Earlier this month,  I had the privilege of joining a group of architects, urban planners, investors, and policy leaders in Toronto for Going Global 2025: a panel exploring how Canadian architecture and planning firms can expand into European markets.

What we uncovered goes well beyond the world of design. It spoke to something every Canadian brand needs to hear right now: the world is ready for what we have to offer, but only if we show up boldly.

Whether you’re an architect, tech founder, fashion designer, or food innovator, the question is the same: How do we take the things that make Canada trusted, such as safety, sustainability, collaboration and make them exciting, premium, and globally relevant?

At Faulhaber, this is what we do best, and why we created PoweredPR® – our proprietary method of combining emotionally resonant storytelling with digitally precise execution to help brands grow from homegrown to world-class.

From Quiet Confidence to Quiet Boldness

Canada is often branded as “safe and nice.” But in a volatile global marketplace, safety is strength. Stability is strategy. When we combine those attributes with daring design, deep values, and unexpected collaborations, we create something quietly bold and incredibly appealing to global audiences.

We’ve seen this challenge,and opportunity, before. Australia, like Canada, is often perceived globally as friendly and trustworthy. When Tourism Australia launched its “Come and Say G’Day” campaign, they tasked Faulhaber with shifting that reputation into something more premium and culturally resonant for Canadians. Using PoweredPR®, we didn’t just go wide,  we went deep: blending event strategy, influencer storytelling, exclusive interviews, and content that felt both bold and personal. The result: a 71% lift in travel consideration and more than 50 million media impressions.

That same playbook applies here at home, whether it’s Canadian design studios entering the global market, luxury retail brands looking to stand out or tech companies with game-changing innovation but no international footprint – yet. An approach like PoweredPR® gives them the framework to evolve from “quiet confidence” to “quiet boldness,” ensuring Canada’s trusted reputation becomes the foundation for premium, globally relevant brands.

The Canadian Edge: Principles Over Promises

One of the themes I emphasized on the panel was that sustainability and values-led business aren’t just Canadian selling points, they’re now table stakes in many parts of the world. What’s cutting-edge is how we tell those stories.

Today’s audiences, especially younger global consumers,  expect action, not just promises. They want progress over perfection, and proof over buzzwords. It’s not enough to claim your brand is sustainable, culturally grounded, or decolonized. You need to show how you’re reducing emissions, supporting community wellbeing, or integrating Indigenous knowledge. That’s what builds trust and global relevance. Whether you’re building a net-zero office or launching a circular fashion line, storytelling that connects human outcomes with bold design and clear data is how you cut through.

Global Without the Footprint

You don’t need to open an office in New York or London to be seen. We’ve helped brands like The Well in Toronto grow vibrant communities and premium perception entirely through digital storytelling and influencer content. We’ve guided clients through international media strategies that get their work covered by outlets like Wallpaper*, Architectural Digest, or Monocle long before a single foot touches foreign soil.

Impactful storytelling, digital-first visibility, and cross-industry collaborations:  these are all tools in the PoweredPR® toolkit that can help any brand think global without getting on a plane.

What Comes Next: New Platforms, New Partnerships

The next frontier of brand expansion is unfolding across TikTok, Pinterest, Substack, and podcast platforms. Forward-thinking brands are also teaming up across industries: beauty with tech, fashion with travel, food with wellness. At Faulhaber, we harness this kind of cross-pollination to help our clients see and be seen bigger. Because today, branding isn’t confined to a single category. It’s about creating experiences, shaping culture, and expressing identity.

This is what excites me most: the opportunity for Canadian brands to lead by being values-driven, creatively daring, and globally fluent without losing their local roots.

We don’t need to be louder. We need to be clearer.

We don’t need to reinvent. We need to amplify with intention.

PoweredPR® is how we help our clients do just that.

Let’s go global,  the Canadian way.
If you’re a brand ready to scale your story internationally, let’s talk.