Havas Group acquires experiential agency Shobiz in India

Havas Group has acquired experiential agency Shobiz in India, marking it as the third acquisition in India in 2019. Havas first acquired design consultancy Think Design in May, followed by digital marketing agency Langoor in September.

Headquartered in Mumbai, Shobiz is a multi-disciplinary experiential communications agency, offering an integrated service spectrum from concept to commissioning and final reporting. Shobiz currently has over 300 professionals across its five offices in India, and the agency is known for strategic planning, communication and content design, creative, graphic and architectural design, audience acquisition, production and logistics. Shobiz will continue to be led by its chief executive officer Sameer Tobaccowala, who will report to Vishnu Mohan, chairman and CEO, Havas Group India and Southeast Asia.

According to Mohan, the acquisition of Shobiz will further strengthen the breadth of Havas' multi-disciplinary Village model of working and bring on board a different kind of creative skills set. He said that experiential marketing is a critical component of an integrated approach to brand building as consumers are demanding personalised and meaningful interactions across all touchpoints.

"Shobiz’s transformation from a leading production house to be one of the country’s leading experiential communications agency is impressive and I am delighted to welcome Tobaccowala and his entire team to the Havas family,” he added.

Tobaccowala said Havas Group’s integrated approach to brand building coupled with its entrepreneurial spirit resonated with the Shobiz team. "We are confident that this collaboration will unlock unprecedented growth opportunities for us and forge stronger consumer connections that foster trust, loyalty and business results. We are thrilled to be a part of Havas and look forward to a meaningful journey ahead, together,” he added.

Meanwhile, Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO Havas Group  said that India has increasingly become a priority for Havas, and even more over the past 12 months. "With the acquisition of Shobiz we have delivered on our ambitious growth plan to triple our footprint in India. Shobiz’s talented teams are renowned for their solid track record and their excellence in the planning and flawless execution of complex events. After strengthening our local digital and service design capabilities with the acquisitions of Think Design and Langoor, we can now significantly boost our activation and experiential offer on the rapidly growing events market in India. Shobiz is a precious addition to Havas and I welcome them warmly,” he said.