
2. Marketers as change agents: Overcoming resistance in risk-averse environments
In today’s volatile business landscape, marketers have a vital role to play as change agents, navigating complexity, guiding brand strategy, and helping organizations adapt. Yet, many face increasing resistance from risk-averse leadership. While the ambition to lead transformational growth is strong, there's a noticeable tendency across industries to retreat into “safe” strategies that prioritize short-term gains.
Now is not the time to pull back. In fact, this is a pivotal moment to lean in and futureproof the brand. The pressure to deliver quarterly results often leads to reduced brand investment in favour of performance metrics that offer immediate, measurable returns. However, this short-termism can undermine long-term growth.
History offers powerful lessons: brands that maintained or increased investment during downturns (Kellogg’s during the Great Depression, for instance) frequently came out stronger on the other side. It’s essential for marketers to advocate for a balanced approach between brand and performance. This means not only defending brand budgets but articulating the long-term value of brand-building with confidence, backed by data and historical precedent.
Marketers should partner closely with finance leaders to reframe marketing as a growth engine—not a cost centre—by aligning on shared, long-term business objectives. The future belongs to brands that invest in resilience and relevance, especially when others are pulling back.
3. Performance pressures and the risk of analysis paralysis
Performance marketing remains front and centre, but many agree the pendulum has swung too far. The industry is caught in a cycle of “analysis paralysis,” where fear of making the wrong move leads to no action at all, which is arguably a greater risk.
To combat this, a blend of measurement and mindset shifts should be considered:
- ROAS-driven planning: Use real-time data to inform spend decisions and assess actual revenue outcomes, not just click-through rates.
- Scenario planning: Develop “base,” “lean” and “growth” media plans that can flex with macroeconomic shifts.
- Creative optimization with AI: Use generative tools to scale creative outputs and adjust messaging in-flight.
- Audience-first planning: Invest in first-party data and clean rooms to maximize the value of every impression.
- Media Mix Modeling: Highlight the halo effect of brand investment and move beyond flawed last-touch attribution models.
Ultimately, marketers need to strike a balance, combining performance precision with brand storytelling and agility. This is not just about cutting spend, but about reallocating it toward more resilient, high-impact strategies. Elevating marketing’s role in business planning, particularly in partnership with finance, is key to achieving this balance.
4. Rethinking tradition: The shifting role of TV in a digital-first era
As media consumption habits evolve, so too must the marketing playbook. Traditional practices like annual TV upfronts are increasingly under the microscope. With the rise of connected TV (CTV), marketers now have access to more flexible, measurable and targeted options. This shift is prompting critical questions around what makes sense from a strategic and financial perspective.
CTV offers the ability to optimize in near real-time, reach more precise audiences, and tie impressions more directly to performance outcomes. In contrast, traditional linear buying models often lock advertisers into rigid frameworks that can be hard to adapt in today’s fast-moving landscape.
In response, agencies are exploring new models like principal buying, which promise more agility and cost-efficiency. But these innovations bring their own complexities and risks. The growing use of proprietary inventory and bundled offerings has underscored a core industry concern: transparency. Without clear visibility into pricing, inventory quality and measurement standards, marketers can’t be sure they’re getting true value. As one leader aptly noted, “We must understand what we're really buying, especially when impressions aren't always ‘apples to apples.’”
It’s not just about cheaper impressions. It’s about ensuring media delivers meaningful outcomes, not just metrics. Efficiency shouldn’t mean compromise. But it does demand greater scrutiny, smarter questions, and a willingness to challenge legacy models. As media continues to fragment and digital convergence accelerates, marketers must stay proactive, balancing innovation with accountability to ensure every dollar works harder and smarter.
5. Influencer marketing in a polarized world
Perhaps no area has been more uniquely impacted by current tensions than influencer marketing. With a growing "Buy Canadian" mentality, Canadian influencers have been facing backlash when promoting American brands or traveling south of the border. Simultaneously, monetization constraints, like lack of shopping functionality on trending social apps, are limiting creator income and brand access.
Here are some suggestions to consider:
- Support local talent: Brands should view Canadian influencers as small businesses and invest in longer-term, strategic partnerships.
- Rethink metrics: Focus on engagement and community over pure follower counts.
- Streamline operations: Develop efficient models to manage influencers.
- Diversify platforms: Explore newer or niche channels like Twitch or LinkedIn to meet specific demographic needs.
Just as influencer partnerships should reflect Canadian values, so too should media strategies: prioritize local publishers, platforms and creators where possible. As content consumption shifts, the stakes for social-first strategies are only growing.
6. Guiding marketers forward
The path ahead is undoubtedly complex, but a few principles can help marketers navigate:
- Don’t just chase efficiency, pursue effectiveness. Evaluate where dollars are misused, not just where they can be cut.
- Elevate marketing’s role. Strengthen relationships between CMOs and CFOs to embed long-term thinking into financial decision-making.
- Invest in resilience. Scenario planning, agile creative and brand storytelling all help navigate instability without compromising impact.
- Build Canadian ecosystems. From creators to commerce, supporting local doesn’t just reflect consumer sentiment; it futureproofs the industry.
Final word
Canada’s marketing leaders have a unique opportunity and responsibility to lead their organizations through turbulent times with integrity, foresight and creativity. By focusing not just on the “how much” but the “how well,” Canadian marketers can shape a media ecosystem that is more resilient, more representative and ready for what comes next, both at home and on the global stage.
Authors:
Fiona Karl, Director, Marketing, Sun Life Financial
Allie Diep, Agency Development Lead, LinkedIn Technology Canada Inc.
With contributions from CMA Media Council members
