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What a week for independent agencies, Prospect Media Group and GTE Canada get new leadership. The Trade Desk stumbles as its CFO exits, somewhere Uri Gorodzinsky is giving a 👌 when he caught wind of the news…
Dave
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📰 News
Breaking: Sheri Rogers Appointed President of Prospect Media
Sheri Rogers has been appointed as President of Prospect Media, effective January 1st, 2026.
Nicole Bell promoted to Head of YouTube Canada
Nicole Bell takes on a new role as the new YouTube Head of Canada, where she will oversee the Google-owned platform’s content and creator operations.
The 2030 Mandate: Why IBM Says Your AI Strategy Needs to Shift from “Saving” to “Scaling”
“By 2030, AI will no longer be a tool you use to support your business; it will be the engine that defines it.”
The $1.3 Trillion Shift: Navigating the New Era of Systems Planning and AI Search
The traditional media playbook isn't just gathering dust—it’s being rewritten in real-time. As global ad spend hurtles toward a staggering $1.3 trillion by 2026, a massive "power tilt" has occurred.
Survey Says: 75% Of Cord-Cutters Ditched A Streaming Subscription In 2025
Many cord-cutters seeking to lower their monthly cable or satellite bills are also reducing streaming costs, according to new research from All About Cookies.
Industry Vets Break Down The Netflix-Warner Bros. Deal, Impact On Advertising
Profectio reached out to Bruce and Devon for an interview about Netflix's latest acquisition, discussing its impact on the media buying industry and potential implications for advertising.
📊 Platform Watch
PATTISON and Toronto Pearson: A Partnership that Redefines Airport Engagement
PATTISON Outdoor Advertising announced a landmark 10-year agreement with Toronto Pearson, naming PATTISON the airport's exclusive advertising and brand experience partner.
WPP Launches Agent Hub On WPP Open, The Arrival of ‘Super Agents’
This week, WPP Media announced the launch of Agent Hub on its AI platform for marketing, WPP Open.
WPP Media And Pinterest Forge Partnership: Integrate Cultural Trends For Enhanced Planning
This week, WPP Media announced a new partnership with Pinterest, designed to provide clients with deeper insights for their campaigns.
Breaking Down The Bell Media And Loblaw Advance New Partnership
Bell Media and Loblaw Advance have launched a first-to-market, closed-loop measurement solution for linear and Connected TV advertisers in Canada.
The Trade Desk vs Amazon Ads battle hits another snag
Over the last year (2025 into early 2026), the digital advertising landscape shifted dramatically as Amazon Ads surged in market share while The Trade Desk (TTD) faced significant internal and market volatility.
While Amazon capitalized on its "walled garden" of proprietary data and inventory, TTD struggled with executive turnover and a declining stock price, despite maintaining a strategic focus on the "Open Internet" and fiduciary objectivity.
The Last Year: A Tale of Two Trajectories
The past 12 months have defined a widening gap in sentiment and adoption between these two platforms.
Executive Instability: TTD is currently navigating a "crisis of confidence" regarding its leadership stability. The company saw two CFOs depart in less than six months. Most recently, CFO Alex Kayyal resigned in January 2026 after only five months in the role, triggering a selloff that sent shares to a 52-week low
What This Means for Media Buyers and Brands
The divergence between TTD and Amazon forces media buyers to choose between immediate performance efficiency and long-term objective control.
1. The "Fiduciary" vs. "Walled Garden" Dilemma
Brands must decide if they value objectivity or access.
The Trade Desk (The Objective Buy): TTD positions itself as a "pure fiduciary" because it owns no media. It argues that Amazon has a conflict of interest—steering ad spend toward its own zero-cost inventory (like Prime Video) rather than the best placement for the brand.
Amazon (The Integrated Buy): Amazon dominates by integrating purchase data with media inventory. However, buyers should be aware that Amazon’s low-fee DSP model is subsidized by its incentive to prioritize its own inventory.
2. Pressure for "Black Box" Performance
With economic uncertainty stabilizing but budgets remaining tight, finance departments are demanding immediate results from marketing investments.
Implication: This environment favours Amazon’s "black box" algorithms, which are primed to deliver short-term performance metrics (ROAS) quickly. Brands may feel pressured to shift spend to Amazon for guaranteed efficiency, even if it means sacrificing transparency or control over where ads appear.
3. The Battle for Connected TV (CTV)
The battleground has shifted to the living room.
Amazon's Play: Amazon is leveraging its massive proprietary reach through Prime Video, effectively forcing buyers into its ecosystem to access this specific audience.
TTD's Counter: TTD is betting that the "Open Internet" (independent publishers and biddable CTV) is the true addressable market, arguing it offers greater scale and variety than Amazon’s curated supply.
Rep Finder - Do you find yourself exhausted from the hours spent hunting for the right sales rep or struggling to find their contact details?
🗣️ On The Move
On The Move: Media Buyers Edition For January 29, 2026 (PHD, Publicis Groupe Canada, Cossette Media, Media Experts)
On The Move: Media Buyers Edition For January 29, 2026 (PHD, Publicis Groupe Canada, Cossette Media, Media Experts )
Breaking: Sheri Rogers Appointed President of Prospect Media
Sheri Rogers has been appointed as President of Prospect Media, effective January 1st, 2026.
Nicole Bell promoted to Head of YouTube Canada
Nicole Bell takes on a new role as the new YouTube Head of Canada, where she will oversee the Google-owned platform’s content and creator operations.
On The Move: Media Buyers Edition For January 27, 2026 (Horizon Media Canada, WPP Media, Publicis Media, Starcom Canada)
There have been a few changes in media buying and planning roles. Here are the latest changes at Horizon Media Canada, WPP Media, Publicis Media, and Starcom Canada as of January 27, 2026.
Coegi Appoints Chris Kotyck as EVP of Digital Operations
Coegi, a digital media agency owned by True Independent Holdings (TIH), has appointed Chris Kotyck as Executive Vice President of Digital Operations.
Breaking: Jenny Croswell Appointed Managing Director at GTE Canada
Jenny Croswell is taking on her next career role as the Managing Director of GTE Canada.
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— Dave
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