Introduction
Vivendi is one of the best-known names in European media. When people search for “Vivendi advertising,” what they usually want is Havas, the agency group that was long part of Vivendi’s world. The two names are often mixed up, and the relationship between them changed recently. This article explains who Vivendi is, what Havas does, how the two separated, and how to decide whether a large agency is the right choice for your advertising.
Who Is Vivendi?
Vivendi is a French media and entertainment group with a long and varied history. Over the decades it has owned or held stakes in businesses across music, film, television, video games, publishing, telecommunications, and advertising. Its portfolio has changed a great deal through acquisitions, sales, and restructuring, so what “Vivendi” means today is very different from what it meant twenty years ago.
Vivendi is not an ad network. It does not sell ad space that you can buy from a dashboard. Its connection to advertising has always run through the agency and media businesses it controlled.
What Is Havas?
Havas is one of the largest advertising and communications groups in the world. Its roots go back to 1835, when Charles-Louis Havas founded a news agency in Paris, which makes it one of the oldest names in communications. Over time the business evolved into advertising and marketing services, and today Havas operates in dozens of countries with tens of thousands of employees.
The group is usually described as having three main areas: creative work, media planning and buying, and health and wellness communications. It promotes a “converged” approach, meaning creative, media, and data teams work together on one client plan rather than in separate silos.
What Happened Between Vivendi and Havas?
For years Havas was controlled through Vivendi’s structure. At the end of 2024, Vivendi carried out a split. Its major pieces became separate companies, including the pay-TV and streaming business Canal+ and the advertising group Havas, which began trading on its own stock listing. Vivendi retained other assets, such as its publishing interests.
The practical result is simple. If you want to hire an agency for a campaign, you deal with Havas directly. Vivendi is no longer the parent you would contact for advertising services. Anyone reading older articles that describe Havas as Vivendi’s advertising arm should treat that description as out of date.
What Havas Actually Offers
Havas is an agency group, not a network. You do not log in, upload an ad, and pay per click. Instead, you hire the agency and it delivers a range of services:
Creative development. Concepts, scripts, design, film production, and campaign ideas for television, digital, print, outdoor, and social media.
Media planning and buying. Deciding where your ads should appear, negotiating prices with media owners, and managing the purchase across TV, radio, outdoor, online video, social platforms, and search.
Brand strategy. Research, positioning, naming, and long-term planning for how a brand presents itself and what it stands for.
Data and digital services. Audience analysis, analytics, performance marketing, and technology to track results across channels.
Health communications. Marketing for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, which has strict regulatory rules and needs specialist knowledge.
Public relations and corporate communications. Managing reputation, press relations, events, and messaging during launches or crises.
Influencer and social media work. Planning campaigns with creators and running brand social channels.
How the Agency Model Differs From an Ad Network
Understanding this difference saves time and money.
With a self-serve network such as Google Ads or Meta Ads, you control everything. You set the budget, choose the audience, upload creative, and change settings any time. It is fast and cheap to begin, but you do the work yourself.
With an agency such as Havas, a team does the work for you. Strategists plan, creatives design, media buyers negotiate, and account managers coordinate. You get expertise and a smoother experience for complex projects, but you pay fees and move more slowly.
Agencies often use the networks too. A large agency may buy Google and Meta ads on behalf of a client, alongside television and outdoor placements. So the choice is often not agency versus network, but who operates the network on your behalf.
How Agencies Make Money
It helps to know the common fee structures before you approach a large agency.
Retainer fees. A fixed monthly payment for a defined amount of work, such as strategy and ongoing campaign management.
Project fees. A single price for a specific task, such as a brand launch or a video production.
Commissions. A percentage of the media budget the agency spends on your behalf. This model has become less common but still exists.
Performance-linked fees. Part of the payment depends on meeting targets such as sales or leads.
Ask for a clear breakdown, including how media buying is priced and whether the agency earns any margin on media purchases. Transparency here is a standard question for any large advertiser.
