As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to look back at a year of progress, collaboration, and innovation across Canada’s digital advertising industry. Explore the highlights, milestones, and moments that defined the past year for IAB Canada and our community.
Bill C-76, A Refresher for Election Advertising
A refresher to help our clients and stakeholders understand key provisions and rules in Bill C-76 that governs how to properly advertise during an election period.
Refresher – Emails Campaigns and Law 25
This brief explains that under Quebec’s Law 25, organizations must get clear and informed consent before collecting or using personal data – especially for email campaigns.
Shaping Canada’s Digital Future – Lessons Learned from the IAPP Conference 2025
As Canada’s digital policy landscape continues to evolve, IAB Canada weighed in on youth online safety and age assurance during a panel discussion with privacy experts.
Skills Lab: Addressing Canada’s Cultural Mosaic
Designed to help marketing professionals stay effective in reaching Canadians, the session explored why developing a multicultural strategy is essential, examined the shifting Canadian audience across regions, and shared best practices and tactical tips for modern media engagement.
The Business of Digital: Episode 32 - 2025: The Year of Connected TV
In the latest episode of Business of Digital, Sonia Carreno hosts Jon Finnie, Head of International Sales at Yahoo, to discuss the groundbreaking shifts in Connected TV (CTV) for 2025.
the Issue of Issues in Canadian Elections Advertising
IAB Canada and the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada hosted the Political Advertising in Canada event, where industry experts shared insights to help advertisers prepare for the next federal election in Canada. Below are the event presentations.
The State of Tariffs
President-Elect Trump’s proposed tariffs and what they mean for the Canadian digital advertising sector
The Age of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) in Advertising
The future of digital advertising is privacy-first. IAB Canada's new resource centre explains how Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) are enabling this shift.
IAB Canada at the Toronto Career Fair 2025
IAB Canada participated in the Toronto Career Fair to engage with aspiring and experienced professionals and deepen awareness of the wide range of career paths in digital advertising.
PST in British Columbia
British Columbia’s PST now applies to online marketplace facilitators who provide advertising for sellers on their platforms. Regular ad services outside these platforms are generally not taxed.
The Business Of Digital: Episode 33 - The Future of AR - Innovation and Advertising with Snap
In this episode of The Business of Digital, IAB Canada's Sonia Carreno sits down with Matt McGowan, General Manager of Snapchat Canada, for an insightful conversation on the latest trends in augmented reality, digital advertising, and brand innovation.
The Great Canadian Tech Trek
The Great Canadian Tech Trek brought insights from the Canadian Media Usage Study (CMUST) to members in Montreal, Halifax, and Vancouver.
The Mobile Gaming Ecosystem: How brands can win in 2025 and beyond
The gaming industry is evolving at a rapid pace, but one thing remains clear: mobile gaming is dominating the ecosystem.
What is the fate of DST?
Canada’s 3% DST targets large tech companies earning revenue in Canada. Strong U.S. opposition and political delays have put its future in doubt.
Harmonizing Retail Media: The 2025 In-Store Audio Playbook
In this playbook, we explore how in-store audio is emerging as a powerful and timely extension of the retail media ecosystem — equipping brands, retailers and agencies with fresh insight into how Canadians really engage in store, why audio matters at the point of purchase, and how to make that moment count.
Bill C-63 – Online Harms Act
IAB Canada monitored the progress of Bill C-63, which proposed sweeping regulations to address harmful content and protect youth.
Data Night Toronto: Unlocking the Power of CTV
IAB Canada hosted an unplugged evening focused on the rapidly evolving state of Connected TV (CTV) in Canada.
IAB Europe’s Responses to EDPB Guidelines on Pseudonymization
We responded to EDPB’s strict stance on pseudonymization, advocating for balanced privacy rules. Our brief called for flexibility to support responsible innovation.
Oh! The Impressions you can Make in DOOH
IAB Canada’s Digital Out-of-Home Committee has developed a visual explainer showcasing the power of DOOH. This resource covers everything from creative formats and audience engagement to buying methods.
Skills Lab: The Untapped Value of Retail Media
IAB Canada hosted a skills lab following research with the Retail Council of Canada that revealed a gap between media buyers’ measurement expectations and what retailers offer—despite retail media networks often over-delivering on value.
Enterprise 2025: We Need To Talk
Enterprise 2025 united over 200 industry professionals for a milestone IAB Canada event focused on collaboration, innovation, and Canada’s media identity.
IAB Canada Prepares for 2025 Election with Elections Canada
IAB Canada was working with Elections Canada to help advertisers follow rules during the 2025 federal election.
Unlock the Power of Multicultural Advertising with Our Visual Explainer
IAB Canada has developed a visual explainer on Multicultural Advertising - offering key insights, data, and strategies to engage diverse audiences effectively.
Enterprise Barometer Report 2025
The Enterprise 2025 Barometer captures the pulse of our community — a snapshot of how industry leaders see growth, innovation, and the road ahead. Based on the voices of this year’s participants, the report highlights a sector that remains optimistic, adaptive, and united in shaping a stronger, more resilient digital ecosystem for Canada.
IAB Canada's Outstanding Digital Citizenship Award 2025
IAB Canada celebrated the winners of its Outstanding Digital Citizenship Award 2025, recognising industry leaders who exemplify collaboration, innovation and integrity in the digital ecosystem.
Skills Lab: Mastering the (New) Basics
This edition provided a hands-on session to help media professionals strengthen their understanding of today’s evolving digital landscape.
IAB Canada Programmatic Landscape
Canada’s programmatic landscape is constantly evolving. To help the industry navigate it more easily, IAB Canada’s Programmatic Committee contributed to the development of this comprehensive programmatic landscape.
A Visual Guide to Get Started with Retail Media
IAB Canada has published a new visual explainer that helps advertisers quickly navigate the fundamentals of Retail Media.
Putting Creators at the Center of Your Marketing Strategy
In the past year, the creator economy has leapt into the mainstream. According to #paid’s Creator Economy Report, audiences now follow an average of 14 creators versus just 7 brands, and 87% of consumers see their favourite creators as trusted experts. Influencer marketing budgets are on track to grow by 14% in 2025, pushing total spend above $9 billion.
Bringing AI to Life with Microsoft
We explored how generative AI is reshaping the advertising landscape in a dynamic session hosted with Microsoft, highlighting how AI is driving new levels of creativity and supporting faster, smarter campaign execution.
State of the Nation Toronto
IAB Canada’s State of the Nation returned as a sold-out summit uniting advertisers, agencies, publishers, and tech leaders to examine the forces shaping Canada’s digital future.
Unlocking the Creator Economy – A Marketer’s Guide to Impactful Collaborations
We brought together industry leaders to share best practices, highlight emerging tools, and break down real-world campaigns, giving attendees a clear view of how organizations can work with creators as strategic allies.
Celebrating Canada
To mark Canada Day, we’re celebrating with a bold visual look at Canadian innovations that shape the future of digital media and advertising. Our latest infographic brings together key insights from Ad Revenue growth to investments in AI and the strength of our diverse population.
6 Bold Ideas from Cannes Lions 2025
Cannes Lions 2025 may be over, but the insights from the global stage continue to resonate. IAB Canada President Sonia Carreno was on-site, reflecting on the most important conversations happening on the Croisette this year.
Cannes Lions 2025 – A Quick Guide for IAB Canada Members
As the 72nd Cannes Lions Festival approaches (June 16–20), we’ve pulled together a quick guide to help IAB Canada members navigate the week.
State of the Nation Regional Series
IAB Canada’s State of the Nation – Regional Series extends the national conversation to key markets across the country — including Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal — offering a closer look at regional perspectives within Canada’s evolving digital ecosystem.
Bill C-59 and Digital Advertising in Canada
IAB Canada reviewed Bill C-59 and its implications for digital advertising.
Gaming Is a Full-Funnel Strategy
Gaming has moved from a trend to a global force in culture, commerce, and connection.
Canada’s Creator Economy: From Side Hustle to Structural Force
Canada’s media landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. Once viewed as fringe players, individual digital creators are now emerging as central figures in a rapidly evolving ecosystem that blends storytelling, entrepreneurship, and global culture influence. This evolution is not only creative – it’s economic.
OPC Takes Aim at Biometrics
IAB Canada wrote this brief to explore the growing use of biometric technologies in digital out-of-home and retail media.
The Canadian Agency Media Landscape 2025
Developed in collaboration with IAB Canada’s Agency Council, this visual guide maps the evolving media buying and planning ecosystem in Canada. Highlighting the breadth and impact of Canadian agencies, it’s an essential resource for industry leaders, marketers, and partners looking to navigate and connect within the marketplace.
Canada’s “Gutenberg Moment”: What Minister Evan Solomon’s Vision Means for Digital Advertising
At the September 26, 2025 event, Evan Solomon outlined a pivotal moment for Canada’s digital policy, with major changes ahead for advertising. IAB Canada was in attendance and remains committed to supporting the industry through this transition.
Data Night Toronto: Video Insights for Success
IAB Canada’s Data Night gathered industry leaders for an evening focused on the evolving world of video advertising.
Digital Means Business
IAB Canada has launched Digital Means Business, a national initiative aimed at empowering Canadian small businesses with the digital tools and expertise they need to compete globally.
IAB Canada presents Humans of Digital
Humans of Digital shines a spotlight on IAB Canada members who are driving innovation in Canada’s digital advertising industry.
Skills Lab: Win the Season - The Holiday Edition
Focused on effective holiday advertising, this edition of IAB Canada’s Skills Lab offered a hands-on learning experience filled with expert insights and tactical discussions on streaming, CTV, and creative trends.
The Business of Digital: Episode 34 - In Plain Sight - A Clear View on Digital Out of Home
Today, we’re joined by two of the brightest minds pushing Digital-out-of-Home forward: Sarah Kim, SVP Investment and Strategy at Talon Outdoor, and Scott Mitchell, Managing Director at Vistar Media.
The Business of Digital: Episode 35 - Hear Me Out – Harmonizing Your Marketing Mix with Audio Ads
In this episode, we sit down with two industry leaders who are helping shape the future of audio advertising: Heather Gordon, Managing Director of Canada at Acast, and Caroline Gianias, President of Radio Connects. Together, we’ll explore how audio fits into an omnichannel strategy, the measurable impact it delivers, and what the future holds for this dynamic format.
IAB Canada’s 2025 Winning Holiday Advertising Check List
As the holiday season spans far more than a single weekend, marketers in Canada must begin planning early, recognize in-store decisions still dominate and adapt to the surge in streaming viewership and cultural diversity. For practical guidance on how to prepare, readers can explore the full checklist of recommendations.
AI Use Cases: Search Ads
Search is no longer just keywords and blue links. AI is rapidly transforming how people find and act on information. Users are turning to conversational assistants like Perplexity, Claude, and Brave Search, where answers, recommendations, and even transactions happen within the interface.
Data Morning Vancouver: Video Insights for Success
At Data Morning Vancouver, IAB Canada brought together marketers, publishers and tech leaders to dive into how video, data and creativity are converging as the media landscape evolves, from redefining “premium” in CTV to tackling measurement gaps and ad fraud.
IAB Canada at the 2025 Small Business Summit
IAB Canada participated in the 2025 Small Business Summit to showcase its Digital Means Business initiative, designed to help Canadian SMBs harness the power of digital advertising.
The Business of Digital: Episode 36 - Connected Commerce - What's working right now
We’re joined by the Chairs of IAB Canada’s Retail Media Committee: John Fanous (Google), Melissa Savage (AIR MILES), and Michka Mancini (Canadian Tire). We’ll explore how advertisers and retailers are making the channel perform and what the Canadian ecosystem needs next to scale responsibly.
AI Use Cases: Digital Advertising
AI has entered our sector with force. It’s here, shaping strategy, creative, activation, measurement, and monetization. Today we’re launching IAB Canada’s AI Use-Case Map, a practical guide to help our industry better understand what’s possible.
2024 IAB Canada Internet Ad Revenue Survey & 2025 Foreast
The results of IAB Canada’s annual Canadian Internet (online & mobile) advertising revenue surveys are considered the most accurate measurement of Canadian interactive advertising revenues. The data is compiled directly from information supplied by Canadian Internet publishers who sell advertising on Canadian websites, as well as online/mobile ad networks and ssp/exchanges who sell advertising on both the Canadian and U.S. websites they represent.
Canadian TV Advertising Landscape 2025
Developed with the support of IAB Canada’s Connected TV (CTV) Committee, this visual map outlines the evolving ecosystem of television advertising in Canada.
Digital Out of Home in Canada: Accelerating Toward Integration and Maturity
Canada’s Digital Out of Home (DOOH) market continues to expand, driven by rising programmatic adoption, creative innovation, and growing cross-channel collaboration.
Driving Better Business Results Through Data Collaboration presented by Environics Analytics
Evan Wood, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, Environics Analytics joins Sonia Carreno, President, IAB Canada for this 30-minute webinar that explores why Canadian organizations must embrace data collaboration.
How to Win at Walmart – Your Go-To Playbook for OMNI Retail Strategy & Sales Activation
We brought agency planners and strategy leads together for a focused session designed to deepen their understanding of endemic accounts and strengthen their ability to plan and buy retail media with Walmart Connect.
Skills Lab: Rehumanizing Media Sales
On November 18th in Toronto, IAB Canada is hosting an unplugged evening session designed to reconnect the media sales community with the human side of selling—relationship-building, listening, influence, presence, and the fundamentals that automation can’t replace.
The Report on Data 2025
This highly anticipated event features the unveiling of the latest CMUST study, offering an in-depth look at Canadian media usage trends, alongside exclusive presentations of the year’s most impactful digital media developments and trends.
VOD Evolution 2026 presented by Roku
Now in it’s sixth year, Roku’s VOD (Video-on-Demand) Evolution study reveals how Canadian streamers are driving a shift in TV viewing and ad engagement.
Programmatic Advertising - Demystifying Signals
Every ad impression is a data-driven decision made in milliseconds within a fast-paced programmatic ecosystem. Demystifying Signals unpacks the foundational elements that make those decisions possible: the signals flowing through the bid stream.
Salary Survey 2025
The 2025 report covers more than 40 agency roles, ranging from VP and Director levels to Specialist and Coordinator positions across Client Services, Media, Strategy, Ad Operations, Programmatic, and Analytics. It also introduces new areas focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation adoption. This report is provided exclusively sent to IAB Canada member agencies that participated in the 2025 survey, but may also be purchased.
Consent on a Global Scale – “How CMPs and Market Standards are Evolving in Response to Global Regulations” presented by Axeptio
In this 1-hour session, join Cedrik Lafrance, Country Manager at Axeptio, and Tristan Lalumière-Roberge, Business Developer at Axeptio, for a global overview of how Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) and industry frameworks like the TCF and GPP are evolving to meet these new demands.
A Note of Reflection from IAB Canada’s President
As we close out 2025, I find myself reflecting on a year that stretched our industry in profound ways, commercially, creatively, and humanly.
Thank you to our Council and Committee Chairs
Our Councils and Committees played a major role in shaping progress this year. Members and chairs collaborated on industry standards, insights and best practices that strengthened the Canadian digital media and marketing community. We are grateful for the time, expertise and commitment these leaders brought to the table.
Thank you to our 2025 Event Speakers
In 2025, we connected industry professionals across Canada through 12 events held in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax and Calgary. Each event featured speakers who brought forward new ideas, best practices and leadership perspectives. Thank you to every speaker, sponsor and attendee for creating meaningful conversations throughout the year.
