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Tag: Havas

  • Havas makes Sr level appointments in Mumbai & B’lore

    MUMBAI: Havas’ creative vertical Havas Worldwide has brought on board Gaurav Soi and Tiraz Balaporia for its Mumbai and Bengaluru offices respectively.

    While Soi has been roped in to handle duties as Havas Worldwide Mumbai vice president, Blaporia will be Havas Worldwide Bengaluru office head and vice president.

    The duo will report in to Havas Worldwide west and south president Shavon Barua.

    Confirming the news to indiantelevision.com, Barua said, “I am delighted to have them as a part of our team. At Havas WW we are focussing in bringing about a whole lot of new talent in our teams as our business continues to grow.”

    Soi has spent 13 years in the advertising industry and has worked on a variety of brands and categories during this tenure like Saffola Oil and Salt, ITC Expressions Greeting Cards, VST, BPL Mobile, Frooti, Appy Fizz, Dainik Bhaskar Group, AUDI, Suzlon Energy Limited, Reliance Mutual Funds, Cox & Kings, and Fortis Healthcare. He also has experience with events and activations.

    Balaporia’s previous stint was with Bates where he had been for a year and a half and worked on brands like Tata AIA, TVS, Fiat, Ashok Leyland, and Park Avenue. This is his second innings at Havas Worldwide (earlier Euro RSCG) where he spent six and a half years as a part of both, Mumbai and Bengaluru teams. While in Euro RSCG he handled brands like HDFC Payment Cards, Emirates, Sanofi-Aventis, Bhaskar Group, BPCL Allergan, and IBM.

    “With close to 13 years of work experience across multiple bands and categories he has been appointed Office Head with a mandate to take the Bangalore Office to greater heights, picking up where he left off from,” informs Barua.

  • Havas shuffles two key executives to drive growth

    MUMBAI: Havas has made some changes, shuffling people within its sister outfits. Andrew Benett has been appointed as Havas Worldwide global president and Robert LePlae as Arnold Worldwide global CEO.

    Both will report to David Jones, who will remain Global CEO of the Havas Worldwide network.

    Benett will retain his chief strategy officer role at Havas Creative Group. He is currently Arnold Worldwide (Havas‘ creative company) global CEO. In the new role, he will assume responsibility for leading the day-to-day management of the global network.

    Benett has been with Havas for nearly a decade. Prior to his role at Arnold Worldwide, he served as global chief strategy officer for Euro RSCG Worldwide and CEO of Euro RSCG New York. During his recent three-year tenure leading Arnold Worldwide, he and his team grew the agency by more than 30 per cent, winning and growing relationships with clients including The Hershey Company, Jack Daniel‘s, Unilever, Volvo, American Eagle Outfitters and fab.com. The team also dramatically enhanced the agency‘s digital capabilities, while expanding the micronetwork‘s offerings in Amsterdam, London, Moscow, Shanghai and Sydney.

    Benett said, “I am very proud of what we‘ve accomplished and delivered together. The leadership team at Arnold is one of the most passionate and committed I‘ve seen, and they are further strengthened by the expertise and experience Robert brings. I am looking forward to my new role. Havas Worldwide‘s digital strength and leadership in the areas of social media and social responsibility have put the agency at the cutting edge of the industry and we have high expectations of what we can accomplish in 2013.”

    LePlae was previously Arnold Worldwide global president. He brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He spent 11 years at TBWA, including five years as CEO of TBWAChiatDay Los Angeles, leading to his appointment as president of TBWA North America. He also spent two years in Japan as founding CEO of an international joint venture company to run the Nissan business globally. He is considered to have been a cornerstone in the emergence of TBWA Worldwide as a leading global creative network. Immediately prior to joining Arnold, he served as McCann Worldgroup North America president.

    “When I joined Havas last year, its reputation as the most agile, entrepreneurial and integrated of all the big communications groups was incredibly appealing. Stepping into the CEO position at Arnold is an inspiring chance to deliver results for a first-rate group of clients, and to lead a world-class, innovative team at Arnold,” added LePlae.

