COMPANY

Carat

Carat is a global dentsu-owned media agency for enterprise advertisers.

Analyst Perspective

Carat is a global media and marketing agency brand within dentsu that provides managed services for media planning, media buying, audience strategy, partnership design and marketing transformation. Its core customers are enterprise brands and large advertisers that need multi-market campaign execution, audience insight and centralised media stewardship across digital and other channels. The business makes money primarily through agency fees, retainers, project work and commissions or spend-linked compensation tied to media planning and buying. Carat’s value proposition is its combination of global operating scale, access to dentsu capabilities, and data-informed audience and effectiveness services for brands running complex international marketing programmes.

Analyst Signal Briefing

Updated: 5 Aug 2026

Carat is operationalising Dentsu’s agentic media model by scaling Newton Research’s AI for real-time campaign optimisation and appointing Jennifer Barthe as Integrated Client Lead to unify data and creative consulting. While Dentsu undergoes a global leadership reshuffle under CEO Takeshi Sano, Carat has secured its European Pringles account post-Mars acquisition and executed predictive first-party data activations for Papa Johns. These developments, supported by Dentsu’s new New Stream Media platform, align with a strategic shift towards 75% algorithmic ad spend by 2028 and enhanced measurement clarity across the group’s media ecosystem.

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Category Differentiation

Carat is a media agency brand within dentsu, not a gemstone grading or jewellery business. It should be understood as an enterprise marketing services network rather than a standalone adtech software vendor.

Carat: About

Carat operates a managed-service agency model. It advises large advertisers on where and how to deploy media budgets, plans and executes campaigns across channels, structures strategic partnerships, and uses audience and measurement capabilities to improve outcomes. Value is created through media expertise, cross-market coordination, data-informed planning and access to the broader dentsu network, while revenue is captured through retainers, project fees, consulting fees and media-spend-linked compensation.

How Carat Works & Monetises

Business model analysis and core revenue streams

Carat’s monetisation is centred on managed-service agency revenue: recurring client retainers, project-based consulting fees, and percentage-based or commission-style compensation linked to media spend. Additional revenue likely comes from strategic planning, audience insight, effectiveness measurement and bundled dentsu services delivered alongside core media buying and planning.

Revenue Channels

Media planning and buying servicesService retainers and spend-linked compensation
Strategic consulting and partnership designProject fee and retainer
Audience insight and data-driven strategyService fee / retainer
Measurement and effectiveness workConsulting fee
Bundled dentsu cross-service engagementsIntegrated service contract

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Carat: Key Competitors & Alternatives

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Recent Signals (Carat)

AdweekAug 4, 2026

Adweek Names 2026 Media Plan of the Year Winners

Adweek published its 2026 Media Plan of the Year awards, recognizing media agencies and brand-side planners across 22 categories for campaigns that shifted cultural conversations and delivered measurable results. Winners highlighted creative, cross-channel executions — from Kleenex partnering with PHD UK and artist Mr Doodle to drive sales, to Humana and Spark Foundry building an AI-driven system in the Microsoft Bing ecosystem to boost Medicare enrollments. Campaigns included experiential activations (Oscar Mayer’s Wienie 500), social-first debunking (Unilever’s Vaseline Verified), streamer-driven public safety (Havas Play France and Sapeurs‑Pompiers de France), and inclusive cause marketing (GMF with Havas Play France). The feature lists performance metrics and outcomes for featured campaigns and agencies, illustrating diverse tactics across OOH, streaming, AI, social, experiential, and insight-led work.

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CaratJul 18, 2026

The Juror’s Perspective: ISO Creative Use of the Power of Media

New blog post from Carat offering a juror's perspective on creative use of media power at Cannes Lions.

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MeediaJul 16, 2026

Pringles launches Mars-era social campaign 'Du auch?'

Pringles has launched its first major campaign under new owner Mars in Germany, introducing the claim “Du auch?” as part of a broader international “Pass the Pringles” identity. The integrated campaign emphasizes “social snacking” and includes a public social experiment with creators handing and sharing Pringles cans to create recognisable social moments. Media execution, planned by Dentsu’s Carat, uses a mix of (D)OOH focused on major cities, online video (primarily YouTube), VOD, social channels (Instagram and TikTok) and retail media. Creative and branding partners named are AMV BBDO (creative) and Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR). The article notes that although Mars moved its global media account from WPP to Publicis in mid‑2025, Pringles’ European media business appears to remain with Carat.

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Carat: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Carat?

Carat is a global media and marketing agency within dentsu that provides media planning, buying, audience strategy and related consulting services for large brands.

Who uses Carat?

Carat is used by enterprise brands, multinational advertisers and senior marketing teams that need cross-market media strategy and campaign execution.

How does Carat make money?

Carat makes money through agency retainers, project fees, consulting work and compensation linked to the media budgets it plans and manages.

Company Facts

Headquarters
Regent’s Place, 10 Triton Street, London, NW1 3BF, United Kingdom
Core Segment
Agency & Consultancy
Company Size
>5,000
Official Link
carat.com