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With major cultural moments on the horizon, shifting audience behaviours and evolving brand priorities, WGSN unpacks the key trends that will shape culture in 2026. From the FIFA World Cup in North America and the Winter Olympics in Cortina, to global entertainment launches and music festivals, WGSN has you covered. This session will explore how to align brand activations with headline moments by looking at what’s next in marketing, lifestyle and live experience. Whether you’re planning product launches, partnerships or cultural takeovers, senior strategist Rebecca Rom-Frank will equip you with the right insights to lead in a year of transformation.

Featuring:

Rebecca Rom-Frank

Senior Marketing Strategist

WGSN

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The Globe and Mail is doubling down on coverage beyond hard news – think food trends, streaming picks, health breakthroughs, even pet advice. Why? Because Canadians need mental relief from the onslaught of challenges confronting the world they live in. That's not just a hunch. The Globe's investments in lifestyle and culture have so far driven a jump in audience engagement. Head of content marketing Sean Stanleigh pulls back the curtain on what content is connecting with Canadians most, and how the findings can be applied to brand campaigns.

Featuring:

Sean Stanleigh

Head of Globe Content Studio

The Globe and Mail

Loft 4/5

Foyer

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For Canadian marketers working inside multinational companies, balancing local realities with global expectations can be tough. Imagine the challenge: crafting messages that resonate with Canadian audiences while gracefully sidestepping the volatile whirlwinds of U.S. politics and cultural sensitivities. Hear from CMOs who’ve had to adapt messaging and found ways to bring a Canadian voice to global strategies.

Featuring:

Brian Clayton

VP Marketing & Sales Strategy

Kimberly-Clark Canada Inc

Laura Cutsey

Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships

Coca-Cola Ltd

Brian Neumann

Head of Brand & Creativity

Kraft Heinz

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Loft 4/5

Mezzanine

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The market is changing hands, with a new cohort taking the reins and turning the marketing playbook on its head. Brand loyalty isn’t inherited and legacy brands don’t get a pass. Even a market leader like President’s Choice got a wake-up call when it discovered its average shopper was age 53. In this session, Loblaw’s Lindsay Cook will take us inside the brand’s bold reset that’s putting the future customer at the core of its growth. You’ll learn how to rewrite the next-gen connection playbook in an industry hardwired for safe.

Featuring:

Lindsay Cook

VP, Control Brand, Social Media and Loyalty Marketing

Loblaw Companies

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While most conversations about Gen Z focus on mental health, climate anxiety and digital habits, this session will dive deeper – uncovering the lesser-known forces shaping both Gen Z and the rising Gen Alpha. From shifting views on geopolitics and financial literacy to evolving definitions of success, identity and influence, this exploration challenges assumptions and surfaces new insights. Join Sara Cappe at Harris Poll as she helps marketers understand the next wave of cultural and consumer behaviour. The data presented in this session will be collected prior to and exclusively for the CMO Forum.

Featuring:

Sara Cappe

President

The Harris Poll Canada

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Loft 4/5

Foyer

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Awards