10 Best Media Agencies in Europe for E-Commerce Brands in 2026

H2: Introduction

It has become harder to grow an online business in Europe because of rising ad costs, complicated attribution, and old growth strategies. Founders and CMOs say their businesses aren't doing well even though there is a lot of demand and good products.

The best media agencies don't just look at impressions; they also look at things like ROAS and long-term CAC. There are a lot of great chances for performance-driven e-commerce brands in Europe, but there are also a lot of problems to deal with, like language barriers, cultural differences, and privacy laws.

The goal of this guide is to help leaders do a better job, be more accountable, and learn from paid media partners who have been there before.

H2: How We Evaluated the Best Media Agencies in Europe

Performance & ROI Focus

The best agencies base all of their choices on optimizing ROAS, CAC, and LTV. They don't just make campaigns better; they make businesses better too. That means knowing how margins work, how often people buy the same thing again, and how acquisition efficiency changes when brands grow.

Their method for testing revenue attribution and incrementality is just as important. Because of changes to iOS privacy and multi-touch journeys, top agencies use tools like Google Marketing Platform, Meta's Conversion Lift, and custom incrementality tests to answer a simple but important question: Are these ads really bringing in new money, or are they just taking credit for it?

E-Commerce & SaaS Specialization

The best agencies in Europe focus on DTC, B2B e-commerce, and subscription models. They know the difference between one-time purchases and recurring revenue, as well as between impulse buys and long decision-making cycles.

You must have worked with Shopify, marketplaces, and SaaS funnels before. These agencies work in the same ecosystems as their clients every day, whether it's optimizing product feeds, scaling Performance Max, or aligning paid media with lifecycle email and CRO.

Cross-Border & Multi-Market Expertise

Successful agencies get that scaling in the EU and the UK is not about replicating campaigns from one nation to another. They spend time understanding cultural context, platform maturity, and regional purchasing patterns. What works in the UK might not work in France and vice versa.

From ad copy and creative to offer positioning and landing page UX, true expertise manifests itself in localization, language, and cultural nuance. This is where seasoned agencies subtly outperform and many brands leak their budgets.

Channel & Platform Coverage

The best agencies are strong in marketplaces, programmatic, paid social media, and paid search, and they know how each channel fits into the customer journey. They are aware of when to invest in demand creation and when to push demand capture.

Moreover, they provide full-funnel media execution, which unifies prospecting, retargeting, and retention initiatives under a single strategy as opposed to disparate campaigns that compete with one another.

Transparency, Reporting & Communication

Agencies that do well set clear KPIs and a reporting schedule that connects media performance directly to business results.

Senior-level strategy involvement is just as important. When experienced leaders stay close to the account, set the direction, question assumptions, and change the strategy as the market changes, the best results happen. This level of partnership is what makes the difference between small gains and huge growth.

H2: 10 Best Media Agencies in Europe for Performance-Driven E-Commerce Brands

1. Jellyfish (UK / Pan-European)

Headquarters & markets served: Headquartered in London, Jellyfish operates as a global digital partner with a massive footprint across France, Germany, the Nordics, and the UK.

Core services: * Full-funnel paid media (Google, Meta, TikTok)

• Cloud-based data solutions & Google Marketing Platform (GMP) specialization

• Dynamic creative optimization (DCO)

• SEO & Content Authority

Best for: High-growth e-commerce brands that have outgrown "standard" agencies and need a partner capable of integrating media with advanced cloud technology (Google Cloud/BigQuery).

Strengths in scaling paid acquisition: Jellyfish is great at getting brands to stop thinking about channels in isolation. They use unified attribution models to make sure that the money you spend on TikTok brand awareness is directly helping your Google Search conversion rate. In 2026, their knowledge of Server-Side Tracking will be very important for getting around the limits of GDPR and cookies.

Notable clients or case highlights: Long-term relationships with big companies like Netflix, Samsung, Deckers (Ugg/Hoka), and others. They are well-known for helping a top beauty brand cut CAC by 22% by switching from last-click to a data-driven incremental lift model.

What they stand out in: They are more than an agency; they are a technology consultancy. Jellyfish is the go-to for brands that want to own their data and use AI to predict customer lifetime value (LTV) before the first purchase is even made.

2. Dept® (Netherlands / Pan-European)

Headquarters & markets served: Based in Amsterdam, Dept® has a presence in virtually every major European market and is one of the fastest-growing digital agencies in the world.

Core services: * Predictive Commerce and AI-integrated storefronts

• Lifecycle marketing & CRM automation

• Social commerce & Live Shopping strategy

• Global media buying & marketplace (Amazon/Zalando) management

Best for: Brands looking for a "one-stop shop" that can build a headless e-commerce platform while simultaneously running a global performance media engine.

