Havas in global deal to boost clients' ecommerce efforts

Marketing services giant Havas has signed a global deal with cloud-based ecommerce software company Mirakl in a move which it claims will create “the most powerful independent retail media network” for brands and retailers, alike.

The partnership will give Havas clients access to Mirakl’s AI-powered ad technology to help them launch and build their own marketplaces.

It is claimed that retail media allows retailers to monetise the 97% of website visitors that do not convert to sales – unlocking a new source of revenue and profitability that is expected to reach a value of over $160bn globally by 2027, according to GroupM forecasts.

The deal is designed to give Mirakl and Havas clients the tools to take advantage of this highly profitable opportunity by uniting Mirakl’s tech suite of solutions with Havas’ full-service ecommerce offering, Havas Market.

Mirakl Ads is claimed to be the only retail-first, marketplace-ready advertising solution also optimised for ecommerce. It brings together AI-powered technology with an international network of fully integrated clients and sellers, representing nearly 1.3 billion monthly website visits across Mirakl’s top 200 clients alone.

The two firms maintain that the new platform will allow retailers to monetise their audiences and empower brands to optimise their digital advertising spend on ecommerce websites without compromising their data.

By natively embedding this new solution in the Mirakl suite, 400+ companies around the world will have access to Mirakl Ads in all formats – from banners to sponsored search – that have been designed to create engaging, enhanced experiences for customers.

In addition, brands supported by Havas Market will have seamless and dedicated access to the 400+ marketplaces powered by Mirakl through Mirakl Connect. In turn, Mirakl will be a partner of choice for Havas in helping to launch and grow marketplaces among its network of clients through a joint offer.

Since 2012, Mirakl has been powering the platforms of more than 400 of the most trusted B2B and B2C companies, generating over $6bn in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2022. With an ecosystem of 65,000 third-party sellers, Mirakl supports market leaders across all sectors, including B&Q, Macy’s, Leroy Merlin, Auchan, Catch, Decathlon, Madewell, NBCUniversal and Galeries Lafayette, to launch, operate and grow their platforms in more than 40 countries.

Since launching in 2020, full-service ecommerce offering Havas Market has grown to over 200 ecommerce consultants and 500+ retail media staff, servicing a vast range of industries across more than 23 countries. The offering saw triple-digit growth in new business in the first half of 2023, with new appointments and projects for 80+ brands, entering new markets including Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Sweden, and Hong Kong.

Havas chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré said: “With Havas Market we’re committed to taking a holistic, customer-centric view of our clients’ businesses to find the best solutions to create meaningful shopping experiences for consumers and drive incremental revenue for brands across all sales channels.

“Enabling our clients’ retail transformation requires partnering with the leading providers in the industry, and with Mirakl we’re building a truly synergistic offering that will deliver growth for both our clients and our organisations.”