It’s time for marketing to prove its real value to brands, says Havas Media boss Affleck

“Next year, what marketing needs to do is prove, truly prove, its contribution back to the growth of any client organization,” he says. “Brands have invested significantly in new technologies, infrastructures and people over the past few years. Now, they need to justify those investments by demonstrating clear and measurable outcomes. This means marketers have to be more transparent in how we show value and more creative in how we leverage every tool at our disposal. It’s no longer just about building campaigns; it’s about connecting every marketing activity we can deliver to tangible business results.”

The way Affleck envisions this playing out is that client conversations will inevitably become much more value-driven, where the emphasis will be on leveraging data, technology and creative approaches to optimize every part of the customer journey, not just to attract attention, but to convert into a long-term engagement.

Before joining Havas Media Network in 2020, Affleck held various senior roles across the industry, spending almost 14 years at Dentsu. Starting out with Visium UK, Affleck’s career took him to the US, where he managed Visium’s US division. On his return to the UK, he was instrumental in bringing together four disparate brands under the Dentsu X umbrella, creating a cohesive and compelling agency proposition. His time at Dentsu not only deepened his understanding of digital media and integrated agency management but also gave him a taste for restructuring businesses to make them more adaptable and focused – skills he has since brought to his CEO role at Havas.

The business, Affleck says, is currently experiencing a resurgence in new business activity, something he believes is driven by the strategic diversification he has led in the business and evolving client needs. As the media landscape becomes increasingly complex, Havas has responded by expanding its capabilities through several targeted acquisitions and internal streamlining that has seen the creation of divisions Havas Media, e-commerce division Havas Market and sports and entertainment arm Havas Play.

Affleck’s approach to redefining his agency reflects a commitment to agility and responsiveness, making Havas a partner for global brands such as Kia, Starbucks, JBL, BBC, Ocado, SEGA, EE and Jaguar Land Rover, to name a view, with more, he hopes, in the pipeline.

“New business has been mental this year, in a good way. There’s been a lot of activity, and it’s been incredibly encouraging to see the level of engagement from both existing and potential clients. The opportunities coming in are varied and it’s clear that brands are looking for partners who are willing to adapt and grow alongside them. It’s a sign that we are doing something right, especially given the challenges of the past few years.”

This upsurge is driven not just by the return of confidence among brands but also by proactive initiatives that Havas has been implementing. Affleck highlights the importance of marketing events that the agency hosted, which have effectively showcased Havas’s diverse capabilities, attracting potential clients directly. In Affleck's view, it’s this combination of broadening the network’s offering and demonstrating value that has been key to bringing exciting new opportunities through the door.

During his tenure, Affleck has strategically been acquiring agencies that he feels align well with the business’s broader vision. In four years, Havas has made several acquisitions to extend its capabilities, particularly in areas where Affleck sees client demand growing the most. Notable among these are the acquisition of Google marketing partner agency Search Labs, Amazon consultancy Expert Edge and social media agency Wilderness, which was rolled into Havas Play alongside other earlier agency acquisitions Cake and Jump. Havas also bolstered its B2B capabilities, acquiring Ledger Bennett and DMPG, adding more digital data capability to the Havas MN offering.

“Our aim is to bring in businesses that add a distinct value and do not cannibalize what we already do,” explains Affleck. “We are very strategic in identifying gaps in our capabilities. It’s not just about growth for the sake of it. We want to ensure that every acquisition complements our existing ecosystem and elevates our offering. The goal is to create a seamless service landscape for our clients, where they feel that each new partner we bring in adds something essential and unique to what we can collectively offer.”

This approach is informed by a deep understanding of client challenges. Rather than investing in scale for its own sake, Havas has focused on developing new, specialized capabilities to meet evolving client needs. Whether it is investing in technology-oriented businesses such as DMPG, which helps clients maximize their tech investments, or building out social expertise via agencies such as Wilderness, the focus is on bringing in firms that can seamlessly integrate into Havas’s service offer.

The element that drives a lot of Affleck’s strategy is ensuring that current and future clients can easily access the capabilities they need across the Network, as he outlines: “Clients shouldn’t have to work hard to figure out how to get what they need from us. We’ve worked on aligning our various capabilities in a way that makes it seamless for clients to tap into specialized expertise without jumping through hoops. Whether it’s creative services, data strategy, or e-commerce, we want our clients to feel as if we are one cohesive unit that understands and meets their needs with minimal friction.”

Cultural development has also been a key focus for the entrepreneurial Affleck and he looks to introduce that same mindset across the agency by creating a culture where people feel able to take risks and innovate. “We talk about this idea of being ‘meaningfully daring,’ trying to get people to take more informed risks in pursuing better outcomes and solutions. It’s about fostering a culture where people feel safe to challenge the status quo and experiment with new ideas. Innovation doesn’t come from playing it safe and we want our teams to feel they have the freedom to explore unconventional solutions, provided they are grounded in strategic thinking and a genuine desire to achieve better results for our clients.”

Ultimately, Affleck’s leadership at Havas Media Network appears to be a careful balancing act – expanding the agency’s capabilities to meet new demands while simplifying the client experience and making the organization more agile and easier to navigate through. This clarity of purpose – with the client’s growth always as the guiding principle – has allowed Havas to evolve its model and position itself as a partner for brands battling to grow amid ever-changing consumer dynamics.

West Country-born and University of Manchester educated, Affleck himself remains realistic about the challenges ahead, particularly in demonstrating marketing’s role in business success: “The old agency model isn’t broken. We just need to constantly be evolving it. The fundamentals are still there. Clients need strategic guidance, creative thinking and executional excellence. But the way we deliver those services has to keep pace with the changing needs of the market. It’s about evolving our approach, ensuring that we’re always a step ahead and anticipating what’s coming next rather than simply reacting to it.”