170 YEARS OF CREATIVITY
According to the April 27, 2009 edition of Advertising Age, HAVAS is the seventh largest global advertising and communications group worldwide, its main competitors being WPP, Omnicom, Interpublic, Publicis, Dentsu and Aegis.
It bears the name of Charles-Louis HAVAS, founder of France’s first press agency in 1835.
In 1968 the advertising department, HAVAS Conseil, was incorporated to form a société anonyme. The new Company rapidly extended its field of activity and in 1975 became the holding company, under the name Eurocom, of a Group of subsidiaries specializing in various communications activities.
Since the 1970s, the Group has expanded its business significantly in France and internationally, both in the communications and media buying sectors, by extending its activities to all fields of communication and to the new communications technologies.
HAVAS was first listed on the Paris Bourse (now Euronext Paris) in 1982.
The principal milestones in the Group’s strategic development are as follows:
1991. Eurocom acquired the French advertising group RSCG, leading to the creation of the Euro RSCG Worldwide advertising network.
1996. The company changed its name to HAVAS Advertising and created four operating divisions, the largest of which, the Euro RSCG Worldwide network, established its headquarters in New York in 1997.
1999. Médiapolis, the Company’s existing media planning business, merged with MEDIA PLANNING, a Spanish company specializing in media planning and buying, to give birth to the MPG network.
HAVAS initially acquired a 45% holding in MPG, increased to 100% in May 2001. Through MPG, HAVAS offers a wide range of media services in major markets worldwide.
2000. HAVAS made a successful bid to acquire Snyder Communications, Inc., and listed American Depositary Shares (ADSs) on the Nasdaq National Market System.
1998-2001. HAVAS adopted an active acquisition strategy to strengthen some of its global markets. In addition to MPG and Snyder, the Group acquired around one hundred specialized agencies in America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
2002. The Company changed its name from “HAVAS Advertising” to “HAVAS” by decision of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting held on May 23, 2002.
September 2003. Strategic restructuring and reorganization of the Group around three core divisions: Euro RSCG Worldwide reinforced in its role as HAVAS’ worldwide network for still stronger development of integrated communications. MPG, HAVAS’ worldwide network for media expertise and traditional advertising and marketing services, continues to develop for the benefit of its own clients as well as those of Euro RSCG Worldwide; Arnold Worldwide Partners which concentrates its development efforts on the US market.
2004. In July, the Bolloré Group acquired a stake in the Company’s share capital.
In October, the Company completed a €404 million capital increase.
2005 was a transition year marked by a significant change in the HAVAS management team.
2006. The Company asked NASDAQ to cease listing HAVAS ADSs. This listing came to an end with the opening of the market on July 7, 2006. At the same time HAVAS closed down its ADR program on July 28, 2006. On October 10, 2006, the Company notified the Securities and Exchange Commission of the voluntary suspension of its registration under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. This registration ended on December 7, 2007.
2007. The MPG network was renamed HAVAS Media.
2009. At the beginning of the year, the Group reorganized into two Business Units*, HAVAS Worldwide and HAVAS Media, in order to promote synergies and further reinforce HAVAS’ positioning as the most integrated group in its sector.
Following the pattern of the HAVAS Media reorganization, HAVAS Worldwide will encompass all advertising agencies, marketing services and design. It will bring together all the Euro RSCG network agencies as well as all the independent agencies: Arnold (Boston, New York, Washington, London and Milan), H and W&Cie (Paris), Palm (Montreal) and Data Communiqué (New Jersey).
* Henceforth, the Divisions will be known as Business Units.