Four Havas agencies have had their B Corp status revoked following an investigation by B Corp after the holding company won Shell’s B2B media account last year.
Havas London, Havas Lemz, Havas New York and Havas Immerse have all had their B Corp certification pulled. Other entities in the Havas group will not longer be eligible for the certification going forwards.
Several industry groups had lodged complaints with B Lab after Havas won Shell’s global B2B media account. At the time, Havas global CEO Yannick Bolloré defended the decision to pitch for the account telling Campaign that “we believe the most effective change comes from within” and that “as long as we are working on making things better, B Corp agrees that we can partner with those types of industries”.
Now, it would appear that B Lab has had a change of heart.
“While the Certified B Corps are not directly involved in providing services to the client, Havas’ structure and use of a common brand name across some of its agencies means that the entire group is ultimately required to earn certification, per B Lab rules; this places the group’s actions in scope for this investigation,” said B Lab in a statement.
“B Lab’s investigation followed our Public Complaint Process and resolved that suspension with remediation would be required for Havas to maintain certification. Havas has cooperated throughout B Lab’s investigation and accepts the ruling; however, they have resolved not to adopt the remediation actions required to maintain certification. Their agencies Havas London, Havas Lemz, Havas New York, and Havas Immerse are no longer Certified B Corps. Other entities in the Havas group are also ineligible to certify,” it added.
Havas has accepted that its agencies will no longer be B Corp certified. However, it provided a lengthy statement to Campaign.
“Havas has cooperated in good faith throughout B Lab’s investigation, while simultaneously preserving the integrity of confidential client information. Whilst the investigation recognises that our certified agencies (Havas London, New York, Lemz and Immerse) do not have a relationship with Shell, we accept the ruling and they will cease to be B Corp certified.
“Our level of commitment towards sustainability remains unchanged, as evidenced by Havas’ receipt of the Gold Medal by EcoVadis – the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings – earlier this month, the validation of our decarbonization trajectory by the Science-Based Targets Initiative in March 2023, and the deployment of the Havas Carbon Impact Calculator across all our agencies to promote eco-designed solutions.
“We are proud to support our clients in their transformation for the future and remain focused on progressing towards the highest levels of social and environmental performance, with more to come in the coming months and years.”
Havas Australia declined to comment on the story when reached by B&T.
However, the decision has been lauded by those in adland with a strong eye on the planet.
Nick Hunter, CEO and ECD of B Corp certified agency Paper Moose, told B&T that the decision was “great news”.
“This is great news for those of us who hold the B Corp Certification in high regard and take responsibility for its reputation. The quote from Bill Bernbach ‘A principle is only a principle until it costs you’ doesn’t quite ring true today, as having no principles has cost Havas.”
Natalie Dean Weymark, co-founder and director of fellow B Corp agency Compass Studio added:
“At Compass Studio, we are passionate about the potential of ethical business practices to bring about positive change. B Lab’s recent decision concerning Havas and its affiliates serves as a powerful reminder of the crucial need to align our actions with our values, particularly in today’s intricate business landscape. We applaud B Lab for its thorough investigation and dedication to upholding the fundamental principles of the B Corp community.
“As an impact communications agency, we fully understand the weight of our role in shaping narratives and influencing public opinion. This situation reinforces our industry’s responsibility to thoughtfully consider the impact of our work and the clients we choose to collaborate with, so we can ensure that making a positive contribution to people and the planet is always top of mind.”
Meanwhile, Belinda Noble, founder and president of advocacy group Comms Declare said Havas’ decision to pitch had been a “disaster” for the group.
“Taking Shell’s money has been a disaster for Havas, costing it clients, staff and its hard-won reputation,” she told B&T.
“It demonstrates that prioritising short-term profits from fossil fuel clients destroys long-term value for agencies.”
