Tag: Havas Group

Australia – Havas today announces the acquisition of strategic communications consultancy Australian Public Affairs (APA). 

This acquisition will integrate APA within H/Advisors, Havas’s global strategic communications advisory network. This will be H/Advisors’ first owned operation in Australia, with the firm being renamed as ‘H/Advisors APA’.

In line with the continued investment in Havas’ capability across strategic communications and regulated environments, H/Advisors APA’s leading, insight-driven strategic counsel aims to add expertise and geographic reach to the network’s global clients as they continue expansion. It will also further strengthen Havas’ presence in Australia, adding new capabilities to better serve its clients.

The local leadership team from APA that includes CEO Tracey Cain, deputy CEO Phil McCall, and CFO Kathryn Higgs will continue in their roles. H/Advisors APA will be reporting to group CEO of Havas Creative Network Australia, James Wright, while leveraging global connections and opportunities through the H/Advisors network and its leadership.

Speaking on the acquisition, Wright said,  “As the Australian consulting landscape reforms amid recent crises, opportunity is emerging for strong, capable and values-driven global challengers that bring local knowledge and smart thinking.” 

“With complementary skills and alignment, H/Advisors APA will be perfectly positioned to fulfil requirements of corporates, governments and NFPs in need of a new approach. We look forward to integrating Tracey and her team into the Havas Village in the coming months,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Tracey Cain, now the chief executive officer H/Advisors APA, commented,  “For nearly three decades, we have built APA as a high quality, evidence-based firm with expertise in regulated sectors and complex stakeholder environments.” 

“The logical next step for us is to partner with Havas and H/Advisors to expand the services offered and the reach of our client base.  We have ambitious plans and are excited to take the next step with H/Advisors and the broader Havas Group,” she concluded. 

This announcement follows Havas’ November 2022 acquisition of health and pharmaceutical specialist Bastion Brands as part of a strategy to expand capability and increase the group’s specialist advertising and communications offering in the Australian market.

Australia – Havas Group’s specialist entertainment communications and PR agency Organic Pacific has strengthened its line-up with four new hires, including Nathan Dann as head of entertainment, Emily Macgroarty and Lauren Patterson as account managers, and Alexander Hon as the new account coordinator.

The addition of new hires comes as the agency continues its pursuit of delivering results on projects of all sizes to the highest standards, ensuring that clients return again and again.

In his role as head of entertainment, Nathan Dann will head up and run the newly won Netflix account in the region. He is an entertainment industry stalwart and senior publicity expert, joining Organic after more than six years at Universal Pictures International, where he was Publicity Manager.

Dann has spent the majority of his solid PR career in entertainment, with stints at Warner Music, Nine Publicity, and most recently, Universal Pictures.

Of his new role, Dann says, “We live in exciting times, where the landscape of how we consume entertainment is shifting daily, and communications strategies need to be creative and adaptive, and companies like Netflix are leading the way.

“It’s an exhilarating time to join Organic, with the Australian office being in a period of significant growth. I look forward to doing great work with the team at Organic,” he added.

On the other hand, Emily Macgroarty and Lauren Patterson would both be taking on the role of Account Managers.

Macgroarty comes from a background in public relations agencies and has worked on the client side in Brisbane. Meanwhile, Patterson has almost five years of working experience at Premier London, a creative communications agency for entertainment, arts, and culture.

Finally, Alexander Hon, a recent PR graduate, will complete the team as the new account coordinator.

The addition of new hires comes after Havas Group’s significant recent new business win in a series of high-profile client wins across Australia in 2023, including companies such as Netflix, Universal Pictures Content Group, BMG Records, Sony Pictures, Roadshow Films, Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, and running the PR and communications for SXSW Sydney in October, the first time a SXSW® event—the famed Austin, Texas, innovation conference and cultural festival—has been held outside of North America in its 37-year history.

Organic Pacific Managing Partner Annabelle Gigliotti says that she is thrilled and looking forward to the work that they will do with the new hires of experts she made.

“Coming up to our second year for our Australian operation, it’s been incredibly gratifying to confirm there was a real need in the local market for Organic’s global expertise in entertainment comms. With our win locally, Netflix is now a global client, having been with our UK branch for EMEA comms for a decade,” she added.

New York, USA – Samsung-owned audio electronics company HARMAN International has appointed Havas Group to be its global agency of record across all its brands and territories. 

Under the new partnership, Havas Group will be responsible for the integrated marketing solutions across HARMAN’s businesses and brands, including the consumer lifestyle brand JBL, home audio systems brand Harman Kardon, and HARMAN’s B2B products, services, and technology solutions for automakers and enterprise customers globally.

