LONDON, UK – Advertising and communications group Havas Creative has promoted its UK and European strategy head Mark Sinnock to the newly created role of Global Chief Strategy Officer. He will continue to report into Global CEO Chris Hirst and be based out of Havas’ UK Village in London’s King’s Cross.
Sinnock, who joined Havas in 2015, assumes overall strategic responsibility and direction for all Havas Creative agencies globally, across its 67 integrated Villages, in addition to his existing UK Village remit. Specifically, he has been tasked with driving further integration of its dedicated customer experience network, Havas CX, which launched in October 2020.
Havas CX comprises more than 1200 specialists – spanning digital transformation, eCommerce, customer experience design and customer acquisition and engagement – from 20 of Havas’ global agency groups and local agencies, plus additional CX specialists from across the network. It operates under a common structure, governance, methodology and mission: to deliver meaningful brand experiences across the entire customer journey.
As part of his expanded remit, Sinnock will be responsible for further assimilating the network right into the heart of Havas Creative’s core proposition. This approach will combine customer experience-led thinking with Havas’ wider Meaningful Brands methodology, which asserts that brands which contribute meaningfully to people’s lives are rewarded with stronger attachment, deeper connections, greater trust and ultimately a greater share of wallet.
Sinnock says: “The beauty of Havas CX is that it was born inside Havas Creative, which has given us the ability to look at the total customer experience across the spectrum from brand communications through to engagement and loyalty. We see it as a comprehensive and less siloed perspective than a standalone agency or network. That said, there’s more we can do to embed customer experience-centric thinking into everything we do across Havas Creative – every agency, every brief, every business challenge. The past 12 months has proven that CX is the foundation on which brands can build more meaningful relationships that drive business performance. That’s why we’re making a conscious effort to put it at the very heart of our approach across the board.”
Chris Hirst, Global CEO, Havas Creative, adds: “Since joining Havas six years ago, Mark has been fundamental in developing both our own strategic vision and the strategic counsel we provide our clients. Over the past year, he’s also played a key role in the creation and implementation of Havas CX – which since launch has proven one of the fastest growing parts of our business, including totemic wins such as Volkswagen Group and Aesop. There is no-one better placed to drive modern, experience-led thinking even further into our core business – which, in 2021, is no longer a ‘nice to have’, but a necessity for every agency in our industry.”
Sinnock joined Havas in 2015. He has previously held Group CSO roles at Fallon, Ogilvy in Asia, and M&C Saatchi, as well as spending time client-side as Marketing Director at Asda.
