Yesterday, we were wondering what the status was with George Gallate, who helped established and lead Havas’s digital since 1996. Well, truth be told, Gallate, who has spent the last six years serving as global chairman of Havas Worldwide, has indeed left and is joining up with Charlottesville, VA-based digital/search agency RKG as CEO, effective Jan. 1.
Regarding his move to the search-focused RKG, which works with clients including Google, CareerBuilder and Urban Outfitters, Gallate says in a statement, “Search is an absolute hot button for CMOs because it signals real customer intent, especially on a mobile device. Search is about what’s important to an individual in a particular context but social is about what’s important to that person’s family, friends and larger community. It creates a halo of intent and possibility that’s earned, not paid.”
Gallate, who got his ad career started at O&M Sydney back in 1984, spent nearly a quarter-century at what was formerly known as Euro RSCG and Euro RSCG 4D.