Havas Media SG ramps up performance offering inking strategic agency alliance

Havas Media Singapore has partnered with regional digital advertising company First Page Digital to ramp up its performance marketing offerings, focusing its capabilities on search engine optimisation (SEO). 

Through the strategic alliance, Havas Media and its appointed clients will receive exclusive SEO services from the company. According to the company, the strategic alliance will enable Havas Media clients to have stronger understanding of audience behaviours in search and content preferences, "leading to more evidence-based actions and optimal outcomes in organic and paid targeting".

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a spokesperson from Havas Media said that First Page Digital was picked as a partner as it is one of the fastest growing and highly acclaimed SEO agencies in Singapore with a regional footprint that gives Havas Media Singapore the right scalable capabilities and energy it looks for.  "Having had a number of positive collaborations and interactions while working together on mutual clients, it sparked the intent to come together as we bring together great synergy and collective benefits in performance optimisation for our clients. Beyond having just a strong paid media strategy, brands need to continuously invest in strengthening their owned channels to complete the ecosystem and consumer experience," the spokesperson added. The spokesperson also said that the key intent of the partnership is to "single-mindedly focus on delivering stronger performance solutions" for its clients across paid and owned channels while delivering its Media Experience proposition.

“Havas Media Group’s proprietary planning approach of delivering Media Experiences (MX) means we bring together integrated and data-driven solutions across paid, owned , earned and shared channels in delivering towards a new currency of media measurement.  With our data, technology, paid media, content, social and PR coming together with First Page Digital’s SEO prowess, we bring together a perfect union of the best capabilities in the industry to ensure brands win in championing consumer’s media experiences across all touchpoints," Jacqui Lim, CEO of Havas Media Group and chief integration officer of Havas Group, Singapore, said.

"Our clients now have more control, more breadth and more depth to their online marketing efforts be it paid or organic. This strategic partnership with First Page Digital, will be a win-win and big step forward in delivering best-in-class solutions for our mutual clients,” she added.

“We believe that this partnership will only benefit our mutual clients in a data driven approach. Together, working as one team, we will unlock the full potential of our clients’ digital efforts and place our clients on the best path for success in the current digital landscape,” Shane Liuw, general manager of First Page Digital, said.

The Havas Group has made monumental strides this year to strengthen its offerings. Most notably, to grow its creative firepower the group acquired Singapore-born independent agency BLKJ to create BLKJ Havas.  BLKJ was founded four years ago by former DDB talent Rowena Bhagchandani, and creative partners Khalid Osman, Lester Lee, and Joji Jacob. This partnership is also said to give BLKJ access to the Group’s partnerships with culturally influential companies such as Universal Music, Gameloft, and Canal+.

In a conversation earlier this year with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Havas CEO Yannick Bollore (pictured) said  Singapore is a key focus for the company to build upon. Bollore added that over the past 25 years, Singapore has remained a key market for the Havas brand in Asia, and while the nation’s hub-like status might have once faced off with competitor Hong Kong, he believes Singapore will steadfastly remain a key market for any global organisation breaking into Asia.

Related articles:
Havas Media Group appoints Francis Coady as CMO
Havas Group Indonesia bolsters strategy team
Havas Media Group names Nick Kavanagh head of integrated strategy and planning