Vividata research shows Canada’s hyper-mobile students remain highly receptive to OOH
TORONTO, ON (August 31, 2026) – Canada’s university and college students may be experts at avoiding advertising online, but new research shows they remain highly exposed and receptive to advertising as they move through the physical world.
A new report from Vividata and the Canadian Out-of-Home Marketing and Measurement Bureau (COMMB) finds that 37 per cent of university and college students personally use ad blockers, yet 69 per cent noticed some form of out-of-home advertising in the past week.
The findings are part of The Student Report 2026, which examines the behaviours and media habits of approximately three million university and college students across Canada, nearly 70 per cent of whom are Gen Z. The research points to an emerging hyper-mobile student consumer who moves constantly between digital and physical environments.
University and college students spend an average of 25.1 hours a week accessing the internet from a mobile device, compared with 19.5 hours among Canadian adults overall. They also spend 19.6 hours a week on social media, versus 14.7 hours for adults overall.
Their physical mobility is equally striking. Students average 24.5 public-transit boardings a week — nearly twice the Canadian adult average of 12.4. More than one in five students used public transit yesterday, making them 71 per cent more likely than the average Canadian adult to have done so.
“Students aren't disappearing from advertising — they're becoming much more selective about when and where they're willing to engage with it,” said Pat Pellegrini, President of Vividata. “They can block, skip or scroll past messages online, but at the same time they're spending a remarkable amount of their day moving between campuses, transit, retail, fitness and social environments. Understanding that complete journey is becoming increasingly important for brands.”
The study found student attention to out-of-home advertising significantly exceeds average levels in many of the environments that make up their daily routines.
Students are:
- more than three times as likely to notice advertising on campus;
- more than twice as likely to notice advertising in sports and fitness clubs;
- approximately twice as likely to notice advertising in residential elevators;
- 84 per cent more likely to notice cinema advertising;
- 73 per cent more likely to notice advertising in bars, pubs and nightclubs; and
- 22 per cent more likely to notice transit advertising.
The findings suggest that the distinction between digital and physical media may matter less for today's student than marketers sometimes assume. Students move continuously between smartphones and physical environments, often encountering advertising in both during the same journey.
“Out-of-home is part of the environment students are already navigating, it isn't another screen they have to opt into,” said Lindsey Talbot, President of COMMB. “As students travel to class, the gym, restaurants, entertainment venues and home, brands have opportunities to reach them in contexts that are relevant to what they're actually doing at that moment.”
Importantly, the research indicates that student attention can translate into action. Among the findings, students are 36 per cent more likely to search online for a brand after seeing out-of-home advertising, 38 per cent more likely to make a purchase, 31 per cent more likely to visit a store or restaurant and 62 per cent more likely to scan an out-of-home QR code. Students are also 84 per cent more likely to recommend an advertised product to their peers following out-of-home exposure.
More broadly, 43 per cent of students say advertising influences their purchasing decisions, while half prefer personalized or contextual advertising.
“The takeaway isn't that students dislike advertising,” added Pellegrini. “It's that attention has become more intentional. For brands, the challenge is increasingly about understanding where people are, what they're doing and whether the message makes sense in that moment.”
The Student Report 2026 is available for free and can be found here.
About COMMB
COMMB is the national organization for the Canadian OOH industry comprised of advertisers, advertising agencies and OOH companies. COMMB is responsible for developing and verifying audience measurement methodologies, providing audience data and planning resources, marketing and communications, government relations and member services. www.commb.ca
About Vividata
Vividata is Canada’s authoritative source for insights on cross-media and consumer behaviour, delivering Unmatched Insights. Smarter Decisions. As the country’s leading provider of cross-platform audience measurement, Vividata surveys over 75,000 Canadians each year on 100,000+ variables, offering the most complete view of how people live, shop, and consume media. A not-for-profit governed by industry leaders, Vividata reinvests in innovation to provide unmatched, privacy-first insights. Its flagship SCC | Study of the Canadian Consumer is the largest syndicated study in Canada, complemented by solutions like Spatial, Relevance, and Metrica, along with specialized multicultural, sports, and brand affinity reports.
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Andrew Findlater
SELECT Public Relations
afindlater@selectpr.ca
(647) 444-1197
