“Start with the Business Problem, Not the Data”: How dentsu Canada Is Gearing up Its Media Offering for 2026

It’s been an exciting and tumultuous year for media practices. Around the world, agencies and brands have wrestled with AI and increasingly sophisticated algorithms, seeking to optimise processes while ensuring the right message reaches the right people, at the right moment. At a time when so much is becoming shoppable, addressable and biddable, there’s been an emerging sea of sameness, forcing many to contemplate how to cut through. And, with increasingly uncertain and volatile events growing seemingly more commonplace, attention to human behaviour has grown all the more important, in order for businesses to stay resilient over the long-term.

This is the landscape that dentsu Canada’s Christine Saunders has had to navigate since coming aboard as CEO, media practice last January. Something she spoke with LBB about earlier this year, her goals at the time included doubling down on learning and development, exploring the new demands of CPG marketing, accelerating the agency’s media offering, and much, much more.

Along the way, however, there were some critical learnings to be had. Aside from the journey to fulfil these ambitions, Christine quickly affirmed the importance of not only integrating human insight into the development of media technology, but the value of including diverse perspectives when helping brands turn analytics into strategies that deliver measurable results. Factors which paired seamlessly with the agency’s proprietary research, it’s clear that the dentsu Canada is now in a prime position to make waves, heading into 2026.

To dive deeper into all of this, and find out a little more about how her first year is going, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Christine for a chat.

LBB> Since we last spoke, how would you say dentsu’s media practice has evolved in Canada? What are the main factors guiding your day-to-day workflow?

Christine> When we last talked, I joked about drinking from a firehose, and honestly, that was pretty accurate. I was absorbing information at high speed.

Since then, the learning curve has shifted into a much clearer sense of direction. I had a vision early on, but I needed time to ground it in the real dynamics of the business, our clients, and our teams.

Over the past months, we’ve focused on strengthening and modernising our media practice. That has meant evolving our offering to keep pace with the shifting landscape and deepening collaboration across dentsu’s network. We’ve also launched several foundational initiatives, including new learning programmes, mastercraft workshops, and client innovation summits.

Today, our priorities are sharply defined around three pillars:

• Helping clients grow despite a volatile economic environment.
• Empowering and aligning our teams across our coast-to-coast offices.
• Anticipating media’s next frontier, especially as the algorithmic era accelerates.
  
  
  

LBB> This isn’t the first time you’ve emphasised the ‘algorithmic era’. What sort of development must come because of this?

Christine> Back in February, I shared that algorithms already influence nearly 60% of ad investments, with a number projected to reach 79% by 2027. Six months in, and that shift is accelerating even faster.

We’re entering a world where everything is becoming shoppable, addressable and biddable. But that shouldn’t mean a race to mediocrity. That’s why we’re doubling down on expanding our ‘Attention Economy’ work, something dentsu pioneered more than eight years ago. We’re now integrating attention metrics into our proprietary measurement tools, and collaborating with partners to help define the next generation of media currencies.

LBB> You also expressed a desire to challenge the status quo. How would you say you’re doing in this regard, presently speaking? What is dentsu doing differently to other similar businesses?

Christine> I’ve never been a fan of the phrase ‘it can’t be done’. It’s exactly the kind of thinking we’re trying to break in this industry. So, that mindset hasn’t changed.

Without giving away too much, we’ve made real progress in areas that will define the next chapter of media, including attention measurement (which is emerging as one of the most meaningful KPIs in the algorithmic era) and quantifying cultural momentum, which gives brands a clearer way to understand how real people move, think, and connect. Both are helping us challenge the status quo with work that feels more grounded in how audiences actually behave.

LBB> With that in mind, what does your mandate – getting the right message, to the right people, at the right moment – mean to you? Where have you started in unlocking this ambition?

Christine> It means we have to go way beyond targeting efficiency and into understanding that micro and macro moments matter more than ever. So much more thought has to go into building the right consumer experience to drive action. It’s also why we continue to invest in our Consumer Connection System (CCS) study, which has always been the largest of its kind.

