Havas
Havas SA is a French multinational advertising and public relations company, headquartered in Paris, France.
Company type
(1968 – 2000) (as Havas Conseil)
(2002) (as Havas Group)
- Alain de Pouzilhac
- Jacques Herai
Paris, France
- Vincent Bolloré, (Chairman)
- Jacques Séguéla, (vice chairman)
- Yannick Bolloré, (CEO)
- Marian Salzman (CEO of Havas PR North America)
Advertising, marketing, media
€1.441 billion (2009)[1]
€92 million (2009)
17,500
Havas Media Group
Havas Creative Group
Havas Health & You
Havas operates in more than 100 countries. The group is structured into three main operational divisions, offering a wide range of services including digital advertising, direct marketing, media planning and buying, corporate communications, sales promotion, design, human resources, sports marketing, multimedia interactive communications, public relations, and innovation consulting.[4]
Havas S.A.[edit]
In 2000, Havas the parent company decided to rename itself Vivendi Universal Publishing and to divest itself of its remaining stake in the Havas Advertising business. The Havas Advertising board decided to acquire the Havas name from its parent, and the decision was approved by the annual shareholders meeting held on 23 May 2002.
In September 2003, the group reorganized itself, as agencies from the Diversified Agencies division were sold or absorbed into three core divisions:Euro RSCG Worldwide (integrated communications); MPG (Media planning and buying) and Arnold Worldwide Partners (advertising). In July 2004, after having completed its strategic reorganization, Bolloré Group started acquiring a stake in Havas. In October, the Company completed a €404 million capital increase which enabled it to reduce its overall debt levels.
By 2005, Bolloré had amassed a 22% stake, obtained 4 seats on the Havas board at the shareholders meeting,[17] and took control of the company. Chairman and CEO Alain de Pouzilhac was deposed in a boardroom coup on 21 June 2005. Other board and management level changes followed.[18] The board appointed independent non-executive director Richard Colker as interim CEO.[19] On 12 July 2005, Havas named Vincent Bolloré as board chairman, and veteran banker Philippe Wahl as chief executive officer.[20] In March 2006, Havas named Fernando Rodés Vilà, son of the founder of Media Planning S.A. Leopoldo Rodés Castañes, as its new CEO.
Havas remained listed on Euronext, but delisted from the NASDAQ stock exchange as of 28 July 2006.[21]
In March 2015, the group's main shareholder Bollore S.A sold a 22.5 percent stake in the firm for around €600 million, but announced it intended to remain a majority shareholder.[22]
Services[edit]
Havas is a media holding company, whose subsidiaries provide communication consulting services, through traditional advertising media (television, radio and print and display), to media buying, and various marketing services such as advertising management, direct marketing, sales promotion, corporate communications, blockchain and ICO marketing, healthcare communications, internal communications, Television sponsorship, design, human resources communications and interactive communications.
Attempting to be perceived by clients and potential clients as "more entrepreneurial and more agile", Havas adopted a new structure in late 2012. The agency network once known as Euro RSCG was rebranded 'Havas Worldwide', much like their compatriots Publicis and their network, named 'Publicis Worldwide'. Other advertising agencies owned by Havas, such as Arnold Worldwide are rebranded 'Havas Creative'; the media division remains as 'Havas Media'. Havas created an umbrella brand, Havas Digital Group, to operate across the Creative and Media divisions.[23]