Media and investors

Existing DACH partnership extended internationally | New partnership begins January 1, 2027 

Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 22 October 2026 – dentsu and Carat have been selected as the future media agency partners of the DOUGLAS Group following a highly competitive international pitch. The appointment extends the agencies’ existing partnership with DOUGLAS in the DACH region to all markets across Europe. The new partnership and its phased implementation will commence on 1 January 2027. 

Under the new mandate, dentsu and Carat will provide strategic and operational media consulting across 20 European markets*. The partnership is designed to further advance DOUGLAS’ international media governance, strengthen the balance between international brand consistency and local market relevance, and enhance the transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness of media investments across markets.  

Throughout the selection process, dentsu and Carat stood out with an integrated growth approach that combines brand strategy, media, data, commerce, and a future-ready operating model. At the heart of the proposal was a clear vision for how sustainable growth can be scaled across multiple markets while meeting local business and consumer needs. Beyond the strategic approach, DOUGLAS recognized the agencies’ deep understanding of the brand, the strength of their international collaboration, and their long-term vision for partnership.  

"We are very excited about this new international partnership, the first of its scale for DOUGLAS. dentsu/Carat combines strong strategic thinking and commercial performance with a clear understanding of our brand and our ambition for the future of media. Together, we want to further increase the impact of our media investments and create more relevant and impactful consumer experiences," said Rik Strubel, Chief Marketing Officer, DOUGLAS Group.  

"We are incredibly proud that DOUGLAS has placed its trust in us on an international level. This review was unique because it was fundamentally built around the brand while also setting a clear ambition for transformation and the future of media partnerships. Our integrated approach and, above all, the strength and passion of our teams enabled us to make a compelling case. We look forward to expanding our successful DACH partnership across international markets and supporting DOUGLAS on its continued growth journey," said Katja Brandt, CEO Germany & Media Practice President Central Europe, dentsu.  

The international review covered 20 markets and brought together expertise from strategy, media, data, commerce, and transformation disciplines. dentsu and Carat presented an integrated approach demonstrating how brand leadership, data-driven decision-making, and media effectiveness can work together to drive sustainable growth.  

The appointment builds on the successful partnership in the DACH region and marks an important milestone in the international collaboration between the two companies. Going forward, dentsu and Carat will support DOUGLAS in further strengthening its position as Europe’s leading premium beauty retailer.  

*Markets included in the mandate: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Portugal, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, and Spain.  

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About dentsu  

Dentsu is a growth and transformation partner to many of the world’s leading companies. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, dentsu today operates in more than 145 countries and regions. The company has a proven track record in driving and developing innovation, bringing together the capabilities of its global network of leading brands to create impactful and integrated growth solutions for its clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end Experience Transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM, and Creative. Through its Business Transformation (BX) approach, dentsu not only pushes the boundaries of transformation for brands, people, and society, but also acts as a catalyst for more sustainable growth. Dentsu, Innovating Impact. 

About CARAT 

Carat is dentsu’s global media agency, engineering meaningful difference and measurable advantage for clients.  Founded as the world’s first media agency, Carat continues to challenge the conventions of media by combining human judgement with data, technology, creativity and marketplace intelligence. Through its ‘Difference Engineered.’ proposition, Carat identifies where differentiation can unlock growth and builds it into planning, activation and measurement. Named Media Network of the Year at the 2026 Cannes Lions, Carat helps brands create distinctive, connected experiences that build memory, meaning and business value.  

Press Contact

Judith Weiand
Head of Corporate & Internal Communication CE
judith.weiand@dentsu.com