Havas and the Publicis Groupe were the first of the big six to release their Q3 financial results and both the French holdcos saw their APAC growth outpacing the rest of the world.
Publicis, now generally accepted to be at atop the holdco pile by most metrics, reported that its organic revenue climbed from €3.423 billion to €3.529 billion (AU$6.12 billion to AU$6.31 billion) year-on-year, or 5.7 per cent globally.
Publicis’ Asia-Pacific arm grew 6.5 per cent from €307 to €316 million (AU$549 to AU$565 million).
Havas’ APAC and Africa arm grew a quite staggering 8.2 per cent increase in organic revenue growth year-on-year, following a 4.9 per cent decline year-on-year in Q2.
Globally, Havas grew 3.8 per cent, with a 7.4 per cent lift in North America offsetting a 4.6 per cent slide in Latin America and modest 1.9 per cent lift in European revenue.
As a result, both holdcos lifted their guidance for the rest of the year, Publicis to 5.5 per cent from 5 per cent and Havas to between 2.5-3 per cent compared to its previous 2 per cent.
Arthur Sadoun, Publicis’ chairman and CEO, was in a triumphant mood.
“With no slowdown in client demand, Q3 was another very strong quarter, ahead of expectations,” he said in a release.
“We are demonstrating that artificial intelligence at Publicis is not a future promise, it is a reality today that is driving our growth.
“Once again, we are showing our ability to win market share and position ourselves as a Category of One thanks to our unique AI-powered model.
“Looking ahead, we are now building for 2026, thanks to our unmatched new business track record, with net new billings for the first nine months of the year already reaching our 2024 total. As a result, we expect to outperform the industry once again next year, for the seventh year in a row.”
Yannick Bolloré, Havas’ chairman and CEO, praised his business’ “impressive commercial momentum”.
“Havas delivered a strong third quarter…with notable new business wins both during the period and more recently, establishing a strong foundation for the future,” he said.
“Our Converged.AI strategy continues to drive measurable impact, helping clients operationalise AI across their marketing ecosystems with greater precision and efficiency. The launch of Horizon Global, our new joint venture with Horizon Media, marks a major strategic milestone, combining our strengths in a seamless, AI-native solution tailored to US-centric global client opportunities and the evolving demands of modern marketers. We remain committed to our strategic objectives and focused on scaling innovation, creativity, and performance across all markets. I want to thank our teams for their dedication and our clients for the trust they place in us.”