Specifically, for ‘right message’, attention metrics can help inform creative relevance. Precision beyond demographics – behavioural, contextual, attitudinal – is crucial for ‘right people’, and ‘right moment’ requires real-time context, journey stages, and mental availability windows.

To this end, we are so proud of some of our recent work that has been recognised by the industry in these regards, including Ikea’s ‘U up?’ campaign, as well as work for British Columbia Government Healthcare, and Kraft Heinz.

LBB> As part of this, it’s said you’re using proprietary research as well as data and media partnerships to take things a step further. What are some of the main learnings coming from this?

Christine> We’ve been talking to Canadians through our CCS study for over a decade. It’s now the largest proprietary study of Canadians in the country, with 20,000 people surveyed annually. That depth gives us a uniquely nuanced understanding of how people think, behave and evolve, and it’s the backbone of the thought leadership we bring to clients.

We also just released our 2026 Media Trends Report, which digs into how brands can grow and stay resilient in an increasingly uncertain world. That combination of long-running foundational research plus forward-looking trend work is what shapes our guidance and informs the work we do every day.

LBB> Practically speaking, how do these takeaways help you optimise attention? And do the same rules apply across each marketing sector?

Christine> After years of investing in attention measurement, we've moved from theory to application, and the practical implications are significant. Attention optimisation isn't just about viewability or time-in-view; it's about understanding the quality of engagement and designing media strategies that earn genuine focus in an oversaturated landscape.

Where it gets particularly interesting is how these principles apply across different marketing categories. The fundamentals of attention remain consistent, but the way they show up varies considerably. For example, in CPG, we’re focused on mental availability for relatively low-consideration purchases, which means attention needs to be frequent, but can be shorter. In performance environments, however, attention must go deeper, because we’re actively moving people down the funnel.

LBB> You’ve previously noted that strategies also need to be human-first. At a time where so many are leaning into algorithms and AI, how do you bring an element of humanity into your work?

Christine> Here's the paradox we're living in: as algorithms become more sophisticated, human insight doesn't become less important… it becomes more critical. The algorithmic era isn't about choosing between human and machine. It's about understanding what each does best, and orchestrating them together. Honestly, the brands that are cutting through right now aren't the ones with the best algorithms; they're the ones using algorithms to amplify human truths.

LBB> With that in mind, what advice would you give to marketers looking to turn analytics into real business outcomes? And how can dentsu itself help in this pursuit?

Christine> After over two decades in this business, I've seen a lot of analytics that impress in PowerPoint, but don't move the needle! So, here's the advice I'd give: start with the business problem, not the data. That sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many marketers and agencies start with 'Look at all this data we have, what should we do with it?', instead of 'Here's the business challenge we need to solve, what data helps us solve it?’.

At dentsu, we've invested years in attention measurement, not because it's trendy, but because we believe quality of exposure matters as much as quantity. Our attention metrics work. These aren't theoretical, they're frameworks we use to make better investment decisions. We can help marketers move beyond vanity metrics to measurements that actually predict business outcomes.

LBB> Finally, looking ahead to 2026, where are you hoping to take the agency’s media practice? Will it be doubling down on what you’re already doing, or are there new avenues you’re already hoping to explore?

Christine> When I joined in January, I was learning the business, understanding the landscape, and building relationships. We've now moved from foundation building to acceleration mode. So, 2026 is about both doubling down on what's working, and pushing into new territory.

We will continue to understand Canadians better than anyone through our CCS study and unique network of offices that are coast to coast, driving better, deeper national insights with regional nuances. We will continue to lead the way in attention measurement in Canada. We pioneered this work, and we intend to remain the authority in attention-based planning.

Finally, we will maintain our three brand approach. Carat, the second largest media brand in Canada, has incredible scale to drive a powerful impact. iProspect is an incredible performance agency driving full-funnel media. And dentsu X has this incredible creative-led approach steeped in its Japanese heritage.