Canadian Business is relaunching in fall 2021 (in print and digital)! It’s building on its platform as a trusted media brand and social network for the country’s fastest growing companies and their innovative leaders, who are changing Canada for the better.

Canadian Business gives these leaders — and those who want to learn from them — the resources, networking opportunities and inspiration to innovate, connect and continue to challenge the status quo. One of the ways it is doing this is through the Canadian Business Leadership Circle, CB’s leader-in-residence program where each month the brand will engage a different C suite-level executive making an impact in their field. As part of the program, readers will have the chance to connect with these progressive-minded business execs for mentorship and professional development through exclusive content, virtual fireside chats and more.

Canadian Business is also launching a CB Insider Corporate Membership program this fall.  As a CB Insider, your organization will receive exclusive access to a diverse array of Canadian Business membership benefits and experiences, all designed to ignite your brand and grow your audience. Send a note if you’re interested to learn more. And for all the latest CB news, sign up for the newsletter here. 

Geraldine Huse, President of P&G Canada and the new Canadian Business Leadership Circle’s first leader-in-residence, joined SJC’s Jason Maghanoy for a fireside chat on March 30.  Here she shares the Covid-19 trends that, one year in, are here to stay. You can view the full recording of their conversation here. 

The pandemic has impacted each of our lives in big and small ways both personally and professionally. The products P&G makes – from brands like Tide, Crest, Bounty and Pantene – are more important than ever given the needs presented by the current crisis, the increased awareness around health and hygiene, and additional time we’re all spending at home. The changes we’ve been through in the past year have been profound and, in many ways, will leave the landscape forever altered. Here are a few ways we think consumer habits will continue to evolve in the year ahead:

Sustaining Safety & Wellness

Consumers spent much of the past year striving to keep their families safe and healthy. Cleaning products like Microban 24, a new 24-hour hard surface cleaner that sanitizes, have become even more important to consumers. We expect products related to hygiene, health and home will continue to be an important part of consumers’ lives going forward.

Home as the Centre

For many consumers, home has been the centre of life over the past year. That means more dishes to wash, laundry to do, and surfaces to clean! Wellness has also been a renewed focus. Oral-B power toothbrushes and Olay Regenerist Retinol24 help consumers who want to upgrade their at-home beauty and hygiene experiences. And whether you want to shave for that Zoom call – or not – we’ve responded with solutions for beard care with Braun and King C. Gillette and more, as barbershops have closed.

Digital as a Way of Life

Virtual and online connections are now often the norm for social interaction, work, shopping, health, and entertainment. Adoption of online shopping accelerated as people stayed at home more. As a result, consumers are developing new expectations for what convenience and discovery look like online and in the store. This increases the importance of superior digital communication and personalization for shoppers.

Control Amid Uncertainty

We are all seeking for certainty and control in this new world when it feels like so much is out of our control. Consumers are turning to people, brands, and retailers they can count on, leading to growth in brands consumers trust to deliver a superior performance at a good value.

Do Good For My Community

As we face multiple crises – global pandemic, economic downturn, social unrest, and climate change – consumers are increasingly expecting companies and brands to step up, take a stand, and have a positive impact on society. Since the start of COVID, P&G has donated over $4 million of cash, in-kind product, and PPE to front line health care workers and Canadians in need. We continue to drive equality and inclusion internally and externally. We made a $1 million donation to match the donations to the CanadaHelps Black Solidarity Fund and we continue to use our brand voice like the recent Gold Series #MyHairMyStory campaign which amplifies the voices of black women and celebrates the beauty of black hair. We take our responsibility to the environment very seriously and we have committed to being carbon neutral as part of our Ambition 2030 goals. Across all Citizenship areas in 2021, we have committed to 2,021 Acts of Good through our Lead with Love campaign. To enable consumers to join us, we launched a new consumer rewards platform called www.pggoodeveryday.ca. By taking simple actions through the website, consumers can make a positive impact on the community, support equality & inclusion, and promote environmental sustainability.

Understanding shifting consumer trends is more critical than ever before. Companies that can offer what consumers want based on shifting behaviour will become a force for growth. As companies grow, they have an opportunity to do more good creating a virtuous cycle of growth and good.

In response to the recent increase in anti-Asian violence in Canada, P&G has committed $800,000 to match all donations, dollar for dollar, to the CanadaHelps Asian Solidarity Fund and Anti-Racism Fund. Find out how to donate here.

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CB’s leader-in-residence for April is Lisa Kalhans, president and CEO of Amex Bank of Canada. Read an interview in which she talks empathy, working-from-home and the female workforce, here.