Digital 2026: What Global Trends Mean for Canadian Marketers

The Digital 2026 report from We Are Socialand Meltwater has arrived, and the numbers tell a story of significant digital transformation. More than 6 billion people are now online, and nearly 5.7 billion are active on social media, representing 68.7% of the world’s population.

Beyond those staggering figures, the findings point to major shifts in how people spend their time, where they discover brands, and which technologies are reshaping online behaviour.

Social Media Is the New Search

Social platforms have become the leading channel for brand discovery among people aged 16 to 34, overtaking search engines and television advertising. For many younger consumers, finding a brand now starts on social feeds rather than in a search bar.

Canadian marketers are already responding to this shift, developing campaigns designed to spark discovery through relevance and storytelling. The opportunity lies in showing up authentically within the platforms and communities where audiences spend their time.

AI Adoption Surges Past 1 Billion Users

Generative AI has moved firmly into the mainstream, with more than 1 billion people using these tools every month. OpenAI reports 800 million weekly ChatGPT users as of October 2025, a figure that’s redefining how people search for, create, and trust information online.

In Canada, marketers are experimenting with AI to support content creation, customer insights, and workflow efficiency. The next challenge will be balancing innovation with authenticity, ensuring the human perspective still leads when creativity is increasingly assisted by machines.

Digital Ad Spend Keeps Climbing

Global ad investment continues its steady rise, with marketers projected to spend US$1.16 trillion in 2025. Nearly three-quarters of that total will go to digital channels, reflecting a global and Canadian reality: audiences live online, and ad budgets are following.

Social media advertising in particular is seeing double-digit growth, projected to increase by more than 13% year over year. For Canadian brands, it’s a clear signal that meaningful engagement now happens where conversation and culture intersect.

Why This Matters for Canadian Marketers

For Canada’s marketing community, Digital 2026 offers both a snapshot of the global landscape and a reminder that success depends on local insight. While the platforms may be international, the stories that resonate most are rooted in Canadian culture, humour, and community.

As agencies across the country continue to adapt, the focus is shifting from reach to relevance. The competition for attention is global, but winning it still comes down to understanding what matters here.

Read the Full Report

Explore the complete Digital 2026 Global Overview Report from We Are Social and Meltwater:
wearesocial.com/digital-2026-global-overview-report