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Faces & Markets of PRGN: Toronto, Canada: Diversity is Our Strength

The information in this post originally appeared on Public Relations Global Network’s blog.

We are pleased to share the next post in a series of in-depth profiles of key international markets written by one of our PRGN partners.

Faces and Markets of PRGN is a series of blog posts in 2024 that puts Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) member agencies and their markets in the spotlight.

In this next blog post in the series, David Wills, senior vice president of Media Profile, describes the business and communications environment in Toronto and offers advice on navigating the Canadian market.

Business environment in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and is home to the most corporate head offices in the country. Toronto is a rapidly growing city. The skyline is filled with construction cranes and there are numerous transit expansion projects underway. Businesses draw on a large and diverse talent pool, especially in financial services, technology and life sciences. The suburban communities have a vibrant manufacturing base.

Communications, media and PR market in Toronto

Most large and mid-sized Canadian PR and communications firms are headquartered in Toronto. Media Profile is one of the largest independent firms in Canada. Canada’s main media companies are headquartered in Toronto, and the city is home to a vibrant film industry. This creates a large pool of talent for all marketing, PR, advertising and communications companies.

Key expertise of Media Profile

Media Profile has the largest presence in supporting public infrastructure projects in Canada.

Media Profile is well known for supporting international brands in Canada including Honda, Acura, Starbucks, Home Depot, OpenTable, Kayak and Uber.

As a 50+ employee firm, the agency has strong capabilities in consumer, corporate, B2B and issues management.

Top 3 advice for foreign companies to navigate the media and communications environment in Canada

Canada has a high concentration of media ownership, with fewer than 10 companies controlling virtually all media. Understanding the nuances of regional differences and having solid relationships with media is critical for securing interest.

To secure interest from French language media in Quebec, it is best to have Francophones in Quebec to pitch your story ideas.

While we maintain close and friendly relationships with the United States, Canadians have different interests and priorities. Media are no different and require a tailored approach, even with popular U.S. story angles.

Most influential media for corporate communication in Toronto & Canada

Globe & Mail: Canada’s national newspaper. The Globe is considered the country’s most authoritative business and news outlet.  (Online: 6,877,000 Print, Weekday: 2,592,000, Print, Weekend: 1,713,000)

National Post: Another national newspaper, it is considered to be more political (conservative) than the Globe & Mail. The majority of its readers are in western Canada. (Online: 3,590,000 Print: 1,761,000)

Toronto Star: Based in Toronto, it is part of TorStar Group, which owns several daily newspapers in Toronto. This means its stories often appear in numerous papers. It is best known for its consumer and lifestyle coverage, but also has a business section that covers stories about non-publicly traded companies. (Online: 6,998,000 Print, Weekday: 1,563,000, Print, Weekend: 1,780,000)

CTV: Canada’s largest private broadcaster, it owns several local stations, a 24-hours news channel and has a national station as well. It’s parent company, Bell Media, also owns a specialty business channel BNN, which supplies all business coverage to CTV. (Weekday: 824,000, weekend: 1,141,200)

CBC: Canada’s public broadcaster. It has both radio and television in both French and English. CBC has very strong national political coverage and has a mandate to cover stories from more remote parts of the country. (Viewership: 550,000)

Most influential media for consumer communication in Toronto & Canada

Daily Hive (online)

• Impressions/social following: 403,000 impressions, (484,000 Instagram) 
• Syndicates to 6 additional regional outlets resulting in 2,034,000 combined impressions
• Daily Hive is a Canadian-born online news source, established in 2008, that creates compelling, hyperlocal content. Daily Hive embraces the unique qualities that exist in a city, and reports it to produce genuine conversation among communities. With unique thematic channels, such as Dished, Mapped, and Urbanized, Daily Hive delivers top-tier information to its local audience and advertisers in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, Seattle, and Portland.

National Post, Shopping Essentials (online)

• Impressions/social following 3,590,000 impressions, (102,000 Instagram)
• Syndicates to 101 additional outlets resulting in 17,565,000 combined impressions
• Access in-depth reviews, product breakdowns and everything you need to make informed shopping decisions

Yahoo! Canada Lifestyle (online)

• Impressions/social following: 175,000 impressions (77,300 Instagram)
• Syndicates to 4 additional outlets resulting in 6,812,000 combined impressions
• Yahoo! Canada Lifestyle is the go-to source for all things shopping, deals and sales, as well as news on royals, celebrities, health, and more.

House & Home (online and print)

• Impressions/social following: 580,000 (online), 1,471,000 (Magazine), 2,597,000 (e-edition) 495,000 (Instagram)
• Discover dramatic makeovers and learn about the hottest new furniture, fabrics and accessories. Watch episodes of H&H Video and get expert tips on design, renovation and DIY projects, plus recipes and ideas for entertaining with style.

ELLE Quebec (online and print)

• Impressions/social following: 165,000 (online), 346,000 (Magazine), 771,000 (e-edition), 57,000 (Instagram)
• ELLE Quebec invites French Canadians to discover the latest trends in women’s fashion, beauty, entertainment, decor and more.

The most popular social media channels in Canada

• YouTube: 33.10 million (84.6% of population)
• Facebook: 26.59 million (73.4% of population)
• LinkedIn: 23.7 million (58.9% of population)
• Instagram: 20.65 million (57% of population)
• TikTok: 14.89 million (41.1% of population)
• X: 14.31 million (39.5% of population)
• Pinterest: 12.14 million (33.5% of population)

Most important international events in Canada

Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada annual conference: PDAC: The World’s Premier Mineral Exploration & Mining Convention is the leading event for people, companies and organizations connected to mineral exploration. The annual award winning PDAC Convention in Toronto, Canada, brings together up to 30,000 attendees from over 130+ countries for its educational programming, networking events, business opportunities and fun. Today, it is the event of choice for the world’s mineral industry hosting more than 1,100 exhibitors and 700 speakers.

Luminato Festival Toronto is an international arts festival dedicated to big, bold contemporary works of art that cut across traditional artistic boundaries of music, dance, theatre, and visual art. Originally created to help Toronto rebuild after the SARS epidemic, Luminato works at the intersection of artists, spectators, and city spaces to produce once-in-a-lifetime experiences that highlight the very best of our city, region, and country.

Toronto Caribbean Carnival: Typically held the first weekend of August each summer, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival is the largest parade and festival outside of the Caribbean.

Canadian National Exhibition: Held the last two weeks of August until Labour Day, the CNE maintains its roots as an agricultural fair, but has added themes of innovation and progress over time. It also has a midway with carnival rides and games, along with a steady cadence of top musical entertainers.

For more statistics on Ireland and to download the author’s full bio and market report, click here.

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