Strengths in scaling paid acquisition: Dept® is a leader in Marketplace Growth. For 2026, they have refined the art of "Retail Media," helping brands dominate on Amazon and Zalando by treating these platforms as search engines rather than just marketplaces.

Notable clients or case highlights: Work with Philips, Patagonia, and ASOS. They recently helped a European fashion retailer scale into 5 new markets in 6 months by using AI-driven creative automation to localize thousands of ad assets instantly.

What they stand out in: The "Age of Acceleration." Dept® is obsessed with speed. Their 2026 methodology focuses on zero-click commerce, ensuring your brand is the first answer provided by AI shopping assistants.

3. Brainlabs (UK / Europe)

Headquarters & markets served: London-based, with strong operations in DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and the UK.

Core services: * Scientific performance marketing

• High-frequency A/B testing for creative & landing pages

• Data science & proprietary automation tools

• Full-stack programmatic media

Best for: "Math-first" brands. If your CMO is obsessed with ROAS, contribution margin, and statistical significance, Brainlabs is your partner.

Strengths in scaling paid acquisition: They take a clinical approach. They don't guess; they try things out. In 2026, Brainlabs uses AI-native testing loops to switch out hundreds of hooks and creative variations every 48 hours. This lets them find "winners" faster than any team led by a person could.

Notable clients or case highlights: Known for their work with Adidas, Formula 1, and American Express. For a major fitness brand, they achieved a 40% increase in revenue by building a custom bidding algorithm that accounted for local weather and real-time inventory levels.

What they stand out in: Transparency and experimentation. They treat every Euro of ad spend like a laboratory experiment, providing the most rigorous reporting in the industry.

4. Monks (Global / Strong EU Presence)

Headquarters & markets served: Founded in the Netherlands (Hilversum), with massive creative hubs in London, Berlin, and Paris.

Core services: * Monks.Flow (Agentic AI marketing orchestration)

• High-end video & immersive creative production

• Global media buying & social commerce

• Connected TV (CTV) & Retail Media

Best for: Brands that believe "Creative is the new Targeting." In 2026, when algorithms handle the bidding, Monks provides the emotional storytelling that actually stops the scroll.

Strengths in scaling paid acquisition: They are very good at Liquid Content. They don't just make ads; they make brand worlds that change based on how people interact with them. With their AI-native stack, they can make 10,000 different versions of a video ad, each one customized to the tastes of a small group of people.

Notable clients or case highlights: Google, BMW, and Mondelēz. They are the architects behind some of the world’s most successful livestream shopping events, turning social engagement into immediate "Buy" clicks.

What they stand out in: AI-Native Creative Excellence. At the same time, other agencies use AI to save money, Monks uses AI to expand what’s creatively possible.

5. Artefact (France / Pan-European)

Headquarters & markets served: Headquartered in Paris, with a deep focus on the French, German, and Southern European markets.

Core services: * Data-driven e-commerce transformation

• AI-powered customer segmentation

• Retail media & marketplace strategy

• Privacy-compliant data architecture

Best for: Data-rich brands that are "drowning in information but starving for insights." Artefact turns messy first-party data into a revenue engine.

Strengths in scaling paid acquisition: They are experts at the "Store of One." They help brands use AI to make the whole customer journey unique in 2026. This includes the ad, the landing page, the price, and the follow-up after the purchase.

Notable clients or case highlights: Danone, L'Oréal, and Sanofi. They changed the marketing of a big store by using an AI model to figure out which customers were most likely to leave, which let them run automated "win-back" campaigns that saved millions in lost revenue.

What they stand out in: The bridge between Data Science and Marketing. Artefact is unique because they employ as many data scientists as it does media buyers. They don't just run ads; they build the intelligence layer that tells the ads who to target.

6. Incubeta (UK / Europe)

Headquarters & markets served: London is home to the company, but it has offices in more than 20 other countries, with major hubs in Berlin, Madrid, and Amsterdam.

Core services: * Google Marketing Platform (GMP) advanced consultancy and licensing

• Custom bidding script development for automated acquisition

• Creative production tailored for Dynamic Prospecting

• Measurement strategy & privacy-first GA4 attribution

Best for: Brands looking to "in-house" their marketing technology or those needing to push the absolute limits of the Google ecosystem.

Strengths in scaling paid acquisition: As the largest GMP partner in EMEA, Incubeta’s secret sauce is technical customisation. They don't just use standard tools; they build bespoke scripts on top of them. In 2026, their focus is on "Value-Based Bidding," where they help e-commerce brands bid higher for customers with high predicted lifetime value rather than just chasing the cheapest click.

Notable clients or case highlights: Charlotte Tilbury, Hyundai, and L'Oréal have been partners with them for a long time. They are well-known for helping a global luxury retailer boost ROAS by 35% by adding offline sales data back into their digital bidding engine.

What they stand out in: Being the owner. They know how to help brands take full control of their tech stack, making sure that your data and results stay yours when you grow.

7. Advisible (Sweden / Nordics & EU)

Headquarters & markets served: Headquartered in Stockholm, Advisible is the premier choice for brands targeting the sophisticated Nordic consumer base while expanding into the broader EU.

Core services: * Nordic-market entry and scaling strategy

• Performance-driven Native Advertising

• Programmatic media buying with a focus on premium local inventory

• Data-driven creative localization

Best for: E-commerce brands that want to dominate the high-spending Nordic markets (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland) using a partner that understands the regional nuances of trust and transparency.

Strengths in scaling paid acquisition: Advisable is great at "High-Trust Performance." Nordic consumers are more doubtful of generic ads than ever before in 2026. Advisible uses its own Native Ad platform and strong ties with local publishers to put brands in places that are high-context and high-credibility, which traditional global platforms can't do.

Notable clients or case highlights: A place where well-known Nordic brands and international brands like Bose and Volvo go for tactical digital execution. They are credited with helping a lifestyle brand in Sweden grow its market share by four times through a hyper-localized programmatic strategy.

What they stand out in: Regional Authority. They provide the "insider knowledge" of the Nordics, combining it with the technical rigor of a top-tier European performance house.

8. Peak Ace AG (Germany / Europe)

Headquarters & markets served: Based in Berlin, Peak Ace is a multilingual powerhouse serving the entire European continent in over 25 languages.

Core services: * Full-funnel Search & Social Performance

• Technical SEO and AI-driven content clusters

• Marketing Automation and lifecycle strategy

• Digital PR and "Link-Earning" at scale

Best for: Brands with aggressive international expansion goals who need a partner that can manage complex, multilingual campaigns without losing quality in translation.

Strengths in scaling paid acquisition: Peak Ace is a leader in the field of Predictive Automation. They have become experts at using Large Language Models (LLMs) to test ad copy in real time in dozens of languages by 2026. They make sure that your brand's "voice" stays the same in Paris, Berlin, and Rome, while the algorithms make sure that the conversion differences in each city are taken into account.

Notable clients or case highlights: Trusted by Airbnb, SAGE, and AutoScout24. They are multiple-time winners of "Agency of the Year" at the European Search Awards, often cited for their ability to scale organic and paid search simultaneously to lower overall blended CAC.

What they stand out in: Linguistic and Technical Excellence. They don't just translate ads; they re-engineer them for the local culture, backed by some of the most advanced technical SEO minds in Europe.

9. EssenceMediacom (WPP Group – Europe-wide)

Headquarters & markets served: Central hubs in London and Düsseldorf, with a presence in every major European city.

Core services: * Breakthrough Media (Integrating brand and performance)

• AI-driven audience modeling and predictive analytics

• Retail Media and Commerce Consultancy

• Content & Influencer strategy at scale

Best for: Massive e-commerce players who need the unrivaled buying power of WPP while maintaining the agility of a performance-first boutique.

Strengths in scaling paid acquisition: They are the masters of Omnichannel Integration. In 2026, they excel at "Social-to-Shelf" strategies—ensuring that the right search terms and stock availability on Amazon and your D2C site instantly support a viral moment on TikTok. Their proprietary "EMOS" (EssenceMediacom Operating System) uses AI to reallocate budget across the funnel in real-time based on total business impact.

Notable clients or case highlights: They handle the world’s biggest accounts, including Adidas, eBay, and The Coca-Cola Company. Their work for a major electronics brand is a masterclass in using CTV (Connected TV) to drive direct web traffic.

What they stand out in: Scale and Sophistication. No other agency can match their ability to negotiate media rates while simultaneously deploying world-class data scientists to optimize your conversion path.

10. OMD Europe (Omnicom Group)

Headquarters & markets served: Headquartered in London, with a network covering 60+ markets across the EMEA region.

Core services: * "Omni" platform-driven media planning

• Strategic brand-to-performance architecture

• Advanced E-commerce & Retail Media optimization

• Global investment and portfolio management

Best for: Enterprise-level e-commerce brands that require a centralized global strategy with flawless local execution.

Strengths in scaling paid acquisition: The "Omni" data platform is what makes OMD the most awarded media network in the world. By 2026, Omni will have become a predictive engine that tells brands exactly where the next "growth pocket" is. They are experts in "Signal-Based Marketing," which means they use real-time data, like changes in the weather or the stock market, to start automated media buys.

