What: Havas Creative Group is relaunching Havas EHS and Havas Discovery as a new brand that will be called “Helia” and will also be expanding the agency’s offering internationally. The LatAm expansion, with offices in Sao Paulo (Brazil) should take place during the third quarter of 2015.
Why it matters: The firm will also be expanding the agency’s offering internationally and extend its reach to include additional agencies within the network in APAC , Africa and Latin America regions. Andrew Benett, Global CEO, Havas Worldwide and Havas Creative Group, talked with Portada on this recent launch and expansion.
Havas Creative Group has announced that it is relaunching Havas EHS and Havas Discovery. The new brand will be called Helia and will also be expanding the agency’s offering internationally.
This expansion will create a go-to-market brand across the US (Chicago, Richmond, Baltimore, and New York), Europe (London, Cirencester, Warsaw), and China (Shanghai). The Helia group will start with a combined data-related revenue of over US $70 million, more than 200 data scientists, 700 staff, and a client roster that includes Unilever, easyJet, IBM, Diageo, Sony PlayStation, Liberty Mutual, and DISH.
This international growth will continue to gain momentum throughout 2015, as Helia further extends its reach to include additional agencies within the network and expand into APAC (Sydney and Singapore), Africa (Cape Town), and Latin America (São Paulo). This expansion is part of Havas Creative Group’s commitment to creating a global network that will redefine the face of data as it relates to creative and digital. It reflects Havas’s belief that data is at the core of its continued growth.
Andrew Benett, Global CEO, Havas Worldwide and Havas Creative Group, talked with Portada on this recent launch and expansion:
Portada: What is meant exactly by Data Revenue?
Andrew Benett: “It’s the current cumulative revenue for the entities being rolled into Helia, all of which conducting work that is based in data-driven marketing, whether big data consulting or CRM work.”
Portada: We understand that this is only creative and is not related at all to Havas media operations, right?
Andrew Benett: “Yes. However media independents are not allowed to operate in Brazil so the configuration there is always somewhat different as ad agencies also carry media buying/planning duties.”
Portada: Can you provide details about the U.S. expansion and how it particularly affects the U.S. Hispanic market?
Andrew Benett: “With our Havas Latino offering in the U.S. we are doing some great Hispanic work and Helia could play a role in helping marketers that focus on Hispanics be smarter through data-driven thinking.”
Portada: Details about the Latin Expansion. When will it be and where (we understand it will be headquartered in Sao Paulo).
Andrew Benett: “Indeed, our operation will be based out of São Paulo and we expect roll-out not before the third quarter of 2015. Currently, Havas Digital in Brazil is already a large operation with more than 200 employees in São Paulo and a digital production hub in Recife that has just been launched. Once this last operation is consolidated, we will concentrate on the launch of Helia.”
Led by Havas EHS Group CEO Tash Whitmey, Havas Worldwide Chicago Group President Paul Marobella, and Havas EHS Group COO Matt Fanshawe, and supported by dedicated leads in each office, Helia marks a significant step forward in Havas Creative Group’s continued evolution of its structure, operations, and offering to deliver best-in-class creativity, technology, and data to its clients. Extending its global footprint in 2015 will play an important role in enabling Helia to further grow its offering and client base into the future.
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