Havas today announced the acquisition of Front Networks, an award-winning independent creative agency focusing on social and digital marketing in China.
Front Networks will integrate into the Havas Creative network.
“China has always been of strategic importance to us and I am thrilled to see we are keeping up the same drive and momentum in this market. China is evolving and diversifying at a rapid pace, presenting us with many opportunities for growth. By partnering with the best there is to offer in China, Havas Group will surely create more meaningful moments and value for all our clients, consumers, brands and communities. We are delighted to welcome Felix and the teams to the Havas Family,” Yannick Bolloré (Chairman and CEO Havas Group) explains.
As it is usual in Havas Group, the company keeps on expanding through mergers and acquisitions. The purchase of Front Networks in China follows that of Tinkle in Spain, MedEd in France, Inviqa in UK and Frontier Australia in Australia. All of these operations have been carried out from january to March this same year.
Front Networks currently has two offices in Beijing and Shanghai, providing a full range of digital marketing services, with a team of more than 200 people.
Established in 2004 by Felix Teng, the agency has always been at the forefront of digital evolution in China and is trusted by more than 200 international clients across sectors such as automotive, finance, sports, software, home appliances, personal electronics, artificial intelligence and more, including BMW, Rolls-Royce, Vivo, Microsoft, Columbia, Casarte, Bank of China, Nestlé etc.
Front Networks were awarded the 2020 IAI International Advertising Marketing / Publicity Gold Award, the 2016 TMA Creative Gold Award, and the Golden Mouse Social Marketing Gold Award in 2014.
Karl Wu, Chairman and CEO of Havas Group Greater China, explained: “In the 20 years since its formation, Front Networks has proven its business strength, agility and adaptability during China’s digital emergence and evolution. Amid the arrival of the metaverse, bringing Front Networks on board is an important strategic step to further enrich our digital solutions for our clients in China. Under our one Havas Village roof, we will together continue our mission to create meangingful differences for brands, businesses and people.”
Felix Teng, Founder and CEO at Front Networks, said: “We pride ourselves in having been recognised by Havas, the industry leader in integration and entrepreneurship. With the Group’s resources and empowering tools, we will be able to broaden our horizon, extend our solutions and add scale to the depth of our services. Their philosophy is very exciting and we are looking forward to doing more meaningful things together.”
Teng is one of the many Chinese people who after finishing their studies in France go back to the PRC to apply new ideas related to the Frenchway of life.
Felix Teng arrived in France in 1995 at the age of 15. He began his studies in France at the Collège Notre Dame du Bel-Air in Montfort l’Amaury, where he learned to speak French. Then at the Lycée Notre Dame de la Providence in Vincennes, after which he entered an engineering school in Paris (ESIEA).
Back in Beijing he established in 2004 Front Networks, but he regularly returns to France to immerse himself in the French way of life in order to find new ideas to serve Front Networks’ clients and to further develop the cultural and commercial exchange between the two countries.
