It’s a jungle out there in the mediaverse, and Cossette is heading in safari-shirt-first with a new stand-alone Toronto media shop called Jungle Media.

The new shop opens officially today – with separate offices adjacent to Cossette’s downtown Toronto location – with the announcement that Ikea Canada is on the roster as its first new client. Previously, Ikea’s media was handled by Mindshare in Toronto.

The mandate for Jungle Media’s client acquisition will be entirely different than Cossette’s in-house media division Cossette Media, Cossette president and COO Brett Marchand tells MiC. While Cossette Media will continue to handle its (mostly Canadian) client business with integrated accounts with Cossette agency proper, Jungle Media is setting its sights on international media-only business, he says.

‘There will be some important connections between Jungle and Cossette,’ he says. ‘For example, there will be things that they will do from a media-buying, clout and negotiation standpoint that will benefit clients by working together, but the real intent was to set up a media agency that really respected the differences between the kinds of clients that we have.’

Jungle Media will aim to provide international clients with made-for-Canada media solutions for their global campaigns, says Marchand, providing tailored solutions on regional or national levels. The idea will be to help these clients adapt their global campaigns to this market, keeping global best practices and creative at the forefront. And, he says, the shop will ideally create a more relaxed environment for clients with an established AOR looking for media solutions but not a new integrated agency.

Jungle Media will be headed by Cossette Media’s Sheri Metcalfe, who has been named VP and co-managing director. She is joined by Cossette Media alumni Cindy Drown. Meanwhile, Terry Horton, former VP associate media director at Cossette Media, has been promoted to VP media director.

New digital media will be a focus for the new agency, Marchand says, with a focus on mobile and social media.