Report on Data 2025

Since 2004, the Canadian Media Usage Study (CMUST) has tracked the changing media habits of Canadians – and how the industry has evolved in tandem. The 22^nd edition will continue to review how Canadians consume content and the expansion in their media choices.  It will also highlight some key trends that have begun to reshape the industry – for consumers, marketers, media producers and sellers.

Speaker: Matt Devlin, Managing Director – Marketing Science, PHD

The Future of Information: Towards A Connected Media & Consumer Measurement Ecosystem

This paper describes a new cross-media and consumer behaviour database that is anchored by a complete household level foundation providing a privacy compliant, hyper-local ‘truth set’ offering a fully connected media ecosystem. The database, called Vividata Spatial, levels the playing field for cross media planning and allows unparalleled targeting and activation.  The novel weighting methodology leverages high-quality survey as the Identigraph to ‘translate’ other databases, including currency media measurement, first-party, third-party, transactional, or deterministic data, all modeled to the household level. This approach can be replicated across other global markets; examples from Canada are presented.

Speaker: Pasquale (Pat) A. Pellegrini, President & CEO, Vividata, Canada

This session will unveil the newest evolution of media attribution in Canada, exploring a modern framework for achieving true, closed-loop measurement for TV advertisers. It will deconstruct the methodology required to deterministically link large-scale linear and connected TV viewership with real-world, SKU-level purchase data in a privacy-compliant environment.

Retail media is rewriting the playbook for performance and brand building in Canada. Get a first look at new findings from the Retail Media Report, then hear how leaders are connecting retail data, on-site and in-store placements, and premium off-site inventory to real sales outcomes. We will cut through buzzwords, compare what actually scales, and show how privacy, creative, and measurement come together to move product. 

Moderated by Paolo Lacuna, Content Strategy Director, IAB Canada

Panelists:

• Gautham Pingali, Chief Media Officer, WPP Media
• Graham Edward, Sr. Director, US Emerging Brands & Canada Ad Sales, Instacart
• Melissa Savage, Director, Media Services, Air Miles
• Ryan Fuss, Chief Revenue Officer, Stingray Advertising

Data collaboration is enabling advertisers, publishers and agencies to measure real campaign outcomes across a wide range of media channels, including those that have previously been harder to measure.  This presentation will provide real examples of how this is happening in Canada, right now. In addition, as agentic AI adoption accelerates, David will explain why companies that want to succeed in the next 3 years will invest in strong data foundations, collaboration capabilities, technology, and governance today.

Speaker: David Phillips, Chief Media & Activation Officer, Environics Analytics

In this candid conversation, Sonia Carreno, President of IAB Canada, sits down with Andrea Cook, CEO of Jam CRM, to explore what’s really happening on the ground in Canada’s data ecosystem. Together, they’ll unpack emerging trends in data management, the evolving definition of CRM, and the challenges that keep data leaders up at night. The discussion will also look ahead to the next 12 months, highlighting the innovations, opportunities, and mindset shifts shaping the future of data-driven marketing in Canada.

Speakers:

• Andrea Cook, CEO, JAM CRM
• Sonia Carreno, President, IAB Canada

Attention shifts fast, but budgets often lag. This session translates where Canadians actually spend time into smarter allocations across premium video, news, audio, live sports, and the open internet. Expect practical guidance on identity in a post-cookie world, de-duplicated reach, attention signals that matter, and the analytics that tie it all to business outcomes. 

Moderated by Brian Batenburg, Head of Digital Advertising Sales, Globe Media Group, The Globe and Mail

Panelists:

• Lindsey Hanley, COO, Native Touch
• Rose Hutchison, Senior Director of Advanced Advertising & Insights, Rogers Sports & Media
• Spencer Charters, Head of Data Partnerships, Canada, The Trade Desk
• Wanda Fong, Country Director, Meta Global Business Group, Meta

• Drinks & passed canapés