Havas Paris acquires Format to expand influence business

MUMBAI: In the age of LinkedIn thought-leaders, creator CEOs and brands speaking directly into the algorithm’s ear, corporate communications is no longer confined to press releases and polished podium speeches. Havas Paris seems to have got the memo and it is buying into the future accordingly. Havas Paris has acquired French next-generation corporate influence agency Format, marking a strategic push into the rapidly evolving world of digital-first influence communications and AI-powered content advisory.

Founded in 2021 by Thomas Khaski, Format has quickly built a reputation in France’s communications industry for helping executives and companies navigate a media ecosystem increasingly shaped by social platforms, creators and direct-to-audience storytelling. In just five years, the agency has positioned itself as a specialist in what many in the industry now call “Influence 3.0,” a blend of corporate reputation, creator culture, platform strategy and digital influence.

The deal arrives as traditional corporate communications undergo a dramatic rewrite. Executives are building their own media channels on LinkedIn, podcasts and short-video platforms, while creators are steadily becoming influential opinion leaders alongside journalists and analysts. For communications firms, the challenge is no longer simply controlling the message, but shaping influence across fragmented digital ecosystems.

For Havas Paris, co-headed by Mayada Boulos and Julien Carette, the acquisition adds a sharper digital influence layer to its existing strategic communications and media relations business. It also strengthens the agency’s positioning among start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs and mid-sized companies increasingly looking for social-first reputation management rather than conventional PR playbooks.

Format, meanwhile, gains access to Havas’ wider creative and advisory infrastructure without losing its independent identity. The agency will continue to operate under its own name and structure, with founder Thomas Khaski remaining CEO.

As part of the acquisition, Format’s teams will also join H/Advisors, Havas’ global strategic advisory communications network that operates across more than 20 countries, opening the door to international mandates and cross-border influence campaigns.

Havas chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré said the acquisition strengthens the group’s capabilities “at a time of rapid transformation and convergence across communication channels”.

Khaski, whose agency was built around the belief that corporate communications must evolve alongside changing patterns of information consumption, described the partnership as a way to scale Format’s influence model while preserving its agility and operational independence.

Inside Havas Paris, the acquisition is also being viewed as a future-facing move rather than a traditional consolidation play. Arielle Schwab, VP overseeing influence activities at Havas Paris, described Format as an “AI-driven structure rooted in technology and corporate social platforms”.

That AI angle is becoming increasingly central to the communications business itself. Agencies are no longer only competing on relationships and creative ideas, but also on data analysis, audience mapping, AI-assisted content generation and real-time social amplification.

The acquisition also reflects a broader shift across the advertising and communications industry, where influence is becoming less about celebrity endorsements and more about ecosystem credibility from founders and executives to creators, communities and niche digital voices.

For Havas Paris and Format, the bet is clear: in a world where attention moves at the speed of a scroll, influence itself is becoming the new media currency.