    “Both Robert and Andrew will have a similar focus in their new roles – making successful businesses even more successful. When we moved Andrew to Arnold, we put him there to develop and execute a plan to turn around the agency – he‘s done that very successfully. The move to Havas Worldwide provides a different opportunity as the agency is coming off one of the best new business streaks in its history, having in the last few weeks won the global Unilever data business, the European Central Bank account, Louis Vuitton globally, Berluti globally, and Citibank CRM and eCRM as just a few of the highlights. His key focus will be leveraging his strategic strength to lead the business to even more rapid growth,” said Jones.

    Jones added, “This is an incredibly exciting time for our industry, presenting fantastic opportunities for big talents like Andrew and Robert, who are motivated by change. The momentum at Havas is very strong at the moment, following the successful rebranding of Euro RSCG to Havas Worldwide, the unique co-location of all our media, creative and digital teams into one building in Paris and in New York, and a great fourth quarter of new business wins and digital growth. These senior management moves represent another important step in delivering our strategic plan.”

  • Havas in strategic deal with Brazilian agency Benza

    MUMBAI: Havas Sports & Entertainment (HS&E), the global brand engagement network of Havas, has entered into a strategic partnership with independent Brazilian experiential marketing agency, Benza Promotions & Events.

    Based in Rio, Benza will expand HS&E’s global brand engagement offering in this growing market in the run up to the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil and the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

    HS&E Brazil Strategic Development & International Event Manager, Noémie Claret, will be in charge of developing synergies and new business between the two agencies, as well as between other sister agencies managed by Havas Brazil and Havas Digital Latin America CEO, Ricardo Reis.

    Benza’s extensive track record in event creation and production will complement HS&E’s operations in S?o Paulo, which offers brands and institutions a wide range of specialized services including strategic consulting and planning, sponsorship activation, brand content, events and promotion. HS&E has been present in the Brazilian market for over two years, benefitting from the support of Havas Brazil, and has worked for clients such as BMW, Entourage, Hyundai, Louis Vuitton, Tetrapak, and Wipro.

    Managed by founder Marcelo Benzaquem, Benza adds an attractive client base to the partnership, particularly its relationship with The Coca-Cola Company, already a client of HS&E and its recently-acquired US-based experiential agency ignition (which holds a prestigious ‘global partner’ status).

    HS&E President & Global CEO Lucien Boyer commented, “This partnership will up-weight the services we deliver to current clients – which includes 11 Olympic sponsors during London 2012 – particularly as global brands and sports organizations prepare their strategies and activations around the World Cup and the Olympic Games in Brazil.”

    “Marcelo‘s team has delivered exciting, creative campaigns that place celebration at the center of sports and entertainment events. Our agencies share a common spirit which will help us engage Brazilian and international fans in meaningful ways. We will achieve great things together from this close collaboration at such an important time for Brazil.”

    Benza Founder Marcelo Benzaquem added, “We are delighted to join HS&E and benefit from the track record, insight, and global perspective of a network that is present in over 20 markets. We look forward to working together closely and offering innovative, integrated solutions to our clients.”

  • Havas Q3 revenues grow 10.6% year-on-year

    MUMBAI: French media communications agency Havas has reported a 10 per cent rise in its revenues in the third quarter ended 30 September to €428 million from €387 million a year earlier.

    The group‘s organic growth was 2.0 per cent in the third quarter and 2.5 per cent for the first nine months of the year. Revenues from new businesses in the third quarter were €304 million, which includes new clients, clients retained after a competitive review, and new product or brand expansions for existing clients.

    The Asia Pacific and Africa region grew at 11.8 per cent with India and China being the forerunners in the growth. The region witnessed a number of significant new wins in this period like Tata Motors in India, Playstation and Study Adelaide in Australia, Sugon and YFY Investment in China. Danone opted for Havas digital agencies in Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur.

    Havas CEO David Jones said, “The macro-economic environment continues to be challenging. Notwithstanding, the Group‘s organic growth in North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific increased in the third quarter, and we continued to generate healthy net new business. Not surprisingly, Europe slowed in Q3 though the Group continued to gain market share in the region, reflecting our competitive strength in this market. Digital continues to accelerate and is an increasingly important driver of the business.”

