Exclusive: Carat U.S. Partners With Hero Collective

Dentsu media agency Carat is partnering with Black-owned strategy, digital, and creative agency Hero Collective as it evolves last year's Designing For People positioning with a new offering called Carat Hero EQ. Through the partnership, Carat and Hero Collective are helping clients in the U.S. develop purpose-driven and culture-focused insights, strategies and approaches to content and media buying and planning, as well as providing DEI advisory services. Carat Hero EQ focuses on helping clients build brands through a detailed understanding of audience segments, culture and emotional intelligence. They will also provides services like insights, strategy projects and ideation workshops. A tipping point Hero Collective founder Joseph Anthony explained he first worked with Carat U.S. CEO Angela Steele around 15 years ago, when partnering on a Nintendo account when she was at Starcom and he was CEO for Vital Marketing. The two maintained contact over the years, establishing a sense of trust which helped convince Anthony that Carat would be right for such a partnership. He was also enticed by what he saw as a meaningful attempt by Carat to improve insights and media strategies to better reflect audiences. "Carat was proactive in pursuing this partnership and recognizing the value we brought to the table as a peer," Anthony told Adweek. To test the waters, Carat and Hero Collective began working together on a few projects last year, before deciding to formalize the partnership with an offering that was timely and unique to the market this year. "You don't have to be an expert to know we're at a cultural tipping point," Anthony told Adweek. "What made this partnership really dynamic for us is bringing in our concentrated understanding of multicultural communities and youth communities and marrying that with the world-class data tools that Carat has. We feel that's a value proposition that's not in the industry, but becoming more necessary." Exclusive: Kai Deveraux Lawson Joins Dentsu Creative to Lead DEI A need for content with a point of view As the industry prepares for the death of cookies and navigates the increased importance of data privacy, engaging consumers effectively will require a firm understanding of data science and a move away from mass-targeting, Anthony explained. The 2020 rise of ecommerce also meant that content, media and commerce are becoming more integrated, he added. "We have to become more surgical, which means brands need to invest more in intelligence," he added. "That's what we're excited about, this representing an opportunity to lead and innovate new ways of insight-gathering in a way that builds better brand relationships over time." Steele explained that conversations around the partnership began "not just because there's a societal need, but [also] a real business need." One major driver of the partnership was Carat's desire to expand content offerings paired with data-driven media buying and planning. "Clients need to have expertise and consumers expect them to have a point of view," Steele said. "We need to make sure we have not just the right insights and targeting, but the right messages." More than just a transactional tool to sell products A structural reorganization at Dentsu led to the network operating under a new model in the U.S. at the start of 2021. While Carat Hero EQ will initially focus on Carat's clients in the U.S., those clients will also have access to collaborative services across Dentsu as part of the new structure. The offering will eventually be introduced more broadly across Dentsu. While Carat and Hero Collective view the offering as unique for now, both parties anticipate rival networks forming similar partnerships in the near future as the need for such offerings becomes increasingly apparent. Anthony said he hoped the approach would be "contagious" and provide more opportunities for minority-owned agencies across the industry, adding, "The more we can get diversified insights, the more we will see a 'rising tide lift all boats.'" "Media needs to become more than just a transactional tool to sell something," he added. "It's not just a strategic advantage, it’s an imperative, a required capability now," Steele added. "It's not a shiny object for a pitch, this is business critical." Bustle Digital Group Launches Branded Content Arm in Partnership With Hero Collective