Havas Malaysia CEO Nizwani Shahar
PETALING JAYA: Since helming Havas Malaysia as its chief executive officer (CEO) last year, Nizwani Shahar has drawn a game plan for the creative and digital agency to compete and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving creative landscape.
One of the initiatives is to strengthen the agency’s talent force.
In this regard, she told StarBiz the agency recognises the importance of nurturing diverse talent in an effort to drive Havas forward.
“This year, we’ve welcomed a cohort of strong female leaders across various divisions, including Wai Sim as general manager, Bowie Tiong as business director for Havas Creative and Shireen Ang as creative director, amongst others.
“We believe in the power of diversity and unique perspectives to deliver meaningful differences in our ideas and solutions.
“The decision to invest in top talent has paid off for Havas. We’ve won new clients and were awarded Top New Biz League in Malaysia by global independent marketing consultancy R3 Worldwide.
“In a recent global talent engagement survey by Havas, the Malaysia team scored the highest marks in South-East Asia, making it the most engaged team in the region – a wonderful turnaround story of staff engagement since chief creative officer Donevan Chew and I came onboard,” she added.
Nizwani said another key initiative which the agency has undertaken is the establishment of the Havas’ proprietary “Meaningful Brands Tool”, which provides invaluable insights into consumer sentiment across different categories, enabling Havas Malaysia to create campaigns that are meaningful.
Additionally, the agency has reinstated training programmes with leading platforms and media partners including TikTok, Meta and X, ensuring its teams are equipped with the latest innovations and consumer experiences.
Furthermore, she said Chew leads Havas’ Cerebral Spa sessions, fostering a culture of innovation and ideation grounded in meaningful and award-winning creative ideas from around the globe.
As for the agency’s competitive strength, Nizwani said its unique Village concept, driven by the agency’s One Havas approach, sets them apart.
Unlike larger multinational groups where competition among advertising and media agencies is stiff, she said Havas excels in integrated work.
“Our collaborative culture brings together all our business units, fostering ongoing cooperation within our Village model.
“We leverage the diverse expertise of our teams to craft innovative and impactful campaigns, giving us a competitive edge rooted in creativity, effectiveness and strong client relationships,” she noted.
Moreover, Nizwani said the effectiveness of the agency’s regional network, One Asia, enables Havas to leverage its collective strengths to seize emerging opportunities in a dynamic environment.
“This collaborative framework has enabled us to undertake meaningful work for esteemed clients like Reckitt and a few others,” she said.
To put things into perspective, Nizwani said Havas Malaysia has often been perceived solely as a media-focused agency.
However, she said this perception doesn’t accurately represent its diverse offerings.
In fact, she said the agency encompasses Havas Creative, Havas Life and C-Cube Studios.
Havas Creative does the strategic and creative heavy lifting of ideas, brand, social and digital marketing, she said, noting that Havas Life is its health and medicomm division, while C-Cube Studios is the agency’s content studio that does exceptional content adaptation and production at scale.
“At Havas Malaysia, our focus is on delivering creative solutions that not only capture attention but also drive tangible results for our clients.
“A prime example of this is our work for Armor All’s ‘Dirty Display’ campaign where we identified an unconventional media space amidst the 11.4 million abandoned cars in the country to showcase the effectiveness of Armor All’s car cleaning products.
“Armed with Armor All products, a team of detailers cleaned abandoned cars in major city centres – making them as good as new.
“Following the cleaning process, we put a large eye-catching sticker on the cars with the message “Revived by Armor All” with a window showcasing the car’s original dirty condition.
“Instead of relying on traditional mediums, we opted for a distinctive approach to showcase the capabilities of Armor All.
“The transformed cars served as real-life product demonstrations, capturing the attention of many and this innovative campaign has garnered international recognition and headlines.
“At the recent Ad Fest 2024, Havas Malaysia proudly became the only Malaysian creative agency to win an award,” Nizwani said.
On the creative industry outlook for this year, Nizwani said: “As we look ahead to 2024, it is a year of many challenges. Yet, the creative industry is poised for continued growth.
“While the landscape may present new hurdles, particularly in navigating evolving consumer behaviours and technological advancements, we see tremendous opportunities for innovation and creativity to thrive.
“Brands will increasingly seek customer-centric ideas that resonate deeply with their audiences, driving growth and differentiation in a competitive market,” she added.
Nizwani, who was a former CEO of Ogilvy Malaysia, joined Havas Malaysia last August, taking over from Andrew Lee who opted for an early retirement.
