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Just last year, Havas Middle East announced the rebranding of its PR arm as Red Havas Middle East, a transformation that signaled the agency’s entry into Red Havas’ global micro-network of Merged Media agencies, enabling it to broaden its offerings in communication while redefining PR and its value for clients. Today, with the launch of Red Impact (in September 2022), Red Havas has refreshed its approach to purpose-driven communications. This latest corporate practice brings to the region its environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) expertise from across the globe, building on Havas’ long history of exploring how meaningful brands can have a tangible positive impact on people’s lives.
ArabAd talked to James Wright, global CEO of Red Havas and global chairman of Havas PR Global Collective, as well Oliver El Obeid, HR director of Havas Middle East, about the launch of Red Impact and wellbeing in ESG.
How does Red Impact fit into Red Havas? Is it a standalone agency or simply an offering within Red Havas?
James Wright: Red Impact is a new offering from Red Havas. We are bringing together our global experts who are counselling and supporting clients on ESG and related cause issues so they can better share best practices, knowledge and experience. This new team will also be tasked with training our teams across different markets, sharing trends that are shaping the landscape and producing thought-leadership on our thinking on the space and where it is going.
Red Impact’s focus is environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). Why have you decided to launch such an offering now? Are you arriving late to the ESG party?
J.W.: We have been in the ESG space for decades, working with organizations ranging from the U.N., UNICEF, Team Rubicon, World Green Economy, WWF and Project HOPE to brands like Toyota, Manpower, L’Oreal and the life science business of Merck KGaA, as well as advising government departments. We are formalizing the offer to maximize our collective skills, knowledge and experience of our global teams. This newly launched practice is the result of increasing demand for global approaches to purpose-driven strategic communications as society and communities demand and expect more responsible business practices.
You state that a company’s larger purpose should be to make a positive difference in the world. How will you be helping companies to achieve this?
J.W.: We believe that a company that has a purpose beyond simple profit will be better positioned to be successful overall. Companies that define a purpose for their existence and then do the hard work of aligning their strategies and operations to that purpose stand to gain things such as greater innovation, better collaboration, more engaged employees, more loyal customers and better financial performance.
“We need to be constantly learning from [our teams] and evolving our approaches as needed, so that we can attract and retain the very best talent our industry has to offer.”--James Wright
How does all of the above tie into Red Havas’ wider commitment to employee wellbeing?
J.W.: Expectations from employees have shifted markedly during the pandemic. Where and how they work, flexible working, changed benefits and support, ensuring our people feel safe and that they can be their authentic selves at work, recognizing the importance of emotional wellbeing and mental health. Being able to see their values reflected in the businesses and organizations they work for to forge a belonging. As an agency, we have undertaken some very significant changes in how we operate and support our teams. We need to be constantly learning from them and evolving our approaches as needed, so that we can attract and retain the very best talent our industry has to offer.
A company’s larger purpose should be to make a positive difference in the world. How will you be helping companies to achieve this on a regional (Middle East) level?
Oliver El Obeid: Marketing and advertising are becoming more of an environment-driven industry. In that context, employee wellbeing emerges as a key issue for the “S” in ESG as companies start realizing that stress in our fast-paced industry poses an operational threat to their businesses.
We understood early on that a high-intensity work environment is a key business risk, with conditions such as overwhelming stress being a key factor when it comes to performance and output; the mental and physical health of employees affects delivery, which in turn affects our clients’ business.
“When people feel better and healthier, they work in harmony together, be it as a team or with their clients, and deliver stronger, more consistency work.”--Oliver El Obeid
Today, employee wellbeing has expanded beyond physical wellbeing to focus on building a culture of holistic wellbeing. Could you tell us more about what you are offering your employees today?
O.O.: In alignment with the global Havas initiatives, and based on our recent satisfaction surveys through which we listened to our people, we successfully implemented employee wellbeing initiatives to create a healthier work culture. We had started to adapt some flexibility before the pandemic to address work-life balance and tackle potential burnout, and the hybrid model is now a permanent practice within our group.
We also have a work-from-abroad option designed to support our employees who wish to spend more time with their families back home. Our working week changed to 4.5 days, in line with our plan to prioritize welfare. We encourage learning opportunities heavily, with global programs such as Havas Emerge, NextGen and Havas University among others, allowing employees to develop their skills further on various levels.
We are known for our “Togetherness” culture: Getting people closer through team buildings, social gatherings and other activities has proven quite beneficial. We also constantly strive to get closer to our clients as it enables us to find the best ways to collaborate in an industry that moves at warp speed and is known for being hectic with a notably high turnover. As such, all our initiatives are designed to ensure we continue to attract, develop and retain the highest quality talents who work passionately for our partners. Lower turnover ensures employees are fully focused on their clients and know their brands better.
In fact, when people feel better and healthier, they work in harmony together, be it as a team or with their clients, and deliver stronger, more consistency work. We believe the “social” part of ESG is good for human beings as much as business, which is why our mission is to create a meaningful difference for our teams first, and thus to the brands, businesses and people we work with.
