Crossmedia vs PHD

Measuring What Matters at The Drum Live 2026

At The Drum Live 2026, Crossmedia shared insights on modern media measurement, emphasizing that increased data and AI tools cannot compensate for a lack of foundational clarity. Samara Gerard, Managing Director Planning & Buying, highlighted the necessity of aligning business and media objectives before tracking performance. The agency advocated for balancing brand building with performance marketing and investing in robust data governance.

• Samara Gerard, Managing Director Planning & Buying at Crossmedia, shared takeaways from The Drum Live 2026.
• The commentary emphasizes that AI and dashboards cannot fix unclear business and media objectives, warning that AI merely accelerates wrong conclusions from bad data.
• Crossmedia advises balancing long-term brand building with short-term performance marketing instead of over-relying on ROAS and last-touch attribution.

Crossmedia Aligns Leadership Around the Next Era of Independent Growth

Entering its 27th year, the global independent media agency is sharpening its focus on growth, corporate strategy and operational discipline as it works to become the world's most trusted media agency.

PHD names Sandra Sotelo EMEA CEO

Omnicom Media Group has appointed Sandra Sotelo as CEO of its media network PHD for the EMEA region, effective mid-November. She will be based in London and report to Christian Flouch, Global Brand President at PHD, and Blake Cuthbert, Chief Client Success Officer at Omnicom Media EMEA. Sotelo previously served as Managing Director of PHD Spain for six years, where she drove sustainable growth and established cross-border hubs for global clients. She succeeds Susanne Grundmann, who was recently promoted to Global President of Omnicom's Initiative network. PHD has been experiencing a dynamic phase, winning major accounts such as Adidas, Dyson, and SkyShowtime, making it the number one network in new business globally and in EMEA, according to COMvergence. Sotelo will lead a team of over 3,600 employees across the region.

• Sandra Sotelo wird CEO von PHD EMEA, Start Mitte November 2026.
• Sotelo folgt auf Susanne Grundmann, die Global President bei Omnicoms Initiative wurde.
• PHD gewann kürzlich Etats von Adidas, Dyson und SkyShowtime und ist die Nummer eins im Neugeschäft (COMvergence).

How Brands Can Leverage Sports Fandom Year-Round: Roku and PHD Insights

During an ADWEEK House fireside chat, Roku's Jake Piasecki and PHD's Ashley Arena discussed how brands can leverage sports fandom beyond game days to build loyalty and reach niche audiences. Arena highlighted opportunities for smaller advertisers to engage deeply through podcasts, player content, and pregame coverage, offering more value than limited sports schedules. Burger King, a PHD client, sponsors Roku's college football zone, tapping into fan rituals before kickoff. The conversation emphasized authentic brand partnerships, using data from Omnicom to build consumer profiles, and shifting focus toward long-term customer retention over immediate conversions. Future opportunities include the 2027 Women's World Cup and 2028 LA Olympics to engage new fan communities.

• Jake Piasecki is co-head of enterprise ad sales at Roku.
• Ashley Arena is head of investment at media agency PHD.
• Burger King, a PHD client, sponsors Roku's college football zone.

PHD’s Leaders and Campaigns Honored at the 2026 M&M Global Awards

PHD Media secured multiple accolades at the 2026 M&M Global Awards, honoring both executive leadership and regional campaigns. PHD UK CEO Paul Knight was named Media Agency Leader, while Group Innovation Director Ben Fraser was awarded Future Media Leader. Additionally, the network secured three campaign trophies and three Highly Commended recognitions across Spain, Germany, the UK, and the US.

• Paul Knight, CEO of PHD UK, was named Media Agency Leader at the 2026 M&M Global Awards.
• Ben Fraser, Group Innovation Director at PHD EMEA, was awarded Future Media Leader.
• PHD Spain won Best Campaign for Automotive for Audi's 'The Interview That Never Happened'.