Havas Touts AI-First Strategy as North America Q2 Revenue Jumps 6.4%

Havas Sees Earnings Lift from AI and North America

Havas posted second-quarter net revenue of €724 million ($824 million), a 3.8% increase year over year, as the French holding company’s “AI-first” identity began to show tangible returns in its most important markets. Organic growth was 2.5%, flat compared with the first quarter, but the company pointed to a bright spot: North America, where organic net revenue grew 6.4% in Q2 and 6.9% for the first half—well ahead of many rival agency groups.

CEO Yannick Bolloré, who declared Havas an AI-first company in 2023 despite widespread industry warnings that generative AI could make agencies obsolete, told investors that fears of the sector’s demise were fading. He credited the company’s proprietary Converged.AI operating system with boosting client retention and said the group had made “all the right decisions” regarding its AI investments.

The North American outperformance—a market where other holdcos have faced headwinds—was also underpinned by the Horizon Global joint venture with Horizon Media, which gave Havas an additional foothold in the region, and by the recent win of Farmer’s Insurance as media agency of record. Horizon Global later added Skechers to its roster, a multinational client that would rank among Havas’ 20 largest. Creative firepower came from Uncommon Creative Studio, the London agency in which Havas took a 51% stake in 2023; its New York outpost is already attracting business.

Havas further signalled expansion, acquiring eight small companies—four in sports marketing—as part of a push into that sector and as a member of the Cadence consortium that will organise the next four Paris marathons. For the second half, the group maintained its full-year forecast of 2% to 3% organic revenue growth, even while assuming no resolution to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the Iran conflict.

How Havas' Bet on AI and Partnerships Delivered Growth Where Rivals Struggled

The Converged.AI payoff

Havas’ AI-first repositioning was initially met with scepticism, but Bolloré’s claim that it is now paying dividends in client retention is a concrete signal. Proprietary AI platforms can lock in clients by offering insights and efficiencies that are hard to replicate quickly. For a mid-sized holdco, building a tech-enabled ecosystem is a way to compete on capabilities rather than on the scale of buying power alone—a point Bolloré underscored by stating that “scale alone is not a guarantee of competitive advantage.” The question is whether Converged.AI can keep delivering as larger rivals develop their own AI suites; the first-mover benefit may be temporary.

The North American blueprint: joint venture and client wins

The 6.9% organic growth in North America stands out at a time when several peers have reported flat or declining revenues in the region. The Horizon Global joint venture gave Havas an immediate media-buying presence it lacked, and winning Farmer’s Insurance was a major credential. Skechers, landed in July, will add to the top line from the second half. This partnership model, bolstered by Uncommon Creative Studio’s ability to pitch and win business in New York, suggests Havas is assembling a network of specialist assets rather than a monolithic agency brand, which aligns with the CEO’s call for more integrated, agile offerings that deliver “measurable business outcomes.”

Acquisitions and the sports play

The purchase of four sports-marketing firms and involvement in the Paris marathon series indicate Havas sees sport sponsorship as a growth corridor. These are small tuck-in acquisitions—all under 100 employees—so they carry low integration risk, but they also may not move the revenue needle quickly. The strategy appears to be about deepening capabilities for clients that want to combine media, creative, and experiential marketing, further differentiating Havas from competitors that are still organised in separate silos.

Geopolitical risk and the guidance

Bolloré was unusually upfront that the company’s second-half guidance assumes no change in the Middle East. That candour is helpful for investors, but it also means that any escalation could threaten the outlook, particularly if large client budgets are deferred. For now, the assumption seems reasonable, but it is a reminder that even a well-executed AI strategy can be overshadowed by external shocks.

What Havas' Quarterly Results Mean for Investors, Clients, and Competitors

For Havas investors: North American momentum is clear, but note that the 6.4% Q2 growth followed a dip of 1% from Q1. The trajectory will depend on converting the Skechers win and any further Horizon Global clients. Watch Q3 revenue and organic growth figures closely; if growth dips below the 2% to 3% guided range, the AI narrative will face scrutiny.

For competing agency groups: Havas’ success in North America comes from a combination of a joint venture and a buzzy creative agency, not from brute scale. Competitors that are struggling in the region may need to rethink their own partnership or acquisition strategies rather than relying on existing networks. The Converged.AI platform also raises the bar for client-facing AI tools, which could become a retention battleground.

For Havas clients and prospects: The AI-first pitch is backed by a named platform that is credited with improving retention, but clients should ask for concrete metrics—time saved, campaign performance improvements—before committing. The win at Farmer’s Insurance and Skechers shows Havas can land large accounts, but due diligence should include how much of the service model depends on the Horizon Global partnership, which is not wholly owned by Havas.

For the wider advertising workforce: The expansion into sports marketing and the growth of Uncommon Creative Studio in New York point to hiring opportunities in those areas. Havas’ headcount rose to 22,960 in June 2026, up slightly from a year earlier, suggesting the company is in a modest growth phase rather than a cost-cutting cycle.