What Carat does

Carat is a global media and marketing agency founded in France in 1973 as the world's first media agency, now operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of dentsu and headquartered in London. The company delivers end-to-end media planning, buying, and execution services for scaled enterprise brands across paid, owned, and earned media ecosystems. Carat's service portfolio spans seven interconnected practice areas: client management (end-to-end campaign management and consultancy), media planning (TV, radio, print, outdoor, retail media), media buying and execution (including AI-driven omnichannel buying), strategic planning (audience insights and media mix optimization), digital marketing (paid search, social, programmatic, eCommerce, influencer, CRM), content/partnerships/sponsorships (branded content, product placement, event marketing), and analytics and performance reporting (attribution modelling, real-time dashboards, ROI tracking). The technology backbone leverages 11+ billion strategic and dynamic data points for audience identification and targeting, supporting data-driven insights across global campaigns.

Carat operates a global network of 12,000 specialists across 100+ countries and 100+ offices, with named regional clusters including 6 UK locations (567 UK experts) and 3 German offices in Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf. The customer base is enterprise-tier and horizontally diversified across FMCG, retail, healthcare, technology, energy, and consumer goods, with marquee clients such as Intel, Pampers, IKEA, Arla Foods (25-year partnership), ScottishPower, Sanofi, Co-op Funeralcare, Holland & Barrett, Pringles, and Cheez-It. The 25-year Arla Foods relationship, extended in February 2026, exemplifies the company's long-tenure client engagement model. Carat's go-to-market is enterprise field sales with bespoke client partnerships, supported by 150+ industry awards won in the trailing 12 months and active thought leadership through a global blog and industry event participation.

Revenue is generated on a professional services basis through agency fees and media buying commissions, with non-publicly-disclosed pricing structured as retainer agreements or project-based fees for enterprise clients. As a subsidiary within dentsu (the Japanese advertising conglomerate), Carat does not report standalone revenue, and its 100+ country operational footprint is delivered through dentsu's integrated corporate structure rather than as an independent entity.

Name

Carat

Legal name

Carat

Website

https://carat.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Carat is a global media and marketing agency, wholly owned by dentsu, providing media planning, buying, and digital marketing services to enterprise brands across 100+ countries via a network of 12,000 specialists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising & Media Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (54183), Media Buying Agencies (541830), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital & Programmatic Media Buying (Display, Video, CTV, Audio) (BPAFABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Media Measurement, Attribution & Mix Modeling (MMM/MTA) (BPAFABAN)

Keywords

• Media planning services
• Media buying agency
• Digital marketing services
• Advertising campaign management
• Brand strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Media Planning and Buying Services: Core agency services including media planning, strategy development, and media buying across TV, radio, print, outdoor, digital, and retail media channels. Revenue generated through agency fees and media buying commissions.
2. Digital Marketing Services: Services including Paid Search (PPC) & SEO, Paid Social Advertising, Programmatic Display & Video, eCommerce & Marketplace Advertising, Influencer & Creator Marketing, Dynamic Retargeting & Personalisation, and Email & CRM Marketing.
3. Strategic Planning and Consulting: Strategic planning solutions including Audience Insights & Market Research, Optimised Media Mix Marketing Strategies, Integrated Campaign Development, and Brand Positioning & Strategy Support.
4. Content, Partnerships and Sponsorships: Creative Strategy & Production, Branded Content & Native Advertising, Product Placement & Sponsorships, Cross-Media Partnerships and Brokering, Interactive and Shoppable Content, and Sponsorship & Event Marketing.
5. Analytics and Performance Reporting: Data-Driven Insights & Attribution Modelling, Real-Time Performance Dashboards, ROI & Conversion Tracking and Market Benchmarking & Competitive Analysis.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Carat is a global media buying agency that delivers end-to-end media planning, omnichannel media buying and execution, strategic planning, digital marketing, content/partnerships/sponsorships, and analytics and performance reporting for enterprise brand clients. The firm uses AI-driven media buying and proprietary audience data spanning 11+ billion strategic data points to identify and connect brands with growth audiences across paid, owned, and earned media ecosystems.

