Strategy Online

A Canadian first for L'Oréal Canada. Stéphane Bérubé has been named president and CEO of the company’s Canadian operations, becoming the first Canadian to hold the role. The move follows more than two decades with L’Oréal, including senior roles in Canada and Western Europe, and comes as the company continues to post growth globally and across North America. More here: https://lnkd.in/ewT4JpSY

We're excited to announce that Brendan Christie has taken on the role of editor-in-chief for Strategy Online and Media in Canada. His thoughts on his new gig? "The industry is changing quickly, and our job is to change with it: to stay relevant, useful and connected to what people need. That means continuing to cover the work, the strategy, the business shifts and the cultural changes that shape marketing in Canada, while also listening more closely to the people who navigate it every day." Get in touch with him at bchristie@brunico.com. https://lnkd.in/ebMgpFns

A pair of notable marketer moves in Canadian CPGs: Patrick Tremblay has joined Labatt Breweries of Canada as VP of Beyond Beer after 14 years at PepsiCo, where he most recently led tea, coffee and energy brands including Pure Leaf, Lipton, Brisk, Starbucks and Rockstar. And Paloma Bentes, MBA, The Hershey Company Canada’s head of marketing, is moving to Hershey’s Pennsylvania headquarters as senior director of sweets and refreshments after a year leading the brand’s Canadian marketing team. More here: https://lnkd.in/e3XiacE5

Omnicom’s PR integration is taking clearer shape in Canada. Greg Power has been named CEO of OPR Canada, effective July 1, overseeing Golin, Ketchum, Weber Shandwick and FleishmanHillard Canada in the market. The move follows Omnicom’s broader PR restructuring after its IPG acquisition, including plans to combine Golin and Ketchum and fold Porter Novelli into FleishmanHillard. For Canada, it points to a more centralized PR structure, with fewer silos across agency brands while still maintaining their individual positioning. Read the story here: https://lnkd.in/dsAgaE2G

Dunkin’ is making another run at Canada. Foodtastic has signed a master franchise agreement with Inspire Brands to relaunch the coffee and donut chain nationwide, with plans for hundreds of locations and the first stores expected before year-end. The move sets up another major challenger in one of Canada’s most competitive QSR categories, where Tim Hortons and Starbucks currently dominate consumer habits and market share. One interesting wrinkle: while Leo Burnett leads Dunkin’s creative in the U.S., Publicis Groupe Canada confirmed neither it nor Leo Toronto will handle the Canadian business due to a conflict with Starbucks. The bigger question may be whether Canadians are looking for another coffee chain, or simply more competition in the category. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e7iSzNEb

PepsiCo Canada has officially named Shirley Mukerjea as CMO for foods, tapping a longtime company marketer with deep experience across both global brand transformation and core consumer brands. Mukerjea steps into the role after nearly two decades with PepsiCo, where she most recently helped lead the company’s global “pep+” sustainability and corporate brand work. She now oversees a Canadian foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Tostitos, Miss Vickie’s and Quaker. The appointment also follows last year’s departure of former PepsiCo Canada CMO Jess Spaulding to a U.S.-based leadership role focused on master brands and portfolio transformation. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eBCDT3Gn

Your work soared high. Land it on the podium. ✈️⁠ ⁠ Strategy’s #AOY has been recognizing Canada’s top agencies since 1989. It’s the award that gets noticed by clients, appears in pitch decks and helps agencies stand out when it matters most.⁠ ⁠ One week left to register across Creative, PR, Media, Digital, Design and more, including the new Small Design AOY category.⁠ ⁠ 📅 Register your intended campaigns by May 13⁠ 📝 Entry guidelines: https://lnkd.in/e7mDUaEb ⁠ #strategymagazine #AOY26

GUT Toronto is promoting Ryan O'Hagan to CEO as it looks to scale its creative ambitions and expand Glory, its in-house production model. Since launching in 2021, O’Hagan has helped grow the agency into a creative contender, with work for brands like Tim Hortons and Stella Artois, and a Cannes Lion-winning musical. Now the focus turns to Glory, which has evolved into a cross-network production offering spanning digital, social, AI and data. More on what this means for Gut’s next phase: https://lnkd.in/guuq3hTe

An independent agency is making a bold bet on where marketing dollars are heading. The Hive is shutting down its traditional advertising services to focus entirely on experiential and field marketing, saying in-person brand experiences have become its fastest-growing business across Canada and the U.S. Chairman Andy Krupski tells strategy the move formalizes a business that already represents 80% to 90% of revenue, with future investment going toward execution, analytics and ROI measurement. The bigger takeaway: as pressure grows on performance and attention gets harder to win, some independents are choosing live experiences over conventional campaign models. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ekbX7hXz

📣 Inside the Advertising jury room at the 104th #MarketingAwards.  Co-Chairs Krista Webster, President & CEO at Veritas Communications, Stagwell, and Carlos Moreno, Partner & Chief Creative Officer at Broken Heart Love Affair, share their take on what great #advertising means today and how it has evolved over the past decade. Are we relying too heavily on data? Is the industry adapting fast enough? From the balance of data vs. instinct to changing audience behaviour, they share sharp, honest perspectives on what is working and what still is not. ICYMI: The Advertising shortlist is here! Get your outfit ready and see you at the show.  🎉 📅 June 3 @ Rebel | Toronto 🎟️ Get tickets and explore all shortlists here: https://lnkd.in/emmeVM7g #strategy #Canada #2026