Havas Group will be delivering a global and fully integrated solution that brings together brand strategy, creative, content, media, and production, as well as selective support in social media and influencer marketing. The team will be working across regional hubs for the Americas, Europe, and Asia, as well as through dedicated teams in key markets.

For the remit, Havas Group taps its proven integrated Village approach. The mandate especially includes bringing the JBL brand to the next level of consumer activation.

John Livanos, HARMAN’s vice president of brand strategy and consumer insights, shared that HARMAN’s marketing team is strengthening their operational model and building upon the foundational principles of insights, automation, integration, measurement, and accountability that will unlock exponential business growth. 

“Havas will be a central partner in this growth journey. We’re excited to build the solutions we need together and know that Havas is as invested in our success as we are,” said Livanos.

Meanwhile, Yannick Bollore, Havas Group’s chairman and CEO, commented. “We’re thrilled to start this new and exciting partnership with HARMAN. At Havas, we combine agility and global reach, making us a brilliant option for a growth business like HARMAN with huge ambition. It’s our collaborative spirit brought to life and a great opportunity for us to deliver meaningful growth together.”

Sydney, Australia – Integrated communications network Havas Group has recently announced its acquisition of Bastion Brands, one of Australia’s leading independent communications agencies focusing on the health vertical. The buy-out is said to be in line with the group’s continuation of its plans for the APAC expansion.

Newly acquired Bastion Brands is no stranger to Havas. The group’s health-focused division, Havas Health & You (HH&Y), has, in fact, been working with the latter since 2019. 

Bastion Brands will now be integrated into HH&Y and will work closely with partners across the network to integrate its business into projects across the region.

Simon Davies, Bastion Brands’ founder & CEO said, “We are delighted to be joining the Havas family. The strength and momentum within Havas Health & You will help us accelerate our strong growth in Australia. Now with access to and support from the Havas network, we will be able to offer deeper and broader services to clients, globally developed insights and specialised health products, and even more exciting learning and growth opportunities for our staff.”

Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO of Havas Group also commented, “Bastion Brands is recognized for delivering significant and meaningful results for its strong client base of leading pharmaceutical companies across the world. Adding its capabilities to our global Havas Health & You network will provide specialised health communications for both that region and our clients globally. Bastion Brands also complements fast growth within our health PR business Red Havas in Australia, and we’re thrilled to officially welcome the Bastion Brands team to our Group.”

“Continuing our work with Bastion Brands is a perfect fit for our expansion in Australia and Asia Pacific – a region where our clients have many strategic opportunities. We have partnered with Simon Davies and his team on meaningful, high-profile client assignments for several years, and have built a strong and effective relationship to deliver outstanding outcomes. This more formal relationship is a natural progression and I know it will be a successful one – for our clients, for Bastion Brands and for Havas Health & You,” added Charles Houdoux, CEO of APAC & LATAM at Havas Health & You. 

According to Havas, HH&Y has grown at a rate of more than 20% per year in Asia, and the acquisition of Bastion Brands is aimed at strengthening its position in APAC. 

In addition, as a response to rapid regional growth spurred by increased awareness of health and wellness, the network has made significant investments in its Villages and senior leadership to foster growth across the region. This includes the establishment of a regional hub for Southeast Asia and the strengthening of new talent in Japan and China.

Bastion Brands follows companies like Front Networks in China and Frontier Australia, both have been acquired by Havas Group this year together with many business wins by their specialist entertainment communications agency, Organic Pacific, and partnership with Invictus Blue in Malaysia.

Sydney, Australia – Havas Group’s specialist entertainment communications agency, Organic Pacific, have announced a number of new business wins, as part of its continued growth.

Organic Pacific has been appointed by Universal Pictures Content Group to partner on Lee Kernaghan: The Boy from the Bush and Reef: Stalked, BMG Records, collaborating on the multiverse of Future/Never experiences from Daniel Johns, Every Cloud Productions for an unannounced unit publicity project, Moving Story to promote their annual calendar of film festivals, and Black Pearl Productions to manage the social media strategy for ‘Bosch & Rockit’, as well as Greenlight Productions for ‘Straya and Ever After’. Moreover, Organic has also been engaged by The Alliance Francaise Film Festival for the second year running.

The Sydney-based operation launched as Organic’s APAC arm in October 2021, joining the group’s multi-territory operations in London and Los Angeles to bring innovative publicity and social media services to content creators and distributors in film, television, music, and gaming across Australia and New Zealand. 

Philippe Ostermann, business development manager at The Alliance Francaise Film Festival, shared that the team at Organic Pacific are a joy to work with and achieved exceptional results for their wonderful film festival last year. 

