Havas CX establishes with 4 key hubs

Havas Creative has today launched Havas CX – a new, international network dedicated to delivering meaningful brand experiences across the entire customer journey. It brings together more than 1200 people from 20 of Havas Creative’s global agency groups and local agencies, plus additional CX specialists from across the Havas network, under a common structure, governance, methodology and mission.

The new network currently has Reckitt Benckiser, Tesco, Maersk, Club Med, AbbVie, Airtel, Starbucks, Canal+ as its clients. Havas CX will span 18 major Havas Villages around the world, with key hubs in London, Paris, New York and Mumbai.

It brings together global agency groups including ekino (digital transformation), BETC FullSix (customer experience), Havas helia (customer engagement) and leaders in their markets including Plastic Havas, Langoor, Boondoggle, Gate One, Think Design, Host/Havas, Project House and Intellignos.

Havas claims its competitive advantage lies in its “ability to combine this deep-rooted, newly coordinated CX expertise” with Havas’ rich insights into modern consumers (via its proprietary Meaningful Brands study), its Prosumer studies of ‘leading edge’ consumers, and its X Index – a new barometer for measuring and managing customer experience) and of course, its integrated Village model.

The move to establish a dedicated CX network follows the launch of the BETC Fullsix agency model in Paris and the acquisition in 2019 of specialists Langoor (digital engagement), Think Design (user experience) and Gate One (a digital and transformation consultancy). The component agencies’ branding will be updated to reflect the new network identity.

The Havas CX network will be led by global COO Yann Doussot, overseen by an executive committee chaired by Chris Hirst who is Havas creative global CEO, Mercedes Erra the chairwoman BETC FULLSIX Donna Murphy the global CEO Havas Health & You) and Peter Mears global CEO Havas Media Group.

Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO Havas Group, added: “Having pursued an acquisition strategy of cutting-edge agencies in the customer engagement space over recent years, we feel the time is right to unify our agencies under one joined-up, global network brand. In Havas CX, we believe we have the most comprehensive customer engagement proposition the industry has to offer – and it’s one we intend to continue to strengthen by hiring top talent and making further best-in-class acquisitions.”

Chris Hirst, global CEO of Havas Creative, explained that customer experience is the bedrock on which a brand is built and the majority of a consumer’s experience of any brand won’t be through above-the-line advertising, but their personal interactions with it.

“As technology advances almost any conceivable purchase is just a couple of clicks away and the opportunities for brands to get it right, or wrong, are manifold. CX is the new battle ground – and the brands that get it right will win, and those that don’t will lose; it’s as simple as that,” Hirst  said.

 “Now is the right time to be overt in our commitment to the one discipline that today underpins all others by bringing our 1200-plus specialists into a single brand. With our integrated village model and our proprietary consumer insights, the Havas CX Network will significantly extend the power and capability of our offer.”