Values, Places, and Brands…What Stirs Canadian Pride
January 2, 2017
In our final survey of the year, and as the country prepares to celebrate its 150th birthday, we decided to explore what makes Canadians proud of their country.
To do this, we came up with a wide-ranging list of 78 different items, realizing that we could have had an almost infinite list of ideas to probe for. So, with the caveat that this is by no means the definitive list of items that could stir passion for Canada, this third release will focus on the places, values and brands we included in our survey.
Here’s what we found:
VALUES & TRAITS
• Perhaps the most compelling findings of any in this survey are those that show how strongly Canadians associate pride with the idea of individual freedom, open-mindedness towards people who are different and politeness. Of the 78 items tested, these were 3 of the top 4 rated items. Multiculturalism was 9th and bilingualism was 45th.
• Our sense of caring for the world around us also ranked high, 10th on this list. So too is the idea of Canada as a country that can be counted on to be steady and consistent (11th)
• How we provide health care ranked 12th among the things that give us a great deal of pride and how we treat the disadvantaged ranked 51st.
• Our elections are, while never pleasing everyone, a source of pride for a considerable number of people, ranking 39th overall.
BRANDS AND FRANCHISES
• Tim Horton’s and the Montreal Canadiens top the list of pride building brand names, ranking 26th and 27th of the 78 items tested.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs ranked 54th, well behind the Blue Jays (38th) and not too far ahead of the Toronto Raptors (65th), and the Toronto FC (#75)
• Labatt (#56) and Molson (#64) were pretty closely matched.
• As a group, Canada’s railways ranked 43rd in terms of the amount of pride they stir.
• The Bombardier family invention Ski-Doo ranked 57th.
• Roots (#69) ranked ahead of Lululemon (#76)
PLACES
• From the Rocky Mountains (#5) to the Cabot Trail (#42) our iconic places stir pride in a great many Canadians. The Bay of Fundy ranked 20th overall and the Prairies were close behind at #30.
• Of Canada’s largest cities, Montreal ranked 25th, Vancouver 35th and Toronto 45th.
FOODS
While we could have easily added everything from lobster to Nanaimo Bars, Rye Whiskey, tourtiere, and Canadian bacon, our short list of food products tested showed strong pride in our maple syrup (#6), Canadian Wheat (17th), Alberta Beef (22nd), and Poutine (49th).
UPSHOT
According to Bruce Anderson:
This survey was by no means meant to be a definitive test of the structure and nature of national pride, but more a scan of many of the iconic names, popular figures, ideals and features of the country – to get a sense of the resonance and the degree of consistency.
The things which impressed me?
The power of the ideals that unite Canadians, in particular, the idea of mutual respect and responsibility to others and the world we inhabit.
The lasting, pride building power of our national sport and its greatest heroes.
The love of our artists and appreciation for those who succeed on the global stage as well.
Deep pride in our physical space, from rural landscapes to the vibrant big cities that are the envy of many in the world
METHODOLOGY
Our survey was conducted online with 1,848 Canadians aged 18 and over from December 12 to 14, 2016. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians.
The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 1,848 is +/- 2.3%, 19 times out of 20.
The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
ABACUS DATA INC.
We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value-added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, Ph.D.
