Trust and attention drive Canadian ad preferences, according to Kantar’s latest study, highlighting the enduring strength of customer experience and dominance of streaming and TV.
Today, Kantar, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company, released Media Reactions 2025, a global study of the media landscape based on interviews with more than 21,000 consumers and nearly 1,000 senior marketers. Media Reactions creates an essential diagnostic for brands navigating Canada’s evolving media landscape, providing a region-specific deep dive into where Canadians are most favorable to ads and how marketers are planning their media investments in the year ahead.
According to the 2025 results, the top Canadian media brands where consumers are most receptive to advertising include Sportsnet, Citytv, TSN, Pinterest, and CTV. These brands stand out for their ability to deliver trusted, relevant, and entertaining advertising experiences. Traditional media channels—especially newspapers, magazines, and cinema—continue to outperform digital and social platforms in advertising equity, driven by perceptions of trustworthiness and quality. However, digital channels such as Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) and Online Video (OLV) are gaining ground, particularly among younger audiences.
Scott Megginson, President, Kantar Canada, explains: “Canadian audiences are clear: trust and attention are the currency of effective advertising. Media brands that combine credibility with engaging, innovative formats and help marketers tailor content to channel are best positioned to capture consumer interest and grow their brands. As digital channels evolve, the challenge for marketers is to balance innovation with the enduring value of trusted environments while remembering that even within channel, media brand performance differs. Balance is key.”
Positive equity drivers differ across formats: newspapers and online magazines benefit from their trustworthiness, point-of-sale ads and social media news feeds are valued for their relevance and usefulness, while cinema, sponsored events, and social media stories score well on fun and entertainment.
Consumer vs. Marketer Media Platform Rankings 2025
Top-ranking media brands by preference, Canada
| Among consumers | Among marketers |
| Sportsnet |
YouTube |
| Citytv | Netflix |
| TSN | |
| Prime Video | |
| CTV | Disney+ |
Generational Differences
Advertising channel receptivity varies significantly across generations, reflecting differences in media preferences and engagement patterns. Generation Z shows the highest engagement with digital and innovative channels such as Digital OOH and online video (OLV), while still valuing traditional media like newspapers and cinema. Millennials (Gen Y) display a balanced approach, appreciating the trust and quality of traditional media alongside the innovative appeal of digital formats.
Generation X, on the other hand, favors traditional channels such as magazines, POS, and newspapers, but is also receptive to digital OOH, indicating a blended preference. Boomers too remain most responsive to traditional and in-person experiences, including sponsored events and POS advertising, with lower engagement in digital channels.
These generational insights underscore the need for advertisers to tailor strategies to align with each group’s media habits and receptivity, ensuring effective audience reach and engagement.
“With campaigns being most impactful among receptive audiences, understanding which channels and platforms resonate for your target audience is essential for growth, especially as marketer’s margin for error continues to shrink,” adds Megginson. “Kantar Media Reactions helps marketers make smarter media decisions and shape the future of advertising in Canada.”
To download Kantar’s 2025 Media Reactions visit: www.kantar.com/campaigns/media-reactions
About Kantar
Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data and analytics business and an indispensable brand partner to the world’s top companies. We combine the most meaningful attitudinal and behavioral data with deep expertise and advanced analytics to uncover how people think and act. We help clients understand what has happened and why and how to shape the marketing strategies that shape their future.
Methodology
Media Reactions 2025 is based on a survey of 21,300 consumers aged 16–65 in 30 markets, including 576 in Canada, conducted between 8 May and 5 August 2025. A global survey of 974 senior marketers (advertisers, agencies, media companies) conducted between 4 April and 15 June 2025.
To download Kantar’s 2025 Media Reactions report, visit: www.kantar.com/campaigns/media-reactions
For further information contact:
Anna Wilgan
anna.wilgan@kantar.com
201-421-5847