The Bugg Report recently had the chance to meet with Francis Coady, General Manager (GM) of HAVAS Sports and Entertainment (HS&E), to have a chat about his new role and what the focus will be for HS&E in the Sports & Entertainment business.
For those who are not familiar can you give a brief overview of the HAVAS business?
HAVAS is a full service agency group comprising of HAVAS Media, HAVAS creative division, Red Agency (PR), Red Guerrilla (Experiential Agency) and HAVAS Sports & Entertainment.
The HS&E division of the business has now been announced; as GM what will your role be for the business in launching this new venture into the Sports & Entertainment market?
My role is to work with our existing client base across the HAVAS Village, and help them unlock powerful partnerships in sport and entertainment that truly connect with the passion of consumers. HSE are also about to announce a couple of great clients wins which is exciting for the growth of the division.
In terms of brands and clients, what type of work will HS&E be doing in the Sports & Entertainment space?
We have just finished working with LG on a major Hollywood Film partnership and are currently working with another major studio with a coffee client. We are working with a major health insurance client across three large scale sporting properties over the next 12 months.
The Sports & Entertainment business is huge on both a local and global scale; what will your focus be in terms of the clients you currently work with and will aim to work with as the business develops?
Sport is a huge focus for HSE. We are already working with a brand new client, that will be announced soon, that is heavily active in sporting partnerships across AFL and Cricket. We will also be working with a global sporting organisation on their sponsorship portfolio as it announces a big Australian event in 2017.
As the world moves on and technology is changing the way we market products & services and interact with each other, what do you see as important factors in the marketing and advertising campaigns of global Sports & Entertainment brands?
Technology is just a platform and the reality is that these platforms don’t exist without powerful and compelling narratives being developed on behalf of the brands that agencies work with. The word content has been over used but it is simple reality that if you don’t have a story to tell you can’t take your consumer on a journey.
For those wishing to work with you and the HS&E business; how can people get in touch with you and will you be speaking at any events in the remainder of 2016?
We are building the division rapidly and are always on the look out for wonderful talent. You can reach out to the HAVAS HR team in Sydney and send your CV in. Also, I am hosting a panel on November 10th at the Mumbrella Entertainment Summit in Sydney at the Chauvel Cinema. I will be joined by the global head of partnerships for Universal Music Olivier Robert-Murphy, the local head of partnership at 20th Century Fox Kate Nicholls, and the Commercial Director of Shine Endamol Scott Howard. We will be talking about the power of film, music and TV and partnering with brands.
