Havas debuts new customer experience network
Havas Creative launched a new international network this week dedicated specifically to customer experience. Havas CX, as it has been named, will absorb boutique agencies Ekino, which is focused in digital transformation; BETC FullSix, its customer experience shop; Havas Helia, dedicated to customer engagement; Plastic Havas, a digital experience consultancy; Langoor, a digital marketing shop; Boondoggle, which is concentrated in service design; Gate One, a management consultancy; Think Design, a user design strategy firm; Host/Havas, a creative tech shop in Australia; Project House, a Turkish digital agency; and Intellignos, a data-driven company in Argentina. Havas says those agencies will be rebranded as Havas CX.
The network will also bring together 1,200 people from 20 of Havas Creative's agencies and certain customer experience specialists from across the Havas network, according to the agency. Havas CX says its focus will be on "delivering meaningful brand experiences across the entire customer journey." Havas CX will be present in 18 Havas Villages (how the network describes its integrated model of combining creative and media agencies in one office) with key hubs in London, Paris, New York and Mumbai. Clients already include Reckitt Benckiser, Tesco, Maersk, Club Med, AbbVie, Airtel and Starbucks.
The network will be led by Ekino Founder-CEO Yann Doussot, who will now be chief operating officer of Havas CX, and overseen by an executive committee comprised of Havas Creative Global CEO Chris Hirst, Havas Health & You Global CEO Donna Murphy and Havas Media Group Global CEO Peter Mears.
"Today customer experience is the bedrock on which a brand is built—indeed, the majority of a consumer’s experience of any brand won’t be through above-the-line advertising, but their personal interactions with it," Hirst says. "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 battleground—and the brands that get it right will win, and those that don’t will lose; it’s as simple as that."
Ad Council appoints new members to its board
The Ad Council elected new officials to its board of directors following its annual fall meeting held virtually this week. Hayley Romer, chief revenue officer and publisher of The Atlantic, succeeds McKinsey Senior Partner Laura Corb as secretary of the board. Colgate-Palmolive Chief Communications Officer Paula Davis and National Football League VP of Communications Samantha Roth also joined the Ad Council leadership council.
New board members include: IAB CEO David Cohen; Instacart Chief Revenue Officer Seth Dallaire; JPMorgan Chase Chief Marketing Officer Leslie Gillin; Spectrum Reach Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officer Michael Guth; Verizon Media VP and Head of North American Sales and Global Client Solutions Elizabeth Herbst-Brady; Northwestern Mutual Chief Marketing Officer Lee Hurley; R/GA Global CEO Sean Lyons; Ebay Head of Brand Advertising and Partnerships Scott Kelliher; Anheuser-Busch VP of Marketing Culture and Capabilities Matt Kohan; Deloitte Chief Marketing Officer Suzanne Kounkel; Wells Fargo Executive VP and Head of Communications Barri Rafferty; American Express Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Rutledge; Unilever's Sundial Brands CEO Cara Sabin; LinkedIn Chief Marketing and Communications Office Melissa Selcher; Huge Chief Operating Officer Raj Singhal; The Trade Desk Chief Revenue Officer Tim Sims; Lowe's Executive VP and Chief Brand and Marketing Officer Marisa Thalberg; SAP Global Chief Marketing Officer Alicia Tillman; DoubleVerify CEO Mark Zagorski; and The New York Times Global Head of Advertising and Marketing Solutions Sebastian Tomich.
Probably the best news in the world
Danish brew company Carlsberg Group, whose slogan is "Probably the best beer in the world," has appointed Grey to develop global advertising campaigns for its namesake and Tuborg brands. Carlsberg says the decision follows a review to align "advertising arrangements across the brands." Grey has been working with Tugor since 2018. The WPP agency also developed two recent campaigns for Carlsberg: "Alcohol Free," which positions the brewer's Pilsners with no more than 0.05% of alcohol as a "guilt-free" option; and "Smooth Draught," which informs consumers they can get a "smooth delivery" of Carlsberg beers while sheltering in place. Carlsberg says it will continue to work with local agencies in regional markets despite the global partnership with Grey.
"Our growth ambitions mean we need a global network for our brands, and thanks to the footprint and the creative excellence at Grey, we believe we can reach this," says Robbie Millar, VP of global marketing at Carlsberg Group.
Brief mentions
DentsuMcgarrybowen—the network formed in May comprised of agencies including Isobar, John Brown and Dentsu PR firms such as Mitchell—poached Adam&Eve/DDB Global Creative Director Simon Lloyd as chief creative officer of the U.K. He joins Chief Strategy Officer Sophie Lewis, who joined from VMLY&R in February; CEO Gareth Collins, who moved from Leo Burnett and Fallon last year; and Barratt Mistry, who has been appointed head of project management. Together, the team is tasked with building up dentsumcgarrybowen in the U.K.
Pinnacle Advertising, a full-service agency in Boca Raton, Florida, appointed Robert Mitchell as its first CEO. He previously was director of marketing and corporate communications for a biotech company in Boca Raton. Pinnacle Advertising Founder Peter Gary will step into the role of chairman, handing daily responsibilities over to Mitchell.
Fortnight Collective, a Boulder, Colorado-based creative agency, was named agency of record for Wholesome, the maker of organic sweeteners. The agency says it will be tasked with developing creative campaigns "to generate greater consumer awareness." Fortnight Collective's scope also includes production, content strategy and planning. The agency expects to debut its first brand campaign for Wholesome later this year.