Canadian media landscape
Canadian media landscape with Matt Devlin
At our April Media, Marketing & Effectiveness event Matt Devlin, Chief Strategy Officer at PHD, provided an overview of the Canadian Media Landscape and outlined the shift to an “Age of Abundance,” where content is limitless and automation accelerates commoditization.
In this forward-looking session, Matt unpacks how this shift is changing the rules of competition and what marketers need to focus on to stay ahead.
A few presentation highlights:
- Media consumption in Canada shows stability in overall video time (~25 hours weekly), while there have been increases in digital search, social media, e-commerce and AI platforms.
- Media channels fit into three attention mindsets:
- Watching / Listening (TV, radio, cinema) for long-form attention and brand building
- Reading / Engaging (social feeds, news, OOH) for focused engagement
- Searching / Finding (search engines, AI queries) for task-oriented, short attention focus
- While advertising investment has shifted heavily toward digital over the past 15 years, long-term brand momentum is still largely driven by high-attention “watching / listening channels” like TV (which remains strong across all age groups).
- In an AI-powered “Age of Abundance,” where content is limitless and automation accelerates commoditization, emotional differentiation and human insight will be critical for brands.
Three priorities for success in the “Age of Abundance”:
bio
MATT DEVLIN
Chief Strategy Officer, PHD
Matt Devlin is the Chief Strategy Officer at PHD where he leads data‑driven strategy, communications planning and measurement innovation for major brands. Known for bringing clarity to complex marketing challenges, Matt blends quantitative rigor with strategic intuition to help clients unlock growth.
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