Havas

Havas NV
Company type	Public (NV)
Industry	Advertising, public relations
Founded	1835
Founder	Charles-Louis Havas
Headquarters	Puteaux, France
Area served	Worldwide (more than 100 countries)
Key people	Vincent Bolloré (Chairman)
Products	Digital advertising, direct marketing, media planning and purchasing, corporate communications, sales promotion, design, human resources, sports marketing, multimedia interactive communications, public relations, consulting focused on innovation
Owner	Bolloré Group (largest shareholder with 32.84% as of May 2012)
Website	www.havas.com

Havas NV () is a global French advertising and public relations firm with its headquarters located in Puteaux, France.

With operations spanning more than 100 countries, Havas is structured into three primary business units. It offers a broad range of services including digital advertising, direct marketing, media planning and purchasing, corporate communications, sales promotion, design, human resources, sports marketing, multimedia interactive communications, public relations, and consulting focused on innovation.

History

The original entity known as Havas was established in 1835 by Charles-Louis Havas and holds the distinction of being the world's first news agency. This organization ultimately gave rise to Agence France-Presse. In 1998, it was acquired by Vivendi and rebranded as Vivendi Universal Publishing. Subsequently, in 2004, it merged with Lagardère to create Editis.

The modern-day Havas functions as a holding company based in Puteaux, Paris, having secured the rights to the Havas name in 2002. Vincent Bolloré, a prominent French corporate investor through the Bolloré Group, holds the largest stake with 32.84% ownership as of May 2012 and serves as chairman of the board.

Key acquisitions that have shaped Havas’s growth include Malaysia’s Immerse agency in November 2017 (rebranded as Havas Immerse), UK-based digital agency and Google partner Search Laboratory acquired in April 2022, and Parisian data consultancy TED Consulting obtained in April 2024. Further expanding its portfolio into sports marketing, Havas purchased Spain’s CA Sports in January 2025.

In July 2024, four Havas agencies—Havas London, Havas Lemz, Havas New York, and Havas Immerse—were stripped of their B Corp status following their collaboration with Shell plc.

After separating from Vivendi, Havas began trading on Euronext Amsterdam on 16 December 2024. Its shares debuted at €1.91, marking a 6% increase on the first day of trading.

Timeline

Year	Event
1835	Charles-Louis Havas founded the company as a press agency.
1879	The Havas news agency was officially incorporated as a Société Anonyme (plc).
1920	Merged with Société Générale d'Annonces to become a leading press manager; later expanded into radio and film sectors.
1923	Initiated billboard advertising operations.
1945	Following the fall of the Vichy regime, it was nationalized and renamed Agence France-Presse. The company also entered the travel industry and later expanded into free newspapers and professional publications.
1968	Established Havas Conseil S.A., focusing on advertising and media consulting.
1975	Havas Conseil S.A. was renamed Eurocom.
1987	Privatization of Havas news agency under the name Havas S.A.
1996	Eurocom S.A. changed its name to Havas Advertising S.A.
1997	Havas SA acquired C.E.P. Communication, which published professional and medical journals along with magazines such as L'Express and Le Point, plus book publisher Groupe de la Cite.
1999	Vivendi took full ownership of Havas.
2000	Havas was renamed Vivendi Universal Publishing and divested its advertising division.
2002	Vivendi Universal Publishing sold its trade and medical publishing units to Cinven, while European operations were transferred to Lagardère.
2002	Havas Advertising reacquired rights to the Havas brand name.
2002	Vivendi sold consumer magazine assets to Socpresse and free newspapers to France Antilles.
2022	HARMAN partnered with Havas to create a globally integrated agency model.

Havas Conseil – Havas Advertising

By 1968, Havas had expanded its media operations under the entity Havas Conseil S.A., which experienced rapid growth. In 1975, Havas Conseil transitioned into Eurocom, serving as the holding company for various communications-focused subsidiaries.

Throughout the 1970s, the Group experienced considerable growth both domestically in France and internationally, extending its service offerings and integrating emerging communications technologies. Havas made its debut on the Paris stock exchange (now Euronext Paris) in 1982.

Significant strategic developments include:

In 1991, Eurocom acquired the French advertising firm RSCG, resulting in the creation of the Euro RSCG Worldwide network. RSCG was notably the principal agency for Peugeot. By 1996, Eurocom rebranded itself as Havas Advertising and structured its operations into four divisions: Euro RSCG, Campus, Diversified Agencies, and Médiapolis. American executive Bob Schmetterer took on the roles of chairman and CEO of Euro RSCG, relocating its headquarters to New York City in 1997.

In 1998, Compagnie Générale des Eaux, under Jean-Marie Messier’s leadership, rebranded as Vivendi and acquired full ownership of Havas for €6 billion (£4.05 billion). Subsequently, Vivendi classified its advertising business as non-core.

Between 1998 and 2001, to defend against takeover attempts following its separation from Havas, Havas Advertising embarked on a vigorous acquisition strategy that included MPG, Snyder, and approximately 100 specialized agencies across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions. This expansion sought to reinforce its global footprint but drew criticism from Publicis’ Maurice Lévy, who labeled it "reckless."

