dentsu

Dentsu Expands Partnership with Newton Research

Newton Research and dentsu have expanded their partnership to scale AI-powered media intelligence across dentsu’s U.S. media agencies — Carat, dentsu X, and iProspect — following a successful 2025 pilot. The collaboration gives dentsu access to Newton’s agentic AI for enhanced analytics, AI-driven reporting, real-time campaign visibility, and workflow integration with dentsu’s proprietary offerings such as Modern Media and dentsu.Connect. Newton’s agents will support planning, activation, and measurement across omni-channel formats while surfacing optimization opportunities and AI-generated recommendations that are executed with human oversight. dentsu plans to extend the partnership globally. Executives quoted include Caitlin Gelles (EVP Data Technology & Measurement at dentsu), John Hoctor (CEO & co-founder, Newton Research) and Emily Kennedy (EVP Head of Marketplace at dentsu). The announcement was published June 23, 2026.

Carat Appoints Jennifer Barthe as Integrated Client Lead

Carat, the dentsu-owned media agency, has appointed Jennifer Barthe as a managing director in a newly created Integrated Client Lead (ICL) role. Effective immediately, the ICL is presented as a strategic function intended to drive integrated consulting across media, creative, customer experience, data and technology. Barthe brings more than 16 years of international experience across strategy, growth and client leadership at network and creative agencies (including adam&eveDDB, We are Social and Shipyard) and has won nine Effie Awards. Dentsu Germany CEO Katja Anette Brandt framed the role as a way to align media, creative and CX from idea to measurable business impact. Carat says it has about 10,000 employees in 120 offices across 51 markets and lists clients including General Motors, Heineken, Kraft Heinz, Kellogg's, MasterCard, Vodafone, Ikea, Microsoft and P&G.

COMvergence: WPP Tops Publicis in 2025 Rankings

COMvergence's global report for 2025 shows the combined billings of the Big-6 holdings and major independent media agencies totalled $265 billion, up 1.7% year-over-year. WPP Media retained the top group position with $63.9 billion in billings (about 13% market share), narrowly ahead of Publicis Media, which grew to $62.4 billion (the strongest growth among the Big 6). Omnicom ranked third with $48.5 billion. COMvergence estimates global net media spend across 49 markets at $478 billion and reports digital media accounted for 57% of agency billings among the large groups and independents. The report also highlights consolidation: Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG at the end of 2025 would create a Big‑5 configuration with Omnicom in the lead under that scenario.