Harman International, owner of JBL, has appointed Havas Group as its global agency of record across all its brands and territories. The cross-market, cross-discipline scope covers integrated marketing solutions across Harman’s businesses and brands, including the consumer lifestyle brand JBL, the home audio systems brand, Harman Kardon, and Harman’s B2B products, services and technology solutions for automakers and enterprise customers globally.
 
Havas Group will deliver global solutions that bring together brand strategy, creative, content, media and production as well as selective support in social media and influencer marketing. The highly competitive pitch ran from July 2022 and involved competition from every major holding company. 
 
The Havas global account team will work across regional hubs for the Americas, Europe, and Asia as well as through dedicated teams in key markets. 
 
Havas Group will apply its proven integrated Village approach to Harman, delivering a globally aligned strategy across markets and disciplines, while still retaining local market relevance and agility. The Havas Group’s ability to deliver end-to-end production services, a data-led experience and a media solution, as well as holistic planning and performance across channels, were key considerations in their selection. Havas´ mandate especially includes bringing the JBL brand to the next level of consumer activation.
 
Harman International vice president of brand strategy and consumer insights, John Livanos, stated, “Harman’s marketing team is strengthening our operational model and building upon the foundational principles of insights, automation, integration, measurement, and accountability that will unlock exponential business growth. Havas will be a central partner in this growth journey. We’re excited to build the solutions we need together and know that Havas are as invested in our success as we are.”
 
Havas Group chairman and chief executive officer, Yannick Bollore, added, “We’re thrilled to start this new and exciting partnership with Harman. At Havas, we combine agility and global reach, making us a brilliant option for a growth business like HARMAN with huge ambition. It’s our collaborative spirit brought to life and a great opportunity for us to deliver meaningful growth together.”