The "Media Planning Group" (MPG) was created in 1999 by merging Spanish media planner Media Planning S.A., controlled by the family of Léopoldo Rodés Castañes, with Médiapolis. Initially acquiring a 45% stake in MPG, Havas increased ownership to 100% by May 2001.

Snyder Communications Inc.

During the height of merger activity on April 4, 2000, Havas Advertising agreed to acquire Snyder Communications, Inc. (SNC) through an all-stock transaction valuing SNC at US$2.1 billion. Led by Daniel Snyder, SNC specialized in outsourced marketing services such as direct marketing, database marketing, product sampling, sponsored information displays, call centers, and field sales. Prior to this agreement, SNC’s market value stood at US$1.3 billion. Upon completion on September 25, Havas Advertising listed American Depositary Shares (ADSs) on NASDAQ while Vivendi’s holding was diluted to 40%. The capital raised enabled Snyder to purchase the Washington Redskins along with their stadium for $800 million in May 1999—a record price for a U.S. sports franchise at that time.

SNC’s three key units—Bounty SCA Worldwide, Arnold Communications, and Brann Worldwide—were integrated with Euro RSCG, Campus, and Diversified Agencies respectively. Arnold Communications was renamed Arnold Worldwide Partners and became Havas’ second major network.

Havas S.A.

In 2000, the parent company changed its name to Vivendi Universal Publishing and began divesting its remaining shares in Havas Advertising. The board of Havas Advertising purchased the rights to the Havas name from Vivendi with shareholder approval granted on May 23, 2002.

By September 2003, Havas streamlined its organization by either divesting or consolidating agencies within Diversified Agencies into three principal divisions: Euro RSCG Worldwide (integrated communications), MPG (media planning and buying), and Arnold Worldwide Partners (advertising). In July 2004, Bolloré Group initiated an investment in Havas. A capital increase of €404 million in October helped reduce company debt.

By 2005, Bolloré had acquired a 22% stake along with four board seats, effectively taking control over Havas. Chairman and CEO Alain de Pouzilhac was removed following a boardroom challenge on June 21, 2005. Richard Colker served as interim CEO until Vincent Bolloré assumed chairmanship and Philippe Wahl was appointed CEO on July 12, 2005. In March 2006, Fernando Rodés Vilà succeeded Wahl as CEO.

Havas continued trading on Euronext but withdrew from NASDAQ listings on July 28, 2006.

In March 2015, Bolloré S.A., the principal shareholder, sold a 22.5% portion of its stake in Havas for roughly €600 million while retaining majority ownership.

Services

Havas operates as a media holding entity whose subsidiaries provide communication consultancy across conventional advertising channels, including television, radio, print, and digital display. Their offerings extend to media purchasing and a broad spectrum of marketing services such as advertising campaign management, direct marketing initiatives, sales promotions, corporate communications, blockchain and ICO marketing strategies, healthcare-related communications, internal corporate messaging, television sponsorships, creative design, human resources communications, and interactive digital communications.

In an effort to boost flexibility and foster a more entrepreneurial image, Havas underwent a reorganization in late 2012. The agency network previously known as Euro RSCG was renamed Havas Worldwide, positioning it alongside industry peers like Publicis Worldwide. Concurrently, agencies like Arnold Worldwide were rebranded as Havas Creative, while the media segment continued under the name Havas Media. Additionally, Havas launched the Havas Digital Group umbrella brand to unify and streamline activities between its Creative and Media branches.

Case against former directors

Vincent Bolloré, holding a 22.01% interest in Havas, orchestrated the removal of CEO Alain de Pouzilhac on 21 June 2005. Following this, CFO Jacques Hérail was terminated on grounds of serious negligence, and vice-chairman Alain Cayzac along with other executives were also dismissed. De Pouzilhac pursued several legal claims against Havas concerning severance packages and non-compete agreements; overall, ten lawsuits involved him while four concerned Hérail. Judicial rulings affirmed de Pouzilhac’s entitlement to his non-compete compensation and awarded Hérail damages approaching €5 million.

After the leadership reshuffle, Bolloré expanded his ownership stake to 37% by November 2012. In 2007, Havas lodged criminal charges accusing de Pouzilhac, Hérail, and Cayzac of conspiracy and misappropriation related to employment contracts that granted significant golden parachutes during Bolloré’s acquisition. De Pouzilhac faced additional allegations of conspiring to approve a €300,000 payment to board member Thierry Meyer. The ensuing three-year preliminary investigation attracted criticism for procedural errors and infringements on the defendants’ rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Ultimately, the Nanterre criminal court dismissed all accusations in November 2012 due to procedural deficiencies and breaches of defense rights. Legal representatives for de Pouzilhac and Hérail accused Bolloré of exploiting his connections with the Nanterre public prosecutor to influence the proceedings.

External links

Official website of Havas
Agence Havas news reports from 1845-1848 (primarily 1847-1848) – University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts