Havas Group has invested in formerly independent, Miami-based multicultural agency Republica.
Going forward, Republica will operate as Republica Havas and will continue to be led by founder, chairman and CEO Jorge A. Plasencia, founder, president Luis Casamayor and their executive team, under the direction of Havas Creative, North America chairman and CEO Paul Marobella.
“Our mission as a creative agency is to ignite the businesses of the brands we work with through cultural relevance. As such, it was important for us to find the best partner that doesn’t just understand multicultural marketing but is embedded in the fabric of different cultural communities in America—Republica is that partner,” Marobella said in a statement. “Combining our integrated capabilities with Republica’s fluency in multicultural values and preferences will allow our clients to connect to diverse audiences with authenticity and impact.”
“Many suitors have approached us over the years, