AD Agencies
Havas Media Group India launches Havas Content
Mumbai: Havas Media Group India has launched its specialized content division called Havas Content. With the launch, the media agency conglomerate will focus on leveraging dynamic content to help brands create meaningful media experiences and make a meaningful difference in consumers’ lives.
Havas Content aims to bridge the gap by offering meaningful content solutions that not only entertain but also educate, inspire, and help consumers, map the brand’s performance to its content effectiveness and boost business returns.
Havas Content will be led by Uday Mohan, President and Chief Client Officer, Havas Media Group India. To further strengthen the division, the agency has made two key hires. Prachi Narayan has joined as Vice President, Content and Shivani Kaushik as Content Manager, who will support Uday in scaling this offering across Havas Media Group India’s client portfolio.
With the division’s in-house capabilities of analysing data and driving insights, Havas Content is armed with a scientific approach to developing meaningful content which in turn resonates with the Group’s core philosophy of building meaningful brands.
Over the last few years, Havas Media Group India has witnessed a 5x growth in the content space, with some clutter-breaking content created for prominent brands like Hyundai, OYO, Swarovski, Swiggy and Tata Motors (CVBU).
Havas Content has also adopted a future-first approach and is helping brands navigate today’s dynamic content ecosystem that is constantly evolving with new trends like AR, VR, NFTs, and Metaverse, which has led to its sweeping success in India.
Speaking about the launch, Havas Group India Group CEO Rana Barua, said, “We understand the power of good content and the launch of Havas Content couldn’t have come at a better time. The wide range of work that the team has done for a varied set of clients in the content space, and the impact it has made to our client’s business made it a logical step to launch this as a separate vertical and further scale it up. It’s another step towards further empowering the brands that partner with us, and help them craft more meaningful stories.”
Havas Media Group India’s CEO Mohit Joshi said, “Content has been an integral part of Havas Group’s Meaningful Brands proprietary study each year. In the past, the study has revealed that Content is falling massively short of consumer expectations. With the current content overload, misinformation, fake news and the pandemic-driven shifts in consumer behaviour, it has become more imperative than ever to create differentiated content that not just grabs the consumer’s attention but also helps & rewards them, making the brand a seamless part of the consumer’s journey. I am confident that Uday, along with Prachi and Shivani will make the content division the best in the business in India.”
Uday Mohan further added, “In this new world order, consumers are constantly on the lookout for brands with a greater purpose, brands that can impact their lives positively. Content has proved to be an important tool in making consumers see that purpose. Havas’s reputation globally in the content space is unparalleled. With Indian brands becoming content-conscious, we believe this was the perfect time for us to officially launch our content division in India. Bringing together the combined expertise of Havas Village, and the content powerhouse within the Vivendi network, we are confident Havas Content will become a one-stop-shop for all our client’s content needs.”
AD Agencies
Publicis posts €4.19bn Q1 revenue, 6.4 per cent growth; backs FY outlook
Ad giant signals Q2 acceleration as AI and new deals power momentum
PARIS: Publicis Groupe continues to outperform the industry, delivering a strong start to 2026 under Chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun. Despite a volatile global macro environment, the company has now outpaced the industry for nearly 20 consecutive quarters.
For Q1 2026, total revenue reached €4,191 million, up from €4,161 million last year, with organic growth of 6.4 per cent. Net revenue, which excludes pass-through costs, stood at €3,460 million, reflecting organic growth of 4.5 per cent.
Exchange rates had a negative impact of €268 million, mainly due to a weaker US dollar and pound sterling. Acquisitions, including Adge.AI and 160over90, contributed an additional €46 million.
Performance across regions was largely positive, with some variation:
- North America, accounting for 59 per cent of net revenue, grew 4.7 per cent
- Europe recorded growth of 3.9 per cent, led by the UK at 6.2 per cent, while France grew 1.6 per cent
- Asia Pacific posted 5.9 per cent growth, driven by China at 11.7 per cent
- Latin America grew 13.3 per cent
- Middle East and Africa declined 5.1 per cent due to geopolitical challenges
AI-powered marketing services, which now make up 86 per cent of the business, grew 5.6 per cent. However, the technology segment, representing 14 per cent of revenue, declined slightly as clients reduced spending on large-scale transformation projects.
Sharing his outlook, Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “Publicis had a very strong start to the year, outperforming the industry for almost 20 quarters in a row despite the volatile macro environment. Organic revenue growth reached 6.4%, leading to 4.5% in net and further increasing the gap with our peers.” He added that the company remains confident of delivering industry-leading performance. “We are confirming our industry-leading organic growth guidance of 4 to 5%, with the 4% rock solid, and a sequential organic growth acceleration in Q2 despite a higher comparable.”
Publicis continued its expansion with the acquisition of Adge.AI in March, followed by 160over90 in April to strengthen its sports and culture marketing capabilities.
Net financial debt stood at €1,156 million at the end of March, reflecting a seasonal shift from the net cash position at the end of 2025. Average net debt over the past twelve months was €1,035 million.
The company has reaffirmed its full-year guidance, expecting net revenue organic growth of 4 to 5 per cent in 2026. It also anticipates an operating margin slightly above 18.2 per cent and free cash flow of approximately €2.1 billion.
With expectations of stronger performance in the second quarter, Publicis remains well positioned to sustain its growth momentum.
