AD Agencies
Vivendi shareholders give goahead to spinoff Canal+, Havas and Louis Hachette group
MUMBAI: If you thought, the world of advertising is only going through fusion following the acquisition and merger of Interpublic group by the Omnicom group, you would be better off thinking otherwise.
In Europe, there’s fission taking place. The combined general shareholders of Vivendi yesterday gave the company the go-ahead to break into pieces. 97.5 per cent of the votes were in favour of the separation of Vivendi from Canal+, Havas, and the Louis Hachette group (the company bringing together the 66.53 per cent investment in Lagardère and 100 per cent of Prisma Media).
The first trading day for the shares of these three companies will therefore take place, as announced, on 16 December 2024, respectively on the London stock exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Growth Paris.
With a quorum of 71.96 per cent of shareholders present or represented, the two resolutions requiring approval by a two-thirds majority of votes, namely those regarding partial asset contributions subject to the French legal regime applicable to partial demergers (apport partiel d’actifs soumis au régime des scissions), were overwhelmingly adopted with 97.57 per cent of the votes for the Canal+ partial demerger and with 97.58 per cent for the Louis Hachette group partial demerger.
The resolution regarding the distribution in kind of Havas NV shares to the Vivendi shareholders, requiring the approval of a simple majority of votes, was adopted with 97.61 per cent of the votes.
Said Havas chairman & CEO and chairman of the supervisory board Yannick Bolloré: “We are delighted with the very high adoption rate of our spin-off project. This undisputable result confirms the strong support of our shareholders for this transformative transaction. Over the past year, the teams have been working on this transformative project, which aims to better reflect the value of Canal+, Havas, Lagardère, and Prisma, which have been impacted by a conglomerate discount affecting the group for several years; to unlock their full potential in a global landscape filled with significant investment opportunities.This vote gives new momentum to Canal+ group, Havas, Lagardere and Prisma Media and marks a new era full of opportunities for Vivendi. The company will continue to play its role, particularly by pursuing the transformation of Gameloft and optimizing its portfolio of high-quality assets.”
AD Agencies
AdTrust Summit 2026 to examine trust, AI and Gen Alpha in advertising
Two-day summit in Mumbai to explore ethics, regulation and the future of advertising trust
MUMBAI: At a time when advertising is navigating a delicate trust deficit, the Advertising Standards Council of India is preparing to bring the industry to the table. On 17 and 18 March, the body will host the inaugural AdTrust Summit 2026 in Mumbai, a two-day gathering designed to spark conversation around responsibility, regulation and credibility in modern advertising.
The summit, to be held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex, will bring together leaders from advertising, media, technology and policy to examine how brands can build trust in a marketplace increasingly shaped by algorithms, influencers and artificial intelligence.
In an age of deepfakes, dark patterns and blurred lines between content and commerce, the question is no longer just how brands capture attention, but whether audiences believe what they see. The AdTrust Summit aims to unpack that challenge.
Day one will turn its attention to the youngest digital natives. Titled Decoding Gen Alpha, the session will unveil ‘What the Sigma?’, a study by ASCI and Futurebrands Consulting that explores how children growing up in a hyper-digital environment encounter advertising and commercial messaging.
The report presentation will be delivered by Santosh Desai, founder and director at Think9 Consumer Technologies and a social commentator known for his insights into consumer behaviour. The discussion that follows will attempt to decode how Gen Alpha consumes media, interacts with brands and navigates the growing overlap between entertainment and marketing.
In a move that mirrors the subject itself, two Gen Alpha students will also join the conversation, offering a rare perspective from the generation advertisers are trying to understand.
The second panel of the day will shift the focus from observation to implication, asking what the report’s findings mean for brands, agencies and society. Speakers include Karthik Srinivasan, communications strategy consultant; Preeti Vyas, president at Mythik; and Abigail Dias, associate president planning at Ogilvy. The session will be moderated by Sonali Krishna, editor at ET Brand Equity.
Day two moves from insight to regulation. Under the theme From Compliance to Trust, ASCI will release its Ad Law Compendium, a comprehensive guide to India’s advertising regulations.
The day will open with a keynote by Sudhanshu Vats, chairman at ASCI and managing director at Pidilite Industries, followed by a chief guest address by Sanjay Jaju, secretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Legal experts from Khaitan & Co., including Haigreve Khaitan, senior partner, and Tanu Banerjee, partner, will present an overview of the current advertising law landscape in India and examine whether existing frameworks are equipped to deal with emerging technologies and formats.
Subsequent panels will explore issues increasingly shaping the industry’s ethical compass. Conversations will range from the limits of persuasive design and the rise of dark patterns, to the growing scrutiny brands face from digital creators and consumer watchdogs.
One session will also feature Revant Himatsingka, widely known online as the Food Pharmer, whose critiques of packaged food brands have sparked debate around transparency and corporate accountability.
Later discussions will turn toward media literacy among Gen Alpha, asking how children can be equipped to navigate a digital world where gaming, content and commerce are becoming indistinguishable.
The summit will conclude with a final panel on the future of advertising, bringing together voices from agencies, legal circles and technology platforms to discuss how innovation, intelligence and integrity can coexist.
For an industry built on persuasion, trust has always been its quiet currency. But as audiences grow more sceptical and digital ecosystems more complex, that currency is under pressure.
Events like the AdTrust Summit suggest the advertising world knows it cannot afford to take credibility for granted. The real challenge now is turning conversation into commitment.
