Havas unites UK agencies into media group

Havas is launching Havas Media in the UK, in a move that will unite acquisitions including Arena BLM and experiential agency Cake with its existing agency brands. Media Planning Group managing partner Mark Craze will become chief executive of Havas Media UK.

The launch will also see Marc Mendoza – also a managing partner at MPG – become chief executive of the agency. Craze will head a group consisting of MPG, Havas Sports, Arena BLM, content and PR agency Cake, and digital and direct agency Archibald Ingall Stretton.

Havas says the new group will have media billings of £650m, but it will not pool the billings into one single media buying unit. It will instead use a trading model of line-by-line deals for its clients.

The new group aims to encourage more collaboration between the agencies and drive efficiencies across back office areas such as finance, IT and research.