AD Agencies
Havas gets listed independently on Euronext Amsterdam
MUMBAI: It’s got its independence at last. Advertising and marketing services giant Havas today announced the successful listing of its ordinary shares on the regulated market of Euronext in Amsterdam under the ticker HAVAS. This follows the completion of its spin-off from Vivendi and the distribution of Havas’s ordinary shares to Vivendi shareholders on a one-for-one basis, approved by them at the combined general shareholders’ meeting on 9 December 2024.
Havas chairman & CEO Yannick Bolloré said: “The successful completion of Havas’s spin-off and listing on Euronext Amsterdam marks a pivotal step towards the realisation of our long-term vision. It gives us additional flexibility to accelerate our growth across our key business lines and strengthens our unique position within the dynamic marketing and communications industry. Our converged strategy, enhanced by exceptional talent, data-driven insights, cutting-edge technology, and targeted acquisitions, places us in the best possible position to be even more creative and strategic, and deliver robust financial performance, creating long-term value for our shareholders. I would like to thank our talented teams for all their hard work and commitment throughout this process, and all our clients for their trust.”
Through its converged strategy, has drawn up a three pronged way forward to drive growth, creativity and innovation by focusing on three key priorities:
1. Strategic acquisitions: Continue its disciplined approach to acquisitions, targeting high-growth markets and expanding its expertise in data analytics, digital transformation, and AI.
2. Investment in innovation: Prioritise the development of capabilities in data, technology, and AI to deliver cutting-edge solutions, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the industry.
3. Increased Collaboration: Implement a group-wide operating system to fuse all Havas’ global expertise, tools and capabilities and further integrate its networks and agencies worldwide.
As disclosed at the capital markets day held on 19 November 2024:
* Havas is aiming to achieve an Adjusted EBIT margin ranging between 14 per cent and 15 per cent by no later than the financial year ending 31 December 2028. Havas is also aiming to generate contributions to net revenue from new acquisitions averaging between €40 million and €50 million per year over the medium term, driven by the execution of the group’s acquisition strategy.
* Havas believes it can achieve the following as of and for the year ending 31 December 2024:
o A change in net revenue on an organic basis ranging between a decrease of one per cent and no change, compared to the year ended 31 December 2023;
o Adjusted EBIT in excess of €330 million, reflecting management of operating expenses (such as personnel and travel expenses);
o Net cash and cash equivalents (excluding lease liabilities and earn-out and buy-out obligations) of around €150 million.
* For the year ending 31 December, 2025, Havas believes it can achieve the following:
o Net revenue on an organic basis growth in excess of two per cent, compared to the year ending 31 December 2024;
o Adjusted EBIT margin ranging between 12.5 per cent and 13.5 per cent
Regarding its dividend policy, Havas says it intends to provide a regular return on capital to its shareholders through an annual dividend payment. This payment is expected to represent around 40 per cent of the net income (group share) for the relevant financial year, starting in 2025 for the financial year ending 31 December 2024.
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.
