Carat Announces Pioneering Cultural EQ Methodology

Carat US has announced its Cultural EQ measure – a proprietary score gauging brands’ influence and effectiveness within culture. Cultural EQ is an expansion into the agency’s EQ Suite of tools, building on its Brand EQ offering. Brand EQ is Carat’s measure of a brand’s emotional intelligence and its impact on market growth, while Cultural EQ is a new measure of a brand’s cultural influence and its impact on brand interest.

Carat has a long history of delivering results rooted in human understanding. The agency's research shows that their Cultural EQ measure is an even stronger predictor of brand interest than media spend alone, providing clients with critical insights into their cultural influence in the market. The agency has found through rigorous testing that there are three key drivers of building and sustaining Cultural EQ: Capture (attention), Catalyse (conversation velocity), and Connect (advocacy). When Cultural EQ is lifted, Carat's research has shown a measurable impact on brand interest.

“The benefit of Cultural EQ to our teams and clients is we now have a better understanding of what aspects of culture drive different categories,” said Joanna Hawkes, EVP head of strategy cultural, Carat. “The degree to which different metrics of Cultural EQ impact brand interest differ at the category level. By planning and optimizing media against key metrics of Cultural EQ at the brand level, we will help our brands lead in culture and ultimately grow.”

Other EQ based insights have been a key focus for the agency over the past several years and have been proven growth drivers for brands like United. “At United, we recognise that although important, success is not just measured by financial results or operational efficiency,” said Brittany Clauss, director – advertising strategy, United. “We anticipate that our Cultural EQ score will be another significant metric that helps us understand the long-term impact we have on both our people and our customers. It serves as a reflection of how we are building a supportive, engaging and innovative environment, which drives our continued growth and success.”

Carat is uniquely focused on delivering best-in-class media experiences through their ‘Designing for People’ approach to media. This news builds on the agency’s promise to unlock real human understanding and connect people and brands through powerful and engaging media experiences.