Retail Media Technology · vs · AdTech Vendor

Assembly vs Topsort

Structured technology and market comparison · 2026

Direct Feature Comparison

Assembly · vs · Topsort
Primary Market / Role
AssemblyRetail Media Technology
TopsortAdTech Vendor
Platform Focus
Assembly

Media agency combining strategic services with proprietary marketing intelligence tools.

Topsort

Retail media infrastructure software for marketplaces, retailers, brands, and agencies.

Company Size
AssemblyUnknown
Topsort50–200 employees
Headquarters
AssemblyUS
TopsortUS
Year Founded
AssemblyUnknown
Topsort2021

Comparison Analysis

What is the main difference between Assembly and Topsort?

When comparing Assembly and Topsort, both platforms operate within the Retail Media Technology, Connected TV (CTV) & OTT, and Billboards & Posters ecosystem. Assembly is positioned as Media agency combining strategic services with proprietary marketing intelligence tools, whereas Topsort focuses on Retail media infrastructure software for marketplaces, retailers, brands, and agencies. Decision-makers evaluate both solutions when orchestrating their commercial monetization and technology stack.

What are the top alternatives to Assembly and Topsort?

When evaluating Assembly and Topsort, enterprise buyers also consider other platforms in Retail Media Technology, Connected TV (CTV) & OTT, and Billboards & Posters. You can discover the full competitive landscape and evaluate other alternatives by viewing their respective footprint profiles on Polaris7.

Market Signals

Recent Market Signals & Activity: Assembly vs Topsort

Documented market movements, strategic partnerships, product releases, and regulatory developments mapped across Polaris7.

Assembly

Recent Signals

  • ·AdweekAgency Leadership

    Liz Rutgersson Named CEO of Stagwell's Assembly

    Stagwell-owned agency Assembly has appointed Liz Rutgersson as its new CEO, with a global and North American remit. Rutgersson, who previously served as CEO of Dentsu's iProspect, will start in the role on Monday. She is tasked with driving growth, bolstering client partnerships, and building long-lasting relationships. Assembly also announced that Connie Chan has been named CEO of Assembly in the APAC region. Rutgersson's preliminary conversations with CEO Mark Penn and Stagwell leadership indicate alignment on making Assembly an 'agency for the future.' Rutgersson told ADWEEK she chose Assembly because of its nimbleness combined with the scale offered by Stagwell.

    • Liz Rutgersson named CEO of Assembly, effective Monday.
    • Rutgersson previously was CEO at Dentsu's iProspect.
    • Connie Chan appointed CEO of Assembly in APAC.
  • ·The DrumAgency Business Model

    Assembly Global CCO Urges Agencies to Embrace Integration, Rethink Commercial Model

    Aruna Natarajan, Chief Client Officer for North America at Assembly Global, discusses the need for agencies to treat themselves like brands and adopt integrated organizational structures. She argues that the commercial model tied to media spend must evolve, and that agencies should focus on connecting paid, owned, and earned media. On AI, Natarajan emphasizes distinguishing labor from craft to build agentic workflows that automate routine tasks while elevating human creativity. She also advises that future leaders should possess curiosity, a bias for action, and the ability to connect dots across the funnel. Natarajan is a juror at The Drum Awards Festival.

    • Aruna Natarajan is Chief Client Officer for North America at Assembly Global.
    • She is a juror in the agency business category at The Drum Awards Festival.
    • She advocates for integration over specialization in agency organizational structures.

Topsort

Recent Signals

  • ·Topsort

    Topsort Launches Universal Ads, OpenAI Ads Integration, and New Product Updates

    Topsort's newsroom features several new announcements: 'Meet Universal Ads: Expand Commerce Media Across CTV, Streaming, and Digital Video' (September 16, 2026), 'OpenAI Ads Are Now Available Through Topsort' (September 8, 2026), and 'Retail Media Infrastructure vs. Retail Media Network: What's the Difference?' (September 18, 2026). These represent new product features and integrations.

  • ·Topsort

    Topsort Launches Universal Ads, OpenAI Ads Integration, and New Retail Media Infrastructure Guide

    Topsort's newsroom page has been updated with several new posts: 'Meet Universal Ads: Expand Commerce Media Across CTV, Streaming, and Digital Video' (September 16, 2026), 'OpenAI Ads Are Now Available Through Topsort' (September 8, 2026), 'Retail Media Infrastructure vs. Retail Media Network: What’s the Difference?' (September 18, 2026), and 'How a Classified Marketplace, a Collectible Marketplace, and a Retail Marketplace, all scale Commerce Media with Topsort' (September 10, 2026). These announcements highlight new product features and educational content.

  • ·Topsort

    Meet Universal Ads: Expand Commerce Media Across CTV, Streaming, and Digital Video

    Discover Topsort Universal Ads, a new offsite channel that enables vendors to launch video campaigns across CTV, streaming, and digital inventory with a unified workflow.

Compare their exact ecosystem overlaps.

Explore all deep relationships in Polaris7. Discover exactly which mutual clients, integrated technologies, and overlapping partners Assembly and Topsort share across the market ecosystem.