    In September Havas rebranded 316 of its creative agency Euro RSCG Worldwide offices to Havas Worldwide to underscore the group‘s unique integrated structure.

    Havas said growth slowed across the whole of Europe in the third quarter. France declined slightly in the third quarter due to a limited number of clients reducing spend. The UK, too, was down slightly as last year‘s loss of certain accounts continued to affect this quarter, although the losses have now been almost entirely offset by new wins.

    Performance in the rest of Europe was mixed, with growth driven by Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Germany and Russia in particular, plus a return to growth for Spain. The performance delivered by BETC London, a start-up launched just over a year ago, deserves special mention, as do recently acquired agencies such as Boondoggle and Creative Lynx.

    The growth rate for North America accelerated in the third quarter, a particularly pleasing performance given the high comparative base in Q3 2011.

    Double-digit growth in Havas‘ Asia-Pacific operations was driven mainly by China and India, with all business lines contributing to this strong performance.

    Havas said growth in Latin America accelerated considerably and continues to deliver solid performance, driven mainly by digital, media, advertising and healthcare communication. Brazil in particular delivered strong performance in the region.

  • Havas walks away with ECB creative and media biz

    Havas walks away with ECB creative and media biz

    MUMBAI: Havas Worldwide Duesseldorf combined with Havas Media Frankfurt (MPG) to win the European Central Bank’s creative and media business following a bid called in by the bank in Frankfurt in July 2011.

    The agencies have been commissioned to provide a pan-European information campaign for the launch of the second series of euro banknotes in the 17 countries of the European Union that adopted the euro. The pitch was led by Havas Worldwide Europe CEO Andreas Geyr and Havas Worldwide Germany MD business development Europe and COO Christian Claus.

    Havas Worldwide will be the lead agency for all communication disciplines including TV, print, outdoor, radio, online advertising, direct marketing, microsites, PR and events while MPG will look after the media budget across Europe.

    Geyr commented, “The win of this significant client for Havas Worldwide is another milestone in the agency‘s success story. It also endorses HAVAS’s strategy of making Germany into a European hub alongside France and the UK as well as the power of integrating all disciplines including media planning and buying and digital. We are very proud to have won one of the most important and comprehensive pitches of the year and we very much look forward to working together.”

    From now on client operations will be supervised by a pan-European leadership team representing all involved agencies and communication disciplines, consisting of Havas Worldwide Duesseldorf for mass media communication, Havas Worldwide Paris (headed by Julien Carette) for PR/Press and Events, Havas Worldwide Digital for the multilingual microsite and Havas Worldwide Amsterdam for Online Communication.

    The team will be headed by Guido Koerfer (director client services) and CCO Felix Glauner and Darren Reynoldson who will supervise the campaign throughout all disciplines.

  • Havas acquires Boondoggle to fortify digital pesence in Europe

    MUMBAI: France-based communications network Havas announced today the acquisition of a majority stake in Boondoggle – a fully integrated digital agency in the customs union of Benelux.

    With this Havas hopes to strengthen its digital lead in Europe and its position in the Benelux region and become one of the top three agencies.

    Boondoggle will continue to operate under its current name and keep its current offices in Belgium and the Netherlands. The Boondoggle management team remains unchanged and continues to own a minority stake in the agency.

    The agency was founded in 2000, but took the name Boondoggle only in 2007. Today it employs more than 120 digital and creative experts in its offices in Amsterdam and Leuven.

    The agency offers fully integrated solutions to its list of clients which include the likes of Coca-Cola, Nike, Heinz Europe, Iglo Europe, Belgacom, Thomas Cook, Tiense Suiker, Belfius, Kinepolis, Delhaize and Rabobank International Direct Banking.

    Havas Global CEO David Jones said, “Boondoggle is a brilliant agency which combines first-class digital expertise with award-winning creative talent making it totally in line with our “digital at the core” model. They are not just one of the best agencies in Benelux, the work they are doing across digital, social and data is as good as anything I‘ve seen anywhere in the world. We‘re very excited to have them join the group and look forward to delivering their expertise and ideas to our clients.”

