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Advertisers are increasingly turning to publishers' own data, not just platform data, to target audiences precisely while protecting their privacy. Drew Thachuk, SJC Media’s director of programmatic and data solutions, shares why that shift is reshaping the media landscape:
Coming to SJC has been a shift in perspective for me. I've spent my career on the ad tech side, so this is my first time sitting with a publisher, and what struck me immediately was the strength of our data layer and the sophistication of the ad tech stack behind our brands.
Part media company and part ad tech company
We don't operate like a traditional publisher. We sit somewhere in between, part media company and part ad tech company, and that hybrid model is exactly where the industry is heading.
I saw that reinforced at the recent Interactive Advertising Bureau's “State of the Nation” event, where the through-line was clear: Canadian consumers want editorial and content they can trust, and that demand is reshaping how advertisers plan and buy. It's also redefining what "good targeting" actually means. For years, targeting signals were layered on at the demand-side platform level.
The focus is shifting to signal quality
Now we're seeing a significant influx of advertisers interested in supply-side signals to enable precision. As third-party cookies become less reliable and privacy expectations rise, the focus is shifting to signal quality.
Publishers with the proper data management foundation can position their inventory both behaviourally and contextually to optimize toward campaign goals. With that foundation in place, they can bring their own high-quality signals, built from real editorial engagement and layer them directly on top of premium Canadian supply.
For senior marketers and media buyers, that's the shift worth paying attention to. Data quality, transparency and trust are what allow publishers to build lasting partnerships with advertisers and agencies, while also sustaining quality journalism in Canada.
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SJC Audience+ is SJC Media's platform for this kind of targeting. It combines data from trusted Canadian media brands with insights into what readers actually engage with, helping advertisers reach the right audiences while protecting their privacy. Get in touch to learn how you can target your next campaign through Audience+.
About Drew Thachuk
Drew Thachuk is director of programmatic & data solutions at SJC. He brings more than a decade of experience working across media platforms, agencies and advertisers, helping brands buy and place digital advertising more effectively across North America, including out-of-home advertising, retail shopping data and campaigns spanning finance, CPG, iGaming, consumer electronics, retail and political sectors.
Since joining SJC, Drew has focused on the organization's unique position as both a media company and a technology company. He works closely with SJC Audience+ to combine data from trusted Canadian media brands with audience insights, helping advertisers reach the right people while protecting their privacy.
