Media agency network
Carat
Dentsu's media network, Cannes Lions 2026 Media Network of the Year.
Carat is the media agency network of dentsu. It was Cannes Lions 2026 Media Network of the Year, with three Gold, one Silver and two Bronze Lions, including Heineken's "Could Have Been a Heineken" and Carat UAE's work for Arla Foods' Puck. Its owner dentsu reported a record net loss for 2025 and in 2026 dropped a planned sale of its international business.
Standing in the Report's landscape
No. 5 in Global agency networks, 2026
5 points: Cannes Lions 2026 Media Network of the Year; among the 5-point networks it is placed alphabetically.
See the list and how it was made
The rankings behind it
A place in a list is read from published rankings and award tables by a points rule set out with the list; nobody pays to be on it. Size and fame are not fit: check what this agency does against your brief.
Where it shines
- Media Network of the Year at Cannes Lions 2026, scored on Media Lions where it held the media-placement role.
- Award-winning work named by client, in Europe and the Gulf.
Check before signing
- Dentsu explored a sale of its international business and then dropped it: ask about the network's plans in your market.
- Its points come from one table (Cannes Lions media); it did not place in the WARC Media 100 network top three.
What it offers
- Markets
- United KingdomUnited Arab Emirates
How it is classified
- Category
- Media planning and buying
Something is listed only when it can be checked. A connection we could not confirm is left off, and Find your stack then credits a public API at half weight.
Our six checks
- Ownership is public: not known yet
- Services are published: not known yet
- Offices are listed: not known yet
- Privacy is published: not known yet
- Effectiveness is evidenced: not known yet
- Work is shown: met
- Ownership is publicNot assessed
It names its owner (the holding group) or states that it is independent, and names its leadership.
The press names dentsu as its owner; its own ownership and leadership pages were not checked.
- Services are publishedNot assessed
A services or capabilities page says what it does.
Its services page was not checked for this listing.
- Offices are listedNot assessed
It publishes where it operates: its offices or markets.
Its own office list was not checked; the cited sources name only some offices.
- Privacy is publishedNot assessed
Its site has a privacy notice, and a code of conduct where one was seen.
Its privacy notice was not checked for this listing.
- Effectiveness is evidencedNot assessed
An independent effectiveness ranking or award from 2023 to 2026 names it (the Effie Index, the IPA Effectiveness Awards, the WARC Effective 100).
No effectiveness ranking or award for 2023–2026 was found in the sources read for this listing.
- Work is shownMet
It publishes case studies or named client work.
Its own site describes the award-winning work by client name (Heineken, Arla Foods).
Not assessed is not a failure — it means we have not checked yet. Methodology
Evidence
Sources
Every attribute
The same attributes, measured by the same rules, for every listing. "Not recorded" means we have not checked yet — never a "no". Spot something missing or wrong? Suggest an edit.
Identity
| Type | Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Categories | Media planning and buying | |
| Founded | Not recorded | |
| Headquarters | Not recorded | |
| Ownership | Part of a larger group | |
| Parent company | dentsu | |
| Added by | IMC Report team |
Fit
Trust
The community
| "Looks right" confirmations | 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Community experiences | 0 |
Experiences and ratings
Share your experienceNo experiences with Carat yet. Used it? Yours could be the first.
Experiences are read by a moderator before they appear, are shown beside the facts, and never feed a score or a ranking. You may not share an experience of a product you work for, sell, compete with or are paid to promote.
Alternatives