“Their connections are unparalleled and as we grow the festival and our offerings for sponsors the decision to work with them again was an easy one. We are very excited about what we can achieve together this year,” said Ostermann.

Meanwhile, Annabelle Gigliotti, Organic Pacific’s head of entertainment, commented that they are thrilled to be partnering with the industry’s best on this range of exciting new projects, and they felt there was a gap in the market for internationally connected entertainment communications and the success of this first year proves that the industry agrees. 

“What our team has achieved in under a year since we launched in Australia is something I’m exceptionally proud of, and we’ll continue to deliver our world-class communications services – while having the best time doing it,” said Gigliotti.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Global communications company Havas Group has partnered with Invictus Blue, a communications agency based in Malaysia, to provide media and integrated requirements for Havas’ clients.

Having begun as one of Asia’s first global media companies in 1994, Invictus Blue today has a portfolio that includes some of the most established brands in Malaysia, across diverse sectors. The agency has a strong reputation and proven track record of creating work that challenges industry norms. Invictus Blue is also no stranger to partnerships with established global PR and media MNCs.

Gerald Miranda, Invictus Blue’s CEO, commented that they have always believed that collaboration with the right minds can lead to the greatest results. and they are delighted to be affiliated with Havas, which is one of the most dynamic agency groups in the world today. 

“Havas being part of Vivendi, a global leader in culture, entertainment, media and communications, is a major differentiator in the marketplace. This means we think about culture, not just communications. Brands rightly have a role to play in culture as well as how they entertain, inform, and make positive changes to the world,” said Miranda.

Meanwhile, Alberto Canteli, CEO and chairman at Havas Group, Nordics CEE & Middle East, SEA, and North Asia, noted that Havas’ aligned vision of its ‘village’ concept is similar to what Invictus Blue has with their non-media services across social and content and the ethos of delivering meaningful media experiences to build meaningful brands – is what brought them together. 

He further shared that the decision to enter into this affiliation agreement was made after a review of Invictus Blue’s impeccable track record in Malaysia. The company deeply understands local cultures and nuances and has a global outlook on consumer trends and the ability to apply cutting-edge tools. Invictus Blue satisfies critical criteria to leverage its global operations.

“In Invictus Blue, Havas has found a local partner to tap into the immense growth potential in the region, as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes into the background while optimism grows over its short to medium-term economic prospects, especially in Malaysia,” said Canteli.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global communications company Havas Group has announced the promotion of three of its senior managers in Indonesia. This is part of its growth plans in the areas of OOH and strategic business leadership.

The appointees include Verri Astra, the new head of Adcity, Havas Group’s out-of-home brand, Gayatri Utami, the new strategy director, and Kristina Wulandari, the new senior implementation director. 

Astra joined Havas in 2014 as the strategic planning, research and analytics manager, and has risen the ranks to associate strategy director before taking on his new role. In his new role, Astra will be leading the OOH division for the agency, where he will be developing strategies for OOH media, utilising data to strengthen the clients’ OOH campaign and ensuring that a ‘regular’ campaign placement becomes a more strategic campaign.

Meanwhile, Utami will be continuing to lead and develop the strategic practice for the agency. Backed by strong consumer insights and an understanding of cultural nuances, Utami will be helping drive new brand strategies to elevate clients’ brand presence in Indonesia.

And lastly, Wulandari, an industry veteran of 22 years, will be continuing to manage clients’ KPI deliverables and groom the next generation of leaders. Having been with Havas since 2011, Wulandari’s experience spans multiple categories and has worked with clients such as Indofood and Godrej. 

Speaking about the promotions, Satyajit Sen, CEO of Havas Group Indonesia, said, “Our success as an agency is determined by the strength of our people. These are all well-deserved promotions that have played an instrumental role in powering the growth of our business in Indonesia and will continue to play a crucial part in driving the momentum.”

Vietnam – Global communications company Havas Group has announced the reestablishment of its fully-owned village operations in Vietnam. It has also appointed Alexandre Sompheng as group CEO and Thanh Bui as managing director.

Earlier this year, Havas ended its partnership with its local affiliate and decided to re-establish its full-service Village offering, as Havas Group Vietnam. Havas Group Vietnam will therefore house the following businesses for the group, namely Havas Creative, Havas Media, Havas Health, RED Havas (PR) and Ekino.

Having been part of Havas for 10 years and previously overseeing the operations for Ekino in Vietnam, the Village’s digital arm, Sompheng’s extended remit as Group CEO will see him responsible for all aspects of the business operations and championing the group’s vision. 