Notable clients or case highlights: High-profile clients include Apple, PepsiCo, and Renault. They recently won accolades for a "Privacy-First" attribution model that allowed a global retailer to maintain 100% visibility on their ROI despite the total disappearance of third-party cookies.

What they stand out in: Consistency and Innovation. They offer the safety of a global network with a constant hunger for "What’s Next," making them the ideal partner for brands that never want to be left behind by the next tech shift.

H2: Comparison Table

H2: How to Choose the Right Media Agency for Your E-Commerce Brand

It's not about finding the loudest pitch or the prettiest deck when you pick a media agency. It's about how well it works. Brands that make money across Europe tend to treat this choice like hiring a top executive because it has the same effect on sales, profits, and growth.

H3: Align Agency Strengths With Your Growth Stage

At this stage of growth, speed and learning are more important than being perfect. You need agencies that can test a lot, quickly find the best channels, and keep CAC steady before you grow. In Europe, small performance marketing agencies often do well here because senior staff members are involved in the work.

When it comes to businesses, complexity is the enemy. It's more important to do multi-market reporting, incrementality, and cross-channel orchestration than to just try things out. This is how bigger digital media companies in Europe with their own analytics and data teams make money.

It's also important to be clear about the differences between in-house and agency responsibilities. Strong brands keep strategic ownership of things like products, prices, and margins in-house. Agencies, on the other hand, do the work, improve it, and question what they think they know. When roles get mixed up, performance usually goes down.

H3: Ask the Right Performance Questions Before Hiring

Hard questions are welcome at agencies that get results. People who avoid them don't do better very often.

Start with a discussion on how to gauge progress. If the answer is mostly based on clicks or impressions, stop. Good media companies link performance to sales, contribution margin, and long-term growth.

Next, find out what attribution models they use. In today's e-commerce, last-click alone is not enough very often. To check the effect, look for a combination of platform data, analytics tools, and incremental testing.

Finally, make it clear how often testing and optimization will happen. It used to be enough to do it once a week. The best media buying agencies in Europe today optimize every day and test all the time. Creative, audiences, bids, and offers all change in real time.

H3: Budget Expectations & Pricing Models

A lot of European online ad companies bill their clients monthly or take a cut of the money spent on ads. Retainers are good for brands that want to be consistent and have a lot of strategic depth. Percentage models can make incentives work better, but they need trust and openness.

Being cheap isn't what "good value" really means. It's all about leverage. A good agency should give you access to insights, systems, and execution that would be much more expensive to build in-house, especially when you want to grow across Europe.

H2: Common Mistakes E-Commerce Brands Make When Hiring Media Agencies

One of the most common mistakes is choosing based on price rather than how well it works. Lower fees often mean less experienced execution, longer testing, and missed chances, which costs a lot more in lost revenue.

Another trap is to believe in metrics that are based on vanity. Reports show that likes and CTRs are good, but they don't pay the bills. Performance brands want results.

A lot of brands also don't realize how complicated it is to do business across borders. Europe isn't one market, and agencies that don't have experience working in multiple markets have a hard time with differences in localization, compliance, and platform maturity.

Finally, not being able to take ownership of your accounts and data is a big warning sign. You should always own your ad accounts, analytics, and insights. An agency relationship shouldn't keep them from you.

H2: FAQs

H3: How much do top media agencies in Europe typically charge?

Depending on the scope, channels, and markets, most of the best media agencies in Europe charge between €3,000 and €20,000+ per month. This amount can be higher for enterprise engagements, especially when programmatic and advanced analytics are involved.

H3: Are European media agencies suitable for non-EU brands?

Yes. Many European media companies that work with cross-border e-commerce focus on helping US and international brands get into the EU and UK markets. They take care of things like localization, platform differences, and legal issues.

H3: Should e-commerce brands outsource paid media or build in-house teams?

Brands that grow quickly often do both. Agencies speed up learning and execution, but in-house teams keep control of the strategy. This hybrid model tends to work better than either approach on its own over time.

H3: What results should you expect in the first 90 days?

Usually, the first 30 days are spent on audits and building blocks. Strong agencies don't promise instant miracles; instead, they give you clearer insights, a steady ROAS, and a plan for growth that can be scaled up.

H2: Final Thoughts

The best media companies in Europe don't promise quick fixes. They bring order, a new point of view, and hard-earned wisdom to a loud, competitive world. For e-commerce brands that care about performance, the real win isn't just better ads; it's growth that is predictable and can happen in other countries.

Pick partners who push you, tell you things that make you uncomfortable, and hold you accountable when it counts. That's how brands stop chasing performance and start owning it.