For years, creative and media often worked at a distance. Teams were briefed separately, looped in late, and rarely part of the same conversation. The result looked integrated on a slide, but in truth, it was coordination — not collaboration.
At Carat, we see collaboration a little differently. For us, it’s about sparking curiosity, finding alignment, and creating energy right from the start. When creative and media teams work as one, the outcomes aren’t just better, they’re smarter.
What Real Collaboration Looks Like
Through Carat’s work across dentsu and partner networks, we’ve seen that the strongest campaigns come from radical collaboration. And that doesn’t just happen. It starts early, and it’s built with intention.
Here are three habits we see make the biggest difference:
1. Brief together from the start
When everyone’s in the room on day one, we’re all building from the same foundation, and that’s when real co-creation begins.
2. Own the insights together
When audience insights and data are shared openly, teams are solving the same problem, not different versions of it.
3. Share responsibility for the ecosystem
The best ideas don’t live in silos. Media and creative should co-own the full journey, from message to channel strategy through to execution.
Why It Matters for Brands
Starting with people, not formats, unlocks sharper and more relevant work. We don’t assume a 30-second TV ad is always the answer. Instead, we begin with where attention really lives and build from there.
Take a recent youth campaign. The data showed TV wasn’t going to cut it. So, we pivoted, creating a distributed video strategy across the platforms where young people already were. The campaign succeeded because media insights shaped creative choices, and creative respected media realities.
Collaboration as a Culture
At Carat, collaboration isn’t just a workflow. It’s a culture, a mindset, and a muscle we keep building.
That’s why we also look for ways to collaborate outside of live projects. Last year, for example, we ran an attention study to explore how people engage with content across platforms. Instead of simply handing over the results, we used them as a conversation starter with our creative partners.
It’s these small, everyday actions that build trust, create shared language, and strengthen collaboration over time.
Real collaboration is a choice we make early, often, and intentionally.
Building Better Brands Together
When we choose collaboration, we go beyond building campaigns. Together, we build better brands.
For clients, this means fewer wasted resources, faster alignment, and campaigns that connect more deeply with consumers. By starting with people, not formats, and by bringing every partner into the process early, we unlock work that’s smarter, more efficient, and more impactful.
➡️ Learn more about Carat’s approach to brand growth