“This is indeed an exciting opportunity to extend our future-forward vision. Our Havas Village model of collaboration and integration is exactly what clients are looking for. Our local and regional teams provide quality service at international standards for our clients, making Havas a force to reckon with in the Vietnamese market as well as in SEA,” Sompheng said.

Meanwhile, with over 15 years of experience working across large client portfolios, Bui will be responsible for leading integrated solutions, strategic client management and new business for the agency. 

“Havas’ Village offering is truly unique and allows us to be innovative, agile to adapting business challenges and create the most meaningful experiences as well as drive growth for our clients. I am extremely excited to be part of the team and looking forward to taking Havas Vietnam to its next phase of growth and expansion,” Bui said.

Meanwhile, Alberto Canteli, CEO and chairman at Havas Group, Nordics CEE & Middle East, SEA & NA, said, “Our success as a network is determined by the strength of our people and leadership. Vietnam is a significantly important and growing market. Alexandre and Thanh have the proven expertise coupled with extremely strong leadership skills to build on what we have within the network and will help to set us up for renewed success.”

As the post-pandemic shapes the way where brands should go, MARKETECH APAC features a leader in the advertising industry to share with us what companies should do and improve upon after these unprecedented changes.

Originally from Asturias in the North of Spain and currently based in Dubai, MARKETECH APAC features Alberto Canteli, the chief executive officer for Havas Group in the Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the CommonWealth of Independent States, Turkey, the Middle East, as well as Southeast Asia, Korea & Japan. 

A truly-frequent flyer, Alberto joined the group in 2000, and he has been a key pillar on the international expansion of Havas Group during the first decade of the new millennium. 

In our conversation, Alberto mentioned that the pandemic has obliged us to be fully digital, to become fully technological, and to become much more flexible and ready for the next changes that are coming in the next decades.

“I think the pandemic has strengthened several values. I think what we all want is to build a future that is a bit more balanced, and a future that takes care of nature a bit more, a future that is focused more on health and well-being,” said Alberto on what brands should be aware of after the pandemic. 

On sustainability, Alberto commented, “The backbone of our core positioning is sustainability. We are a meaningful brand agency. This is how we position ourselves. We want to build a better world through the construction of brands as well as the construction of meaningful connections between brands and society.” 

In the interview, Alberto further discussed his insights on sustainability and purpose and how it goes hand in hand in running a business. 

Head on to Spotify to listen to the full conversation. 

If you are a marketing or tech leader who wants to share your industry journey and insights, email us at [email protected].

New York, USA – Havas Health & You (HH&Y), which unites all wholly-owned health communications networks of the Havas Group, has announced that industry veteran Dan Rubin has joined the network to become the new president of Havas Health +, its fully integrated experience agency.

Rubin will be working closely with the global executive leadership and the existing president and CCO Allison Ceraso to “shape the future vision” for Havas Health +, a fully integrated experience agency on the rise. According to the agency, it has had double-digit growth for the past 3 years, growing both HCP and DTC practices through new client wins and brand launches. 

Rubin brings to his new role more than 15 years of experience, having led teams and agencies in both the consumer and health categories while building purposeful partnerships for brands across diverse pharma and biotech businesses. Most recently, he served as president of 21GRAMS Gotham, one of the advertising arms of global health innovation company Real Chemistry. Rubin has also held several key roles at CDM NY, including managing partner and EVP and director of client services during his tenure in the industry. Rubin will be reporting to HH&Y Global CEO Donna Murphy.

“I am incredibly excited to be joining HH&Y; a company that I’ve long admired from afar. The network’s willingness to invest in innovation and take risks has kept the company on the cutting edge of health communications, and I’m thrilled to be a part of an organization that puts people at the centre of every action, decision, and idea,” said Rubin. 

“There’s a tremendous foundation to build off here; I look forward to driving what’s next for Havas Health & You, our clients, and ultimately the communities we serve,” he added.

Ceraso also commented, “Dan joins us with the same rigor, commitment to culture, and pursuit of “more” that is at the heart of our business. I’m thrilled to have a partner who embraces creativity and appreciates our role in the industry as innovators anchored in human centricity. With him on board, we continue to be poised for growth and success – both for our people and for our client partners.”

Meanwhile, Murphy, said that as a network, they continue to add new talent and skillsets every day that continue to allow them to offer the best possible service, partnership, and innovation to the leading health brands “of today and tomorrow.”

“We are thrilled to have someone of Dan’s experience and sense of purpose join our business. Dan brings not only deep category experience, but a true alignment and understanding of our mission, and deep sense of the importance of collective and individual health in this ever-important era,” said the global CEO.