Product overview

Carat is a global media and marketing agency operating as part of dentsu. Rather than a single unified software product, Carat offers a portfolio of interconnected service offerings that work together to deliver integrated marketing solutions. The core service stack includes Client Management (end-to-end campaign management and consultancy), Media Planning (channel strategy across TV, radio, print, OOH, and retail media), Media Buying & Execution (omnichannel buying with AI-driven capabilities), Strategic Planning (audience insights and media mix optimization), Digital Marketing (paid search, social, programmatic, eCommerce, influencer, and CRM marketing), Content/Partnerships & Sponsorships (creative production, branded content, and event marketing), and Analytics & Performance Reporting (attribution modelling, dashboards, and competitive analysis). These services are unified through a philosophy of connecting brands with people using data-driven insights (11+ billion strategic data points) and a paid/owned/earned media ecosystem approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Client Management End-to-end campaign management, customised client solutions, and media training and consultancy services supporting clients throughout the full campaign journey from strategy through delivery.
• Media Planning Crafts media solutions to maximise impact and precision across TV, Broadcast & Cinema, Radio & Audio, Print, Outdoor & OOH, and Retail Media channels for enterprise brand clients.
• Media Buying & Execution Delivers measurable results across every channel through negotiation and placement, omnichannel media buying, campaign optimisation and performance tracking, and AI-driven media buying capabilities.
• Strategic Planning Provides audience insights and market research, optimised media mix marketing strategies, integrated campaign development, and brand positioning and strategy support for enterprise clients navigating complex markets.
• Digital Marketing Performance and engagement services across digital channels including Paid Search (PPC) and SEO, Paid Social, Programmatic Display and Video, eCommerce and Marketplace Advertising, Influencer and Creator Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Dynamic Retargeting and Personalisation, and Email and CRM Marketing.
• Content, Partnerships and Sponsorships Connects brands with audiences through creative strategy and production, branded content and native advertising, product placement and sponsorships, cross-media partnerships and brokering, interactive and shoppable content, and sponsorship and event marketing.
• Analytics & Performance Reporting Turns data into action through data-driven insights and attribution modelling, real-time performance dashboards, ROI and conversion tracking, and market benchmarking and competitive analysis for enterprise clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 129% higher interaction rates compared to standard behavioral placements in IKEA campaign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arla FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Arla Foods extended its 25-year partnership with Carat for two more years covering UK, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The partnership focuses on evolving Arla's integrated marketing approach in the Algorithmic Era, working closely with The Barn (Arla's in-house agency) to future-proof media and creative activation while accelerating performance across channels.
• FandomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Carat partnered with Fandom to release a study analyzing behaviors of 1,500 U.S. fans and data from 250,000 fan-curated wikis. The study identified three types of cultural moments and four key fan behaviors that create opportunities for brand engagement, providing actionable insights for brands to navigate fandom engagement.
• NBCUniversalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NBCUniversal for content and commerce integration as part of KERV.ai's Moment Match Engine platform deployment.
• Warner Bros. DiscoveryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Warner Bros. Discovery for content and commerce integration as part of KERV.ai's Moment Match Engine platform deployment.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Starcom: Publicis Groupe's global media agency; competes with Carat on enterprise client accounts with similar human-experience-led positioning and data-driven media capabilities.
• Mindshare: WPP's global media agency network operating across 100+ markets; competes head-to-head with Carat for the same scaled global brand clients in media planning, buying, and digital.
• OMD Worldwide: Omnicom's flagship global media planning and buying agency network; directly competes with Carat in serving scaled enterprise brands across 100+ markets with comparable AI and data-driven media capabilities.
• Zenith: Publicis-owned global media agency network; directly comparable to Carat in scale and services across media planning, buying, and digital performance.
• MediaCom: WPP media agency network with global enterprise client base; competes directly with Carat across paid media planning and buying, digital, and analytics services.
• Initiative (IPG Mediabrands): IPG Mediabrands' global media agency; competes with Carat for enterprise clients with similar media planning, buying, and analytics offerings.
• Wavemaker: WPP's media, content, and technology agency formed from MEC and Maxus; directly comparable to Carat in global footprint and enterprise media services.
• PHD Worldwide: Omnicom's challenger global media network; competes with Carat on enterprise clients with a similar focus on innovation, data, and integrated media solutions.
• Havas Media Network: Havas Group's global media agency network operating across 100+ markets; competes with Carat for global brand clients with comparable integrated media services.

Broad incumbents

• dentsu (parent): Carat's parent company and a top global advertising group with cross-agency capabilities spanning creative, media, and customer experience — broadly comparable as a holding company competitor to WPP, Omnicom, and Publicis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carat
• Instagraminstagram.com/caratglobal
• Xx.com/caratglobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaratUK

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carat