Ahead of potential IPO, Havas plans to invest €400mn on AI
Media reports say Havas will spend the additional money on a mix of organic investments and acquisitions
Havas will invest €400mn in Artificial Intelligence and data-led initiatives in the next four years, Yannick Bolloré, chief executive of Havas has reportedly said.
Bolloré said this at the ongoing Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
According to a media report, Bolloré said Havas will spend the additional money on a mix of organic investments and acquisitions and it is equivalent to €100m a year – up from €60m previously, as Havas spent about €600m over the past decade.
Havas’ strategy to upgrade its AI facility comes ahead of its split from parent company Vivendi. Vivendi is currently preparing for a potential stock market flotation of the agency group as a separate business.
The company has also announced that it plans to roll out a group-wide operating system to drive further integration between its agencies. The group operating system is based on an existing media planning system, called Converged, which has been developed by Havas Media since 2020.
It will now be rolled out across the group’s agencies – including Havas Creative and Havas Health.
