AD Agencies
Havas re-purposes 25 pc staff for data & programmatic; next phase in Feb
MUMBAI: Havas Group has re-purposed over 25 per cent of its employees (5000 out of 20000) to become 100 per cent Programmatic through a new proprietary training programme that reinforces the together strategy and provides an uncommon foundation for all employees.
The group now focuses both on data and programmatic, two key pillars for the future of the communications industry. Cent per cent programmatic is an internal certification program that enables all employees to integrate programmatic with confidence. It provides mastery (through knowledge), autonomy (through hands-on activities) and keys to purpose (through in-house Havas analysis), via a proprietary online learning platform called Havas University.
Havas Group deputy CEO, group’s Spain chairman and media group CEO Alfonso RodésVilà explains, “Our vision is focused on the future. Programmatic is the new reality and whatever our role is, we must understand audiences, addressable content and personalized messages. Media will essentially become code – ones and zeros – and knowing how to approach this coded data will set us apart from the rest of the industry.”
Havas Worldwide and Havas Creative Group global CEO Andrew Benett adds, “Programmatic is more than media. It reflects a total change in our industry and has vast implications for creativity as well. We have always used audience data and personalized messaging to drive creative solutions, and now we can do that through automation to achieve scale. It’s just as important for our creative teams to understand this as our media teams.”
Havas Media Group chief human resources officer Celine Merle-Beral, “The program was built by a very passionate team who shared their expertise to help us step up our game and lead the way. This investment is part of Havas’ commitment to our people, to their personal development, and to our common future.”
The program offers employees 8 to 10 hours of online courses with rich content including texts, videos, interviews, quizzes and forums, featuring Havas Group staff and technology partners. The training programme offers three levels:
· Fundamentals, covering programmatic language and concepts, and the impact on both Creative and Media
· Advanced, including day-to-day applications, with adapted modules depending on position
· Elite, focusing on strategic vision, programmatic leadership skills for community building and network development
The impact on employees was real. Participants were surveyed for feedback and the results are overwhelming: 96 per cent of participants feel more confident speaking about programmatic. 97 per cent of participants feel that the content of this course was of greater value than what they can find on the internet. 97 per cent of participants recommend this training to their colleagues.
100% Programmatic began with a pilot test of content between May and July for employees at Havas Media Group in 15 countries. The first phase of programme rollout occurred in September for employees at both creative and media entities in more than 40 countries. The next phase will be launched in February 2017 to expand its reach and results.
AD Agencies
Liqvd Asia wins four mandates, adds Rs 35 crore pipeline
New clients across sectors signal strong start to 2026 for agency
MUMBAI: Liqvd Asia has kicked off 2026 on a high note, securing four new mandates that are set to add roughly Rs 35 crore to its future business pipeline.
The digital-first agency has brought on board a diverse mix of clients, including Origami, Kasturi Foods, Sama.live and Woodland, spanning consumer goods, regional brands, emerging platforms and established players.
Each mandate comes with a tailored brief. While the agency will handle integrated marketing communications for Origami, it will manage creative, social and media duties for Kasturi Foods as the brand looks to expand beyond its Odisha stronghold. For Sama.live, the focus will be on building brand narrative and enterprise credibility, while Woodland’s mandate centres on digital and social storytelling.
For Liqvd Asia founder and managing director Arnab Mitra, the wins reflect a deliberate shift in how the agency positions itself. He said the focus is on being an integrated growth partner, combining strategy and creativity to deliver long-term brand value alongside business impact.
Echoing this, Liqvd Asia business head Monish Sanghavi, highlighted that the new partnerships align with the agency’s intent to build scalable and structured growth roadmaps, where creativity is anchored in data and performance is closely tied to outcomes.
From the client side, Kasturi Foods sees the collaboration as a step towards national expansion. The company said the partnership will help it balance its regional legacy with a sharper digital presence as it reaches new markets.
With a growing roster and a pipeline that is steadily thickening, Liqvd Asia appears to be turning early momentum into a broader statement. In a crowded digital marketplace, the agency is not just adding clients, it is adding intent.