    Boondoggle CEO Pieter Goiris added, “Joining one of the leading and most innovative international communications services group was the next and logical step for Boondoggle to achieve our ambitions for the years to come. David Jones‘ “digital at the core” vision for Havas is something we really share and believe in, and it will help us to further accelerate Boondoggle‘s business in a more international context.”

  • Havas picks up majority stake in Mediaxis MPG

    MUMBAI: Fortifying its position in the Swiss ad market, global media group Havas Media has acquired its majority stake in Zurich based media group Mediaxis MPG.

    Havas Media and MPG have been associated for the past nine years. The majority stake is in effect from today.

    Mediaxis MPG will remain the group‘s main operational brand and founder Peter Hofstetter will continue as chairman and member of executive committee. The management of the company will remain on board as key elements on the new long-term joint expansion plan.

    Mediaxis MPG is a qualitative media agency with a client list that includes Reckitt Benckiser, Danone, Lindt, Barclays and Hermes.

    Havas Media CEO Alfonso Rod?©s said, “The Swiss market is a key market for Havas Media and I am delighted that following a prosperous nine year relationship, the management team have decided to further commit to the group and officially join our other 122 markets worldwide.”

    Mediaxis MPG chairman Peter Hofstetter added, “We have all prospered as a result of our partnership and joining the Havas Media team is a natural step in further strengthening the group‘s operations in the Swiss market. The existing management team have committed to driving this group forward and look forward to continuing to benefit from Havas Media‘s tools and wider thought leadership activity such as its Meaningful Brands framework.”

  • Havas reveals rebranding plans

    Havas reveals rebranding plans

    MUMBAI: Worldwide communications group Havas chief executive of advertising David Jones has revealed plans to rebrand the agencies under the company as it repositions for an increasingly digital future.

    The group‘s new clients for online marketing include Unilever and Sony Playstation.

    Jones said that the group will be retiring the 20-year-old Euro RSCG name for Havas’ largest creative network and bringing almost the whole group under the Havas brand.

    Euro RSCG was formed in 1991 by the merger of two French agencies Eurocom and RSCG formed in the mid-1970s. The company structure will be consolidated into Havas Advertising and Havas Media. Jones was quoted in the Financial Times, “Within that we will launch Havas Digital as an umbrella brand for digital.”

    He further informed that he aimed to take on competitors like WPP and Publicis and create a model that contrasted their structures.

    According to FT, Jones said, “The rebranding of Euro RSCG will reinforce the fact that our competitors have hundreds of brands and cultures and CEOs, and ours is an incredibly clear and simple structure. We haven’t got big, old-fashioned ad agencies that just do TV ads and have a separate digital silo.”

    Havas Digital will not have its own independent leadership or financial structure. The repositioning will underline Havas‘ more integrated model for providing services for example, by bringing formerly separate media-buying and creative teams into the same buildings in Paris and New York.

    Meanwhile, Havas announced its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2011. The group has registered net income of 120 million euros, up 9 per cent from 110 million euros in 2010.

    The revenue for the year was recorded at 1.65 billion euros, which is 5.6 per cent more than the revenue for fiscal 2010 at 1.56 billion euros.

    The group informed in an official communiqué that its digital and social media grew rapidly and increased their contribution to the company’s overall revenue, as the group pursued its strategy of putting these businesses at the core of all its activities and agencies around the world. Digital and social media made up 23 per cent of the total group‘s revenue.

    The geographical revenue break up reveals that Asia-Pacific reported growth of 9.8 per cent for full-year 2011.

  • Havas to launch Arena and Mobext in India

    Havas to launch Arena and Mobext in India

    MUMBAI: Havas Media is in the process of expanding its operations in India. The company‘s 2011 agenda includes the launch of specialised media agency Arena, and the mobile marketing agency Mobext. 

    Havas Media India and South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar confirmed the news to Indiantelevision.com.

    Arena, that is already operational in Spain, the UK, Latin America and Southern Europe, is known for its specialties that includes offering tailor-made services to its key clients.

    Recently Havas Media‘s flagship media service brand MPG had formed a buying alliance with the Percept India group.