Agency Reports Strong First-Quarter Performance Bolstered by AI Investments and U.S. Expansion
Havas Achieves Solid Growth and Improved Profitability with AI-Driven Transformation
Havas, the global advertising and communications group, is seeing significant benefits from its AI-driven transformation, as evidenced by its solid organic growth and improved profitability in the first half of 2025.
The company's €400 million AI investment strategy, Converged.AI, launched a year ago, is proving to be a game-changer. This fully AI-enabled operating system integrates artificial intelligence across Havas' entire value chain, from targeting and analytics to creative production and personalization.
In the financial realm, Havas achieved a 2.3% organic growth in net revenue, reaching €1.35 billion, with an adjusted EBIT up 8.3% year-over-year to €144 million and an improved EBIT margin of 10.7% (up 50 basis points). The growth was particularly strong in North America (3.9%) and emerging markets like India, contributing positively amid broader regional challenges.
CEO Yannick Bolloré attributed these results to commercial momentum, operational efficiency, and Havas' deepening integration of artificial intelligence across the business, underscoring the firm's transformation to an AI-driven, human-fueled organization.
Operationally, Havas has successfully deployed a full suite of AI tools under Converged.AI, including recent rollouts like Vermeer, an AI video production platform, designed to support faster, more adaptive, client-centric solutions. The company is now focusing on scaling a human-led agentic ecosystem where AI agents augment human expertise for enhanced creativity and efficiency.
Havas reaffirmed its commitment to the €400 million AI investment, aiming for continued growth with full-year 2025 organic growth guidance above 2% and targeting EBIT margins between 12.5% and 13.5%, with aspirations to reach 14%-15% by 2028.
Notably, the agency's personnel costs increased by 1.6% year over year, while the adjusted EBIT margin rose to 10.7% in H1 2025. North America was the leading market for Havas, with an organic growth of 3.9% for the half.
Havas has become an independent, publicly traded company following its spin-off from Vivendi in December 2024. The company has also secured key new business wins, including Olive Garden, Azid, and Under Armour. Havas continues to see growth with existing clients such as Sanofi and GSK.
In summary, Converged.AI is a cornerstone of Havas’ transformation, yielding tangible benefits in revenue growth, margin improvement, market expansion, and operational innovation across 2025. The AI strategy under Converged.AI is central to Havas’ global transformation and its plans to spin off from Vivendi and potentially return to public ownership.
[1] Havas Group. (2025). Havas Group achieves strong H1 2025 results, driven by AI-powered transformation. [Press release]
[2] Holmes, S. (2025). Havas' AI bet pays off as it reports strong H1 results. Campaign.
[3] Sambrook, S. (2025). Havas Group reports strong growth as AI strategy pays off. The Drum.
- Havas Group's AI investment strategy, Converged.AI, is generating tangible growth in revenue, as the company recorded a 2.3% organic growth in net revenue, reaching €1.35 billion, thanks to the integration of artificial intelligence across its value chain.
- The momentum of Havas Group's AI-driven transformation is not limited to financial growth, as the company also focuses on scaling a human-led agentic ecosystem where AI agents augment human expertise, fostering enhanced creativity and efficiency.
