NEW YORK: Havas Advertising met the partners of newly acquired IR agency Abernathy MacGregor Group last week to hammer out a global expansion strategy.
NEW YORK: Havas Advertising met the partners of newly acquired IR agency Abernathy MacGregor Group last week to hammer out a global expansion strategy.
Havas Chairman and CEO Alain de Pouzilhac told PRWeek that he intends to create an IR network linking Abernathy with other financial communications agencies including Hudson Sandler in London and W & Cie in France.
De Pouzilhac said: 'We want to develop a network in six countries.' In addition to New York, London and Paris, Havas intends to acquire IR agencies in Frankfurt; Hong Kong and Tokyo to round out its offering.
Marketing services represents 60% of Havas' business and is set to increase with the aggressive purchase program.
Excluding Snyder Communications, the company claims to have made 31 acquisitions in 2000. In the PR sector, Havas bought hi-tech agency Middleberg & Associates and in September moved on Toronto-based marketing agency Vickers & Benson. This week the holding company announced that it will reveal a three-year plan before January 10, 2001.
Last week, Vivendi confirmed plans to sell its 11% stake in Havas which debuted at dollars 17 on the US Nasdaq market on September 27.