Strengths
Full-service capability. A large brand can hand over strategy, creative, and media buying in one relationship, which reduces coordination effort.
Global reach. International offices make it easier to run consistent campaigns across many countries while adapting to local culture and language.
Experience with major accounts. Large agencies have handled complex launches and have relationships with media owners that can improve pricing and placement.
Creative expertise. Experienced creative teams can produce work that a self-serve tool cannot, including television commercials and integrated brand campaigns.
Cross-channel planning. Coordinating TV, digital, outdoor, and social under one plan helps avoid wasted overlap and inconsistent messages.
Specialist knowledge. Areas such as healthcare marketing or regulated industries need expertise that in-house teams may not have.
Weaknesses
Cost. Agency fees and minimum budgets are far beyond what most small businesses can afford.
Less speed and control. Campaigns pass through account teams and approvals, which is slower than adjusting a Google Ads campaign yourself in minutes.
Not designed for beginners. A small business, freelancer, or individual creator will find little value here compared with self-serve platforms.
Transparency questions. Like many large agencies, clients should ask clear questions about fees, media buying practices, and reporting.
Possible conflicts and priorities. Big agencies serve many clients, and you may not always receive senior attention unless your account is large.
Changing structure. Since Havas is now independent and evolving, its services, leadership, and ownership may shift, so it is wise to verify current details before signing anything.
Who Should Consider It
A company with a substantial marketing budget, multiple products or countries, and a need for high-quality creative and coordinated media across many channels. Examples include consumer goods brands, automotive companies, banks, telecom firms, retailers, airlines, and pharmaceutical companies.
It is less suitable for a small online shop, a new startup with limited funds, or a local business that only needs a few social ads. Those advertisers are better served by platforms like Google Ads, Meta Ads, Mailchimp, or Spotify Ad Studio.
How to Choose Between an Agency and a Platform
Ask yourself four questions.
- What is my budget? If it is small, start with self-serve tools. Agencies are generally built for larger spending.
- Do I have in-house skills? If nobody on your team can produce creative or manage media, an agency fills the gap. If you have skilled staff, you may not need one.
- How complex is my campaign? Launching in five countries with TV and digital is complex. Promoting a local shop is not.
- How fast do I need to move? Platforms allow instant changes. Agencies take more time but bring more polish.
Many large advertisers use both: the agency plans and produces, while platforms deliver the ads.
Tips When Approaching a Large Agency
- Define your goals. Know whether you want awareness, sales, market entry, or a reputation repair. Vague goals produce vague campaigns.
- Set a realistic budget. Agencies work best when they know what you can spend.
- Ask for case studies. Look for work in your industry and region, and ask what results it produced.
- Meet the actual team. The people presenting the pitch are not always the people who will run your account.
- Clarify reporting. Agree on the metrics you will receive, how often, and in what format.
- Understand the fee model. Ask whether you pay retainers, commissions, or project fees, and what is included.
- Start with a defined project. A pilot campaign lets you test the relationship before committing to a long contract.
- Keep ownership clear. Make sure your contract explains who owns the creative work, data, and accounts.
A Simple Example
Imagine a national beverage brand launching a new drink in several countries. It needs a name, packaging concept, television commercial, social media campaign, influencer partnerships, and paid media across many platforms. An agency group like Havas can research each market, develop the creative idea, produce the film, adapt it for local languages, plan the media schedule, and report results in one coordinated program. A single small shop could not manage that alone, and a self-serve platform could not provide the creative strategy. This is the kind of job where the agency model earns its fees.
Conclusion
Vivendi remains an important name in European media, but the advertising power people associate with it now sits with Havas, which operates as an independent company. Havas is a full-service agency rather than a self-serve network, which makes it a strong choice for large brands with complex needs and an unsuitable one for small budgets. Knowing this difference helps you pick the right kind of partner. If you are just starting out, begin with accessible platforms. If your ambitions and budget grow, an agency can turn a good idea into a coordinated, professional campaign.