AdExchanger The True Meaning Of Holistic Media, With Carat's Carrie Drinkwater
Feb 3, 2026
Carrie Drinkwater, Chief Investment Officer at Carat US and the agency's first-ever CIO, champions a consumer- and content-first approach to media buying. She breaks down what holistic media really means. She discusses TV, CTV and content convergence. She talks CTV targeting limits, sports and alternative reach tactics, privacy and data trust, and how AI tools reshape media investment.
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Audience-First Holistic Media
- Holistic media means focusing on the consumer and where their attention and passion lie.
- It prioritizes reaching people where and when it matters over treating channels as isolated silos.
Buy Content, Not Channels
- Carat treats media buying as buying content across platforms, not as hiring a 'TV buyer.'
- Investment teams are specialists by content type but overseen by holistic leaders who optimize across screens.
Family Game Shows Networks Faded
- Carrie played a family game where no one could name a favorite network, showing how 'network' recognition has faded.
- The story illustrates how viewers no longer think in terms of traditional networks.
