Well-known media buying agencies include Brainlabs, Horizon Media, Power Digital, Tinuiti and Wpromote x Giant Spoon, which mostly serve large national and enterprise brands. Commerce Media Group, which publishes this list, buys media on Meta, Google, LinkedIn and TikTok for small and mid-size businesses in the US and Canada and runs it alongside the website, lead follow-up and CRM.
Media buying is the planning and purchase of ad space across search, social, video, streaming TV, retail media and other channels, followed by the work of improving it once it runs. The right partner depends on your size, the channels your buyers use, and how closely you want the ads tied to your website and sales follow-up. Below are six agencies worth knowing, with the facts each company publishes about itself.
Media buying agencies at a glance
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| Agency | Based in | Founded | Size, in the company's own words | Paid media focus | Best for (our view) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commerce Media Group (our agency) | Toronto, serving the US and Canada | 2019 | A small team, listed on our team page | Meta, Google Search and Display, LinkedIn and TikTok, run with the website, lead generation and CRM | Small and mid-size businesses that want ads, website and follow-up run by one team |
| Brainlabs | Offices in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific | 2012 | "$1.5B+ in media spend managed" and "1,000+ Brainlabbers" | Paid search, paid social, programmatic and CTV, retail media | Enterprise brands that buy through formal RFPs |
| Horizon Media | Offices in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto | Not stated | "The largest independent in the world" | Media planning and buying, performance, social and creator, retail media | Large national brands that want an independent media agency |
| Power Digital | Offices in San Diego, New York, Atlanta and Medellín | Not stated | No size figure published | Paid search, paid social, programmatic, TikTok, Amazon, affiliate, influencer | Consumer and commerce brands focused on online sales growth |
| Tinuiti | Offices in New York and Mexico City | 2004, as Elite SEM | "$4B digital media under management" and "1000+ proud employee owners" | Amazon and retail media, streaming TV, paid search, Meta, TikTok, affiliate | Digital-first brands, especially in retail and commerce media |
| Wpromote x Giant Spoon | Locations in Los Angeles and New York | 2001 | "More than $3 billion in media spend" | Paid search, paid social, CTV and linear TV, programmatic, retail media | Challenger brands that want media and brand work together |
The agencies
Commerce Media Group (our agency)
We plan, buy and review paid campaigns on Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google Search and Display, LinkedIn and TikTok, choosing the mix by where the audience is most active. The same team builds the website, the lead generation funnels and the CRM follow-up, and every account is reviewed weekly against cost per lead and return on ad spend. Worth knowing: we are a small team, our media work covers digital channels rather than TV, radio or print, and we do not guarantee a fixed number of leads. See our media practice.
Brainlabs
Founded in 2012 by Dan Gilbert, Brainlabs says it manages more than $1.5 billion in media spend for more than 250 brands, with over 1,000 people across five continents. Its media work covers paid search, paid social, programmatic and CTV, retail media, Google Marketing Platform and influencer. Worth knowing: it describes itself as management-owned and PE-backed, and as built for formal RFPs and enterprise processes.
Horizon Media
Horizon Media describes itself as the largest independent media agency in the world and as fiercely independent. Its paid media services include planning, buying and activation, performance, search and AI visibility, social and creator programs, and retail media across Amazon, Walmart, Target and Instacart. Worth knowing: its site does not publish a founding year or headcount, and the clients it shows are large national brands such as the NFL, Honda and Mayo Clinic.
Power Digital
Power Digital describes itself as privately held and focused on end-to-end commerce growth, with divisions for B2B, CPG, fashion, healthcare, lifestyle and consumer services. Its paid media services include paid search, programmatic, paid social, TikTok, Amazon, affiliate and influencer. Worth knowing: its site does not publish a founding year, headcount or media spend figure, so ask for those directly.
Tinuiti
Tinuiti was founded in 2004 as Elite SEM and took its current name in 2019. It says it has $4 billion in digital media under management and more than 1,000 employee owners, with services spanning Amazon and retail media, streaming and linear TV, online video, audio, Meta, TikTok, paid search and affiliate. Worth knowing: New Mountain Capital partnered with Tinuiti in 2021, and it lists a separate offering for midsize brands called Foundation.
Wpromote x Giant Spoon
Wpromote launched in 2001 and acquired Giant Spoon in November 2025, and now operates as Wpromote x Giant Spoon. It says it manages more than $3 billion in media spend for clients, across paid search, paid social, CTV and linear TV, programmatic, retail media, affiliate and influencer. Worth knowing: its private equity partner is ZMC, and it positions its work for challenger brands.
How to choose a media buying agency
- Match the channels to your buyers. Ask which platforms they would use for you and why, not which ones they prefer to run.
- Check the fit for your size. Several large agencies are built around enterprise budgets and procurement. Ask who your account would be for them.
- Ask who does the work. Find out who plans, buys and reviews your campaigns, and how often.
- Tie reporting to revenue. Cost per lead, return on ad spend and closed sales matter more than impressions or clicks.
- Connect ads to follow-up. Ads perform better when the landing pages, lead routing and CRM are built to catch what they bring in.
- Our buyer's guides list the questions to ask in your industry.
How we chose these agencies
We included well-established agencies that operate under their own name in 2026, publish what they do on their own websites, and offer paid media as a core service. We left out smaller agencies. We did not score or rank anyone: each agency here suits different situations, and the right choice depends on your size, channels and goals. If a fact about a company changes, tell us through our contact page and we will correct it. See our editorial standards.
Sources
- About Brainlabs, Brainlabs
- About us, Horizon Media
- Paid media services, Horizon Media
- Company, Power Digital
- Services, Power Digital
- About Tinuiti, Tinuiti
- About us, Wpromote
- Wpromote and Giant Spoon announcement, Wpromote
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