Carat

What Carat does

Carat is a global media agency operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the dentsu group, headquartered in London (10 Triton St), with a US presence in New York and a network spanning 100+ countries. It positions itself as the world's first media agency (founded 1968/1971 in France) and serves large, multinational "scaled brands" seeking integrated media planning, buying, and performance services. Its client base is enterprise-tier and diversified across verticals — technology (Intel), consumer goods (P&G, Pampers, Pringles, Cheez-It), retail (NorgesGruppen, Holland & Barrett), financial services (Mastercard, Co-op Funeralcare), energy (ScottishPower), healthcare (Sanofi), and travel (Priceline).

The agency delivers a full-service offering organized around distinct disciplines: Client Management, Media Planning (TV, radio, print, OOH, retail media), Media Buying & Execution (omnichannel, negotiation, AI-driven buying), Strategic Planning, Digital Marketing (paid search/social, programmatic, ecommerce, influencer, CRM), Content/Partnerships & Sponsorships, and Analytics & Performance Reporting. Its stated technical differentiation rests on data-driven audience identification using 11+ billion strategic and dynamic data points (a dentsu-group data asset) and AI-assisted campaign analysis, including a Microsoft Copilot integration used by Carat US to compress performance-comparison analysis from ~30 minutes to 1–2 minutes and by Priceline to generate customized creative assets. Carat maintains no proprietary API and no consumer app; its technology is a services layer rather than a standalone software platform.

The business model is professional services: Carat earns fees/commissions by purchasing advertising inventory on behalf of clients and managing/optimizing campaigns, with pricing not publicly disclosed but structured as project- or retainer-based engagements typical of enterprise media agencies. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales, with Carat explicitly framed as "the gateway to dentsu" — leveraging the parent's 12,000-specialist global network for scale and local execution. Revenue and funding are not independently disclosed, as the entity's capital structure is integrated within dentsu.

Name

Carat

Legal name

Carat

Website

https://carat.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carat is a global enterprise media agency within the dentsu group, providing media planning, buying, digital marketing, and performance analytics to large multinational brands across 100+ countries on a fee/retainer professional-services model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising and Media Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (541830), Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Consulting, Audits & Research (Brand Health, Equity, Competitive) (BPAFAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Influencer Marketing Agencies (BPAFAHAA), Influencer Discovery, Vetting & Due Diligence Services (BPAFAHAE)

Keywords

• Media buying services
• Media planning
• Digital advertising
• Campaign management
• Audience targeting

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Media Buying Services: As a global media buying agency, Carat generates revenue by purchasing advertising inventory on behalf of clients from various online platforms, advertising exchanges, and other media sources. The agency also manages and optimizes online ad campaigns, web properties, and online presence for clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carat is a global media buying agency that plans, purchases, and optimizes advertising inventory across paid, owned, and earned media ecosystems on behalf of enterprise brand clients. Its core services include media planning, media buying and execution, digital marketing, strategic planning, content/partnerships/sponsorships, and analytics and performance reporting, delivered through a network of approximately 12,000 specialists across 100+ countries. The agency leverages 11+ billion data points for audience identification and operates as the gateway to dentsu for scaled global brands.

Product overview

Carat is a global media buying agency and part of the dentsu group, operating as a single integrated service offering rather than a modular software platform. The agency provides a comprehensive suite of media and marketing services organized around core disciplines: Client Management (end-to-end campaign management and media consultancy), Media Planning (channel strategy across TV, print, outdoor, and retail media), Media Buying & Execution (omnichannel media buying with AI-driven capabilities), Strategic Planning (audience insights and integrated campaign development), Digital Marketing (paid search, programmatic, social, ecommerce, and influencer marketing), Content/Partnerships & Sponsorships (creative production, branded content, and event marketing), and Analytics & Performance Reporting (data-driven attribution and ROI tracking). The agency also utilizes Microsoft Copilot's Performance Comparison Tools for AI-assisted campaign analysis. Carat operates through approximately 100+ offices worldwide with around 12,000 specialists, positioning itself as experience designers who combine audience empathy with paid, owned, and earned media ecosystems to deliver client growth outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Media Buying Agency Services Global media buying agency services offering experience design, audience identification and optimization, and campaign delivery across paid, owned, and earned media ecosystems for enterprise brand clients.
• Client Management End-to-end campaign management with customized client solutions and media training and consultancy services for brand advertisers.
• Media Planning Crafts media solutions to maximize impact and precision across TV, broadcast and cinema advertising, radio and audio advertising, print advertising, outdoor and OOH advertising, and retail media.
• Media Buying & Execution Delivers measurable results across every channel with negotiation and placement, omnichannel media buying, campaign optimization and performance tracking, and AI-driven media buying.
• Strategic Planning Helps brands navigate market complexities through audience insights and market research, optimized media mix marketing strategies, integrated campaign development, and brand positioning and strategy support.
• Digital Marketing Drives performance and engagement across paid search and SEO, paid social advertising, programmatic display and video, ecommerce and marketplace advertising, influencer and creator marketing, affiliate and partnership marketing, dynamic retargeting and personalization, 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.

Quantifiable outcome

• Priceline reported 10% lift in click-through rates after integrating Copilot through Microsoft's API
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• dentsucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarat is a dentsu company and operates as the gateway to dentsu for scaled brands looking for global marketing and media buying services. The partnership provides access to dentsu's network of 12,000 specialists across 100+ countries and integrated media ecosystem capabilities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GroupM: WPP's global media investment group operating media agencies including Mindshare, Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, and GroupM Nexus. Directly comparable to Carat as a global media buying network serving multinational advertisers across 100+ markets.
• Mindshare: WPP-owned global media agency offering media planning, buying, and content services to enterprise clients. Directly competes with Carat on global media AOR assignments for Fortune 500 brands.
• PHD Worldwide: Omnicom's global media agency competing directly with Carat on strategic media planning and omnichannel media buying for major advertisers.
• Initiative: IPG Mediabrands' global media agency focused on cultural brand building and media planning. Directly competes with Carat for global enterprise media mandates across categories.
• Wavemaker: WPP-owned global media agency combining data, content, and media planning. Directly comparable to Carat's integrated paid/owned/earned ecosystem offering for scaled brands.
• Zenith: Publicis-owned global media agency network with similar global reach and enterprise client roster. Directly competes with Carat on media planning and buying mandates for scaled brands.
• Starcom: Publicis Groupe's global media agency brand. Directly comparable to Carat in scale, service offering, and target client profile (large multinational advertisers requiring integrated media planning and buying).
• Havas Media: Havas Group's global media network offering media planning and buying services. Comparable to Carat in offering integrated media solutions to multinational enterprise clients.
• OMD Worldwide: Omnicom's flagship global media agency network. Directly comparable to Carat as a top-tier global media buying and planning agency serving multinational advertisers across consumer goods, tech, and other sectors.

Broad incumbents

• IPG Mediabrands: IPG's global media holding company encompassing UM, Initiative, Mediabrands Precision, and other media brands. Competes with Carat as a diversified global media network within a holding-company structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carat-usa
• Instagraminstagram.com/caratglobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaratGlobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Carat