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Havas acquires Hispanic agency Formula (includes Interview)

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What: Another major agency is acquiring a Hispanic focused shop. Havas is acquiring integrated communications and experiential marketing agency Formula  for an undisclosed sum.
Why it matters: Through this deal Havas is also gaining Formula’s brand activation arm, Formula Street, and Hispanic PR division, FORMULATIN.Formula has around 105 staff members across offices in New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Formula_Flame_400x400Havas has announced the acquisition of Formula, an integrated communications and experiential marketing agency, for an undisclosed sum.Through the acquisition, Havas is also gaining Formula’s brand activation arm, Formula Street,and Hispanic PR division, FORMULATIN.

Formula has around 105 staff members across offices in New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego.The marketing agency has been working with a number of well-known brands. The main accounts Formula handles include: Nestlé, Wyndham Hotel Group, Phillips 66, Dunkin’ Donuts, Brown Forman (Herradura, El Jimador), SodaStream.

The new entity, Havas Formula, will be a full-service agency with practice areas in strategic communications, public relations, experiential, Latino, and experiential marketing. Havas Formula complements Havas Creative Group’s core competencies, and will work alongside the Group’s existing agencies—such as Havas Impact, Havas Edge, Havas Luxe, Havas PR, and Havas Latino Group—to boost the Group’s offering to North American clients.

Portada talked with Michael A. Olguin, President of Formula, about the transaction:

Portada:Does a larger PR agency service its clients better? 
Michael A. Olguin: “Formula had reached a point where it needed to either acquire smaller agencies or get acquired to grow its footprint to compete for larger pieces of business, and it found a “hand in glove” relationship with Havas. The acquisition addresses a total market approach as we get asked if we have creative services, and now we are able to provide a value proposition of creative and digital and now we can do social in a much more expansive way.”
Portada:What are the key features of Formula?
Michael A. Olguin: “Formula has established a name for itself over the last 22 years as a progressive firm that serves brands looking to disrupt the market and grow a passionate following. It has represented flagship clients such as Heineken, Nestlé, Wyndham Hotel Group, Phillips 66, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Shure.As a midsize agency with a prestigious client roster, Formula recognized that it was the right time to broaden its resources, secure a global footprint and attract more Fortune 100 brands.”

Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO of Havas, noted, “Formula is a best-in-class agencywith an impressive client roster, particularly within the consumer and lifestyle category. With their track record of implementing impactful PR, social, and experiential programs, Formula will help expand our offering. They are a perfect fit for our Group.”

“This decision was the natural evolution of our growth strategy, and Havas is the ideal partner,” Michael A. Olguin, President of Formula, said of the acquisition. “Having access to Havas’s powerful network of global services and resources, paired with the ability to leverage and learn from the company’s senior team, is going to be a game changer for us.”

 

 

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