Indiantelevision.com Team

(9 April 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Global advertising and communications services group Havas has for the first time in five years experienced actual growth in its annual revenue in 2006.

2006 revenue totalled 1.472 billion euros, up 0.8 per cent from 1.461 billion euros for the previous period. At constant exchange rates, revenue growth was one per cent for the year. On a like-for-like basis, organic growth was 0.6 per cent in 2006.

There was a rise in net new business in 2006, up to 1.931 billion euros from 1.055 billion euros in 2005. Havas ranked number one by Lehman Brothers for 2006. Net debt stood at 382 million euros at 31 December, 2006, down from 417 million euros at year-end 2005 and from 648 million euros at 30 June, 2006.

- Euro RSCG Worldwide was elected "Global Network of the Year by Campaign, and "Global Agency of the Year" by Ad Age

- BETC Euro RSCG elected best agency of the year by CB News.

- MPG France ranked top media agency in the French market by the Recma report

- It became an optimised international organisation. In 2006, Havas brought all the MPG media agencies together under the Havas Media brand.

Proposed launch of a new communications agency in France around Scher Lafarge and Devarrieux Villaret.

- It delisted from the Nasdaq and deregistration from the SEC. The Nasdaq delisting came into effect on 7 July, 2006. Furthermore, on 10 October, 2006, Havas filed notice with the SEC to deregister its shares with immediate effect under the 1934 Securities and Exchange Act.

Income from operations totalled 140 million euros in 2006, compared with 152 million euros in 2005, i.e. a 2006 margin of 9.5 per cent versus 10.4 per cent in 2005 as a result of the talent recruitment campaign and reinforcing of New Business staff.

The main accounts won in 2006 included:

Euro RSCG Worldwide won Sanofi-Aventis (global), Reckitt Benckiser (global), Boehringer Ingelheim (global). At the 53rd Cannes International Advertising Festival, the Havas Group
carried off 18 Lions including three Gold Lions: one in the film category for The March of the Emperor produced by BETC Euro RSCG for Canal+, another in the cyber category awarded to Euro RSCG 4D Sao Paulo for the Oops campaign it produced for Reckitt Benckiser, and a third to Havas Sports in the media category for the design and organisation of a one-day event on the Champs Elysees entitled Embracing the Olympic Spirit in support of the Paris 2012 Olympic bid.