Inside the agency: Havas heads to King’s Cross in London
Until this month, Havas’ 1,700 U.K.-based employees had been scattered across seven London locations. But now they have no excuse to avoid grabbing that coffee.
The group’s newly built European headquarters, HKX, opened at King’s Cross in February to unite its 24 U.K. agencies, including Havas Media and Havas London, under one roof. Four years in the making, the new space is No. 47 of the 50 so-called villages Havas is building before 2017 is over.
“It was very hard for people to understand how we are structured,” explained Yannick Bolloré, Havas CEO, at the HKX launch party last Thursday. “Now we are open for everybody.”
Across 10 floors, the agency’s divisions now bleed into one another, with different disciplines hot-desking on each floor. Apart from the private meeting spaces and staff lockers, everywhere on its 10 floors is up for grabs.
Chris Hirst, chairman and CEO of Havas UK, explained the building is designed with the “collision of people and ideas” in mind. “The more we interact with each other in communal, inspiring spaces, the more likely it is that solutions that cross boundaries will appear for the benefit of our clients,” he said.
In fact, architect MCM’s design for the building makes it impossible to go up more than two flights of stairs at a time: Traffic is forced through its break-out spaces and out the other side.
Elsewhere, there’s an emphasis on the staff’s ease of use. For instance, the Amazon delivery lockers or the new subsidized canteen serving food and coffee from Bermondsey jaunt Hej.
Outside, Havas is in good company. The area surrounding King’s Cross Station is also home to Google, Guardian Media Group and art school Central Saint Martins. “We’re at the intersection of the best of technology and the best of creativity,” explained Bolloré. Handily for the French group, there’s also the Eurostar terminal, which reaches Paris in under three hours. Some of the team have nicknamed the underwater train route their second office.
And like many other agencies, Havas is on a consolidation drive. Following its most recent restructuring, the agency’s creative and media groups no longer exist. Now, they are business units under the Havas P&L. Essentially, it wants to be a one-stop shop that’s all things to all people.
“Eighteen months ago, we pitched for Sears. The CMO told me they were partnered with 80 different agencies,” said Bolloré. “His predecessor had hired people just to handle those relationships.”
With the new office, Havas is betting on the fact that U.K. clients will want simplicity, scale and, perhaps, good company too.
More in Marketing
What TikTok’s e-commerce launch could mean for marketers and content creators
TikTok has officially launched its new e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, earlier this month on August 1. Using the new e-commerce platform, brands and creators can sell products directly on the platform, potentially creating new revenue streams, and tap into the short-form video platform’s growing popularity.
‘The influencer industry can be really vile’: Confessions of an influencer marketer on the industry’s unfair hiring practices
While the influencer industry might sound exciting and like it’s full of opportunities, one marketer can vouch for the horrific scenarios that still take place behind the scenes.
Digiday+ Research: Marketers said revenue grew in the last year, with more growth expected ahead
After a tumultuous 12 months, marketers are getting a clear picture of how they really did during a time of true uncertainty. And, as it turns out, it wasn’t all that bad.
Ad position: web_bfu