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Havas' revenue climbs,
'Converged' plan takes the stage,
Awards shine in time.
Growth slows for Havas in Q2 2024, but first half revenue up 3.4%
Havas has posted a revenue of €717 million (A$1.189 billion) for the second quarter of 2024, up 1.4% year on year, according to the half yearly results of parent company Vivendi. However, organic revenue growth suffered a decline, falling 2.3%.
For the first half of 2024, the French advertising group reported revenues of €1.366 billion, marking a 3.6% increase compared to H1 2023. The net revenues for H1 2024 were €1.308 billion, a 3.4% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.
The impact of acquisitions, including contributions from Uncommon Creative Studio, Eprofessional, Shortcut, and Ledger Bennett, contributed to a 3.5% increase in revenues, while currency effects had a negative impact of 0.1% - attributed primarily to the evolution of the US dollar and Argetine peso.
The company's Creative and Media divisions posted strong performances, with most geographical areas showing strong organic growth in net revenue compared to H1 2023 (+3.8% in Europe, +0.5% in Asia-Pacific, and +8.8% in Latin America). However, North America saw a decrease in net revenues by 6.4%.
Havas' EBITA for H1 2024 rose to €125 million, a 6.0% increase, due to continued cost base optimisation. The company also announced the launch of its new strategic plan, 'Converged', on June 18, 2024. The 'Converged' plan includes a new group-wide operating system, €400 million investments in data, tech and AI over the next four years, and a strengthened customer-centric approach.
Since January 2024, Havas has integrated four new agencies: Ledger Bennett, Wilderness, Ted Consulting, and Liquid. At the Cannes Lions, 12 Havas agencies won 25 awards, including 3 Gold, 10 Silver, and 12 Bronze. Jacques Séguéla, Havas' creative consultant, received the Lion of St. Mark lifetime achievement award at the Cannes Lions. The World Advertising Research Center (WARC) recognised BETC as the most creative agency in the world.