MAM
Havas restructures global media biz; places digital at the core
MUMBAI: Havas has announced rebranding and restructuring of its media business globally. Havas Media brand will be relaunched on 24 January with a new identity to reflect a tighter, more integrated organisational structure.
The France-headquartered agency network has created ‘Havas Media Group‘ which will include all of Havas‘ media agencies. Havas Media (operating in 126 markets) would consist of its media brand MPG, its digital brand Media Contacts and Arena Media, which operates in 13 markets.
The rebranding is supported by a new simplified structure that places its digital expertise and content marketing at the core of its operations. This move brings the media side of the business in line with the structure of Havas‘s creative division, Havas Creative Group (comprising the Havas Worldwide global network and Arnold Worldwide micro-network).
The new media organisation allows Havas to continue to invest in establishing digital excellence at the center of all its agencies around the world. The new structure will make its specialised units such as Artemis (the group‘s global data management network), Mobext (mobile network), Socialyse (social media), and Affiperf (Havas‘s global trading desk) more accessible to the teams from both Havas Media Group and Havas Creative Group. On the content marketing side, Havas Sports & Entertainment will support this structure with its 36 international offices, alongside such as Cake (Paris, London, New York) Havas Event and Havas Productions.
To manage this new organisation, the group has formed a new executive committee managed by Alfonso Rodés as the CEO of Havas Media Group. Dominique Delport, CEO of Havas Media France has been appointed global managing director for the Havas Media Group. He will report to Rodés, and will be in charge of the commercial activity for all countries and all brands, strategy, new business, digital integration and intelligence.
Michel Sibony, who is currently global head of middle office, will manage all global planning and buying operations as well as the group‘s digital and specialist offers. Global head of back office Jordi Ustrell will oversee the global support services such as IT, HR, legal and finance.
Rodés said, “The explosion of digital media means that no one can afford to deliver a siloed approach to communications. This new media model integrates our digital expertise “at the core” of our organisation, promoting greater agility between all our teams and disciplines. It‘s a simple yet progressive move that enables us to harness the digital transformation that has hit all types of media. By reorganising our teams, changing the lines of reporting and investing in building company-wide digital fluency, we put ourselves in a unique position in the industry. Our scale and simplicity allows us to present clients with a shared vision that meets consumer demand for more meaningful connections.”
Sibony said, “We need to guarantee our clients more consistency in every market and more speed in the delivery of this change to provide greater effectiveness and more efficiency when leveraging the new technological given by data management and technological platforms.”
Delport explained, “Our clients need change and innovation more than ever because beyond media, digital affects any business with great opportunities but also potential disruption. Understanding the relationship between brands and consumers, especially for the growing digital generation, is essential. Our aim is to form a new company that lies at the intersection of the traditional international holding groups and the new style of innovative, digital companies. It‘s an exciting challenge for our clients and our teams.”
Havas Media Asia Pacific CEO Vishnu Mohan added, “This rebranding couldn‘t have been initiated at a better time from the Asia Pacific perspective. Clients in the region are looking for simplicity in agency structures and an integrated offering. The objective of our current rebranding is aligned to that expectation. The simplification of brands within our group furthers our aspiration of being the most agile and integrated agency group with digital at its core”: adds Vishnu Mohan, CEO, Havas Media, Asia Pacific.
Havas Media India CEO Anita Nayyar said, “Media is today an evolving ecosystem where only change is constant. Digital is fluid across every platform from traditional to new age, so the concept of ‘digital at core‘ is vital. It is not ‘only‘ specialization but the dynamics of integration and knowledge synergies that will exploit it to advantage. Brands are asking for integrated communications to differentiate themselves; they need responsive and analytical services. In India, digital is a reality or aspiration for every Indian. Our integrated service offerings of media, outdoor, digital and mobile with the new platform will be better leveraged to the benefit and delight of our customers.”
Brands
Hardik Jhaveri named senior director marketing at Colgate-Palmolive Asean hub
Former Hill’s Pet Nutrition general manager returns to the company to steer marketing for South Asean from Kuala Lumpur
KUALA LUMPUR: Hardik Jhaveri has been appointed senior director marketing for the South Asean hub at Colgate-Palmolive, marking a return to the consumer goods major after a three year stint with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. He will be based in Kuala Lumpur and will lead marketing strategy for the region.
Jhaveri joins the role after serving as general manager at Hill’s Pet Nutrition in Taipei, where he led a cross functional team and oversaw the business with full profit and loss responsibility. The role placed him at the helm of operations in Taiwan, managing growth in what he described as a start-up style environment within a global multinational.
Before that, Jhaveri spent over a decade with Colgate-Palmolive across several marketing and innovation roles in Asia. As associate director innovation for Apac excluding China, based in Hong Kong, he led new product development and launches across multiple markets.
His portfolio ranged from developing specialised oral care products such as a diabetes focused toothpaste for the Indian market to launching premium oral care experiences under the Colgate Total brand in Australia. Alongside innovation, he also worked on launch planning, brand strategy and communications for the company’s oral care portfolio.
Earlier in his Colgate-Palmolive journey, Jhaveri held roles including marketing manager innovation, senior brand manager and brand manager. His work spanned urban and rural markets in Mumbai and customer development responsibilities in the Greater Kolkata Area.
Prior to his long association with Colgate-Palmolive, Jhaveri worked as brand officer home care at Unilever, where he helped drive marketing initiatives for the Rin detergent brand, including nationwide relaunch and on ground activation campaigns.
He began his career in advertising with Bates David Enterprise, working on brands such as IDBI Bank, The Leela Hotels and The Times of India.
Jhaveri holds a post graduate programme in management from the Indian School of Business and has also completed a level 4 diploma in wine from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
Announcing the move, Jhaveri said he is excited to begin his new chapter at Colgate-Palmolive’s South Asean hub and thanked colleagues and mentors who supported his journey at Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
