Local Publisher × Agency Revenue Growth
Local Publisher × Agency Revenue Growth
Local Publisher × Agency Revenue Growth
Year
2024 - PRESENT
Year
2024 - PRESENT
Year
2024 - PRESENT
Type
POSITIONING · AGENCY STRATEGY · COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS
Type
POSITIONING · AGENCY STRATEGY · COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS
Type
POSITIONING · AGENCY STRATEGY · COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS
Timeframe
12 weeks
Timeframe
12 weeks
Timeframe
12 weeks
Overview
Overview
Overview
A Canadian local publisher was struggling to unlock meaningful media spend from large agency holding companies — despite strong editorial reach and widespread industry support for “buying local.”
While senior agency leaders had publicly signed the CMDC manifesto, actual spend continued to flow elsewhere. The publisher was effectively competing in a market where good intentions existed, but structural incentives worked against them.
The founder came to me with a simple challenge: how do we turn stated commitments into real revenue?
A Canadian local publisher was struggling to unlock meaningful media spend from large agency holding companies — despite strong editorial reach and widespread industry support for “buying local.”
While senior agency leaders had publicly signed the CMDC manifesto, actual spend continued to flow elsewhere. The publisher was effectively competing in a market where good intentions existed, but structural incentives worked against them.
The founder came to me with a simple challenge: how do we turn stated commitments into real revenue?
A Canadian local publisher was struggling to unlock meaningful media spend from large agency holding companies — despite strong editorial reach and widespread industry support for “buying local.”
While senior agency leaders had publicly signed the CMDC manifesto, actual spend continued to flow elsewhere. The publisher was effectively competing in a market where good intentions existed, but structural incentives worked against them.
The founder came to me with a simple challenge: how do we turn stated commitments into real revenue?
/01
/01
/01
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
The publisher’s offering was historically positioned toward media planners — a logical approach on paper, but ineffective in practice.
Agency dollars were already locked into:
Long-term deal commitments
Platform-level buying agreements
Incentive structures misaligned with local outcomes
As a result, even supportive agencies lacked a practical pathway to shift spend. The gap wasn’t awareness — it was access, incentives, and positioning.
The publisher’s offering was historically positioned toward media planners — a logical approach on paper, but ineffective in practice.
Agency dollars were already locked into:
Long-term deal commitments
Platform-level buying agreements
Incentive structures misaligned with local outcomes
As a result, even supportive agencies lacked a practical pathway to shift spend. The gap wasn’t awareness — it was access, incentives, and positioning.
The publisher’s offering was historically positioned toward media planners — a logical approach on paper, but ineffective in practice.
Agency dollars were already locked into:
Long-term deal commitments
Platform-level buying agreements
Incentive structures misaligned with local outcomes
As a result, even supportive agencies lacked a practical pathway to shift spend. The gap wasn’t awareness — it was access, incentives, and positioning.
/02
/02
/02
Approach
Approach
Approach
With senior leadership experience at WPP, I understood how agency investment decisions are actually made — and where influence truly sits.
We focused on three strategic moves:
1. Reposition the Offer
Shifted positioning away from planners toward programmatic and platform-based campaign managers, aligning with day-to-day buying behavior.
2. Align Executive Incentives
Framed a senior-level partnership narrative tied to provincial and federal government accounts, reinforcing agencies’ CMDC commitments.
3. Secure Deal Commitments
Structured a holding-company-level agreement guaranteeing incremental investment.
With senior leadership experience at WPP, I understood how agency investment decisions are actually made — and where influence truly sits.
We focused on three strategic moves:
1. Reposition the Offer
Shifted positioning away from planners toward programmatic and platform-based campaign managers, aligning with day-to-day buying behavior.
2. Align Executive Incentives
Framed a senior-level partnership narrative tied to provincial and federal government accounts, reinforcing agencies’ CMDC commitments.
3. Secure Deal Commitments
Structured a holding-company-level agreement guaranteeing incremental investment.
With senior leadership experience at WPP, I understood how agency investment decisions are actually made — and where influence truly sits.
We focused on three strategic moves:
1. Reposition the Offer
Shifted positioning away from planners toward programmatic and platform-based campaign managers, aligning with day-to-day buying behavior.
2. Align Executive Incentives
Framed a senior-level partnership narrative tied to provincial and federal government accounts, reinforcing agencies’ CMDC commitments.
3. Secure Deal Commitments
Structured a holding-company-level agreement guaranteeing incremental investment.
/03
/03
/03
Results
Results
Results
Secured a $2M+ incremental media spend commitment with a major agency holdco
Shifted agency engagement from passive support to active partnership
Opened ongoing collaboration with both agency teams and advertisers
Today, I continue to work with the publisher to:
Design new programs and sponsorship packages
Create agency-friendly commercial structures
Develop advertiser-ready narratives that convert intent into spend
Secured a $2M+ incremental media spend commitment with a major agency holdco
Shifted agency engagement from passive support to active partnership
Opened ongoing collaboration with both agency teams and advertisers
Today, I continue to work with the publisher to:
Design new programs and sponsorship packages
Create agency-friendly commercial structures
Develop advertiser-ready narratives that convert intent into spend
Secured a $2M+ incremental media spend commitment with a major agency holdco
Shifted agency engagement from passive support to active partnership
Opened ongoing collaboration with both agency teams and advertisers
Today, I continue to work with the publisher to:
Design new programs and sponsorship packages
Create agency-friendly commercial structures
Develop advertiser-ready narratives that convert intent into spend
Increase in media revenue
+2.2M
+2.2M
Agency partnership activation
4x engagement lift
4x engagement lift
/04
/04
/04
This project wasn’t about awareness or advocacy — it was about changing how money moves.
By aligning positioning with real decision-makers, translating values into incentives, and structuring partnerships that worked inside agency realities, we turned a stalled conversation into sustained revenue.
This project wasn’t about awareness or advocacy — it was about changing how money moves.
By aligning positioning with real decision-makers, translating values into incentives, and structuring partnerships that worked inside agency realities, we turned a stalled conversation into sustained revenue.
This project wasn’t about awareness or advocacy — it was about changing how money moves.
By aligning positioning with real decision-makers, translating values into incentives, and structuring partnerships that worked inside agency realities, we turned a stalled conversation into sustained revenue.
Market Entry · Positioning · Omnichannel Strategy
US Media Company × Canada Market Entry
A US-based digital media company set out to expand into Canada following the acquisition of a leading Canadian dOOH operator. The challenge wasn’t scale — it was earning relevance in a tight-knit, agency-driven market with entrenched relationships and limited managed-service opportunities.