Overview

Across Canada, the highest-rated brands on the GCBI reflect a national preference for friendliness, niceness, and respectfulness—values that consistently define the top performers. Chapman’s Ice Cream, ranked #1 overall, exemplifies this profile: a brand seen as warm, kind, and honest, rooted in community and everyday decency. Cirque du Soleil also ranks highly, offering a more adventurous and expressive take on Canadian identity, while still maintaining strong scores in social warmth and respect. Other top brands like MEC, BeaverTails, and Indigo show that Canadians reward those that blend emotional appeal with a sense of moral grounding—not just what a brand sells, but how it makes people feel about its values.

These patterns suggest that Canadians approach branding through a lens of trust and social fit. Across categories and regions, the data reveal a shared cultural expectation: a brand must be more than functional or famous—it must be good. While adventurousness and sustainability are appreciated, they matter most when paired with moral consistency. Canadians don’t just want innovation; they want ethical clarity, emotional sincerity, and respect. The GCBI shows that across the country, admiration goes to brands that reflect who Canadians believe they are—or who they aspire to be.