PHD vs Wavemaker

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’s leaders and campaigns were honored at the 2026 M&M Global Awards, as announced on October 2, 2026.

L'Oréal Drops Wavemaker in €350M DACH Media Pitch

L'Oréal has decided to replace its incumbent media agency Wavemaker for its €350 million media account in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The decision follows a pitch process that began in spring 2026. The move signals the cosmetics giant's desire for fresh momentum in its media strategy across German-speaking markets. Wavemaker, which previously held the account, will lose the business to a new agency partner. The new agency has not been named in the available content, which was partially paywalled. The decision is a significant win for the winning agency and a major loss for Wavemaker, impacting the media agency landscape in the region.

• L'Oréal has decided to end its media agency partnership with Wavemaker in the DACH region.
• The media account is worth €350 million.
• The pitch for the DACH media account was initiated in spring 2026.