Agency & Consultancy · AdTech Vendor · vs · Agency & Consultancy
Goodway Group vs PHD
Structured technology and market comparison · 2026
Direct Feature Comparison
Goodway Group · vs · PHDIndependent media consultancy blending commerce activation, measurement, and programmatic buying.
Media agency delivering planning, buying, analytics and commerce strategy.
Analyze all overlapping signals and tech stacks for Goodway Group and PHD
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Comparison Analysis
What is the main difference between Goodway Group and PHD?
When comparing Goodway Group and PHD, both platforms operate within the Demand-Side Platform (DSP), Connected TV (CTV) & OTT, and Market Research & Intelligence ecosystem. Goodway Group is positioned as Independent media consultancy blending commerce activation, measurement, and programmatic buying, whereas PHD focuses on Media agency delivering planning, buying, analytics and commerce strategy. Decision-makers evaluate both solutions when orchestrating their commercial monetization and technology stack.
What are the top alternatives to Goodway Group and PHD?
When evaluating Goodway Group and PHD, enterprise buyers also consider other platforms in Demand-Side Platform (DSP), Connected TV (CTV) & OTT, and Market Research & Intelligence. You can discover the full competitive landscape and evaluate other alternatives by viewing their respective footprint profiles on Polaris7.
How do the corporate scale, structure, and headquarters of Goodway Group and PHD compare?
Goodway Group is headquartered in United States (founded in 1929) with 501–1,000 employees. PHD is based in United Kingdom (founded in 1990) with >5,000 employees. Complete ownership, subsidiary trees, and corporate affiliations are documented across Polaris7.
Market Signals
Recent Market Signals & Activity: Goodway Group vs PHD
Documented market movements, strategic partnerships, product releases, and regulatory developments mapped across Polaris7.
Goodway Group
Recent Signals
- ·AdExchangerAI/Agentic Advertising
Optable Launches Agentic Marketplace to Automate Direct Ad Deals
Optable unveiled its Agentic Marketplace at Optable Connect 2026 in New York City on October 8. The platform connects buyer and seller AI agents to automate discovery, packaging, and purchasing of publisher inventory. It aims to combine programmatic scalability with the customization of direct deals while reducing intermediary fees. According to eMarketer data, approximately 41% of US RTB digital display spending goes to programmatic fees in 2026. Optable will not charge transaction or activation fees for direct contracts, offering a paid service option for advanced features. The market for agentic media buying is projected to grow from $100 million in 2026 to $29.5 billion by 2028. Executives from Goodway Group, Mediavine, and Hearst discussed the potential and current limitations of agentic advertising.
- Optable launched its Agentic Marketplace on October 8, 2026 at Optable Connect 2026 in New York City.
- The platform connects buyer and seller AI agents to automate discovery, packaging, and purchasing of publisher inventory.
- eMarketer data presented indicates approximately 41% of US RTB digital display spending goes to programmatic fees in 2026.
- ·DigidayAI & Data
Agencies Adopt Synthetic Audiences for Media Planning
The Media Buying Briefing reports that synthetic audience adoption is accelerating among agencies and clients. Goodway Group has partnered with data company Arima to incorporate insights from synthetic consumer populations into media planning processes, allowing incrementality tests in simulated environments before real-world activations. Other firms including Vurvey Labs, Limitless Labs, WPP, Dentsu, and Code & Theory are also using synthetic data for market research, creative development, and media buying. The article cites examples such as Magnum, Vans, Kenvue, and Sacheu using synthetic personas. Experts caution that synthetic insights should supplement, not replace, human judgment. WARC data highlights growth in social ad spend, and the briefing notes new launches like Brandtech Data and acquisitions by SAMY and MSQ. The content is explicit about being a briefing for Digiday+ members, distributed via email, and likely contains paywalled content beyond the teaser.
- Goodway Group partnered with Arima to use synthetic consumer populations from the US, UK, and Germany for media planning.
- Kenvue's Aveeno Body used Vurvey Labs' synthetic research to reduce strategy brief time from 30 days to 3 days.
- Brandtech Group launched a data and AI practice called Brandtech Data.
- ·AdExchangerVendor Assessment & Discovery
CartographAI launches accelerator to help ad tech vendors market themselves
CartographAI, a startup founded by former Goodway Group CEO Jay Friedman and former McKinsey analyst Danilo Tauro, helps advertisers and agencies evaluate ad tech vendors using buyer-centric criteria rather than marketing materials. The company, launched earlier this year, provides free vendor rankings on its website, white-glove consulting services, and a new accelerator program that charges ad tech vendors between $1,000 and $3,000 per month for analyst-level insights on how to market their solutions. Early participants include The Trade Desk, Viant, MNTN, Adelaide, Optable, Gamera, Clinch and others. The rankings group vendors into vertical categories, scoring them as emerging, capable or advanced across five category-specific criteria. CartographAI plans to introduce an AI analyst solution later this year to further automate vendor discovery and RFP processes.
- CartographAI was founded by Jay Friedman and Danilo Tauro and launched earlier this year.
- The company offers free vendor rankings covering about 1,000 ad tech companies, grouped by vertical market and scored on five criteria.
- CartographAI's accelerator program charges vendors $1,000 to $3,000 per month for market intelligence and go-to-market guidance.
PHD
Recent Signals
- ·MeediaHiring
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).
- ·AdweekCTV/OTT Advertising, Sports Sponsorship, Brand Strategy
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 Media
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'.
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