Havas Takes Majority Stake in DeCourcy’s Social Media Startup

By Kiran Aditham 

Havas, parent company of Arnold and Euro RSCG, has now set its sights on social media by taking a majority equity stake in Socialistic, a new social media/technology startup led by Colleen DeCourcy. So much for those rumors about DeCourcy taking a job at Facebook after leaving her chief digital officer post at TBWA last June.

What is Socialistic? Well, for starters, it’s a New York-based operation that aligns technologists with writers, filmmakers and other new media-savvy content creators to develop mobile applications, digital OOH, in-store experiences, branded digital products and brand-owned media destinations for clients. In a statement, DeCourcy describes the model, saying it’s one that “isn’t campaign driven; it’s product and community driven. And that’s a big change from the normal agency model.” The Socialistic doors are open effective immediately and the shop will work with clients both in and out of the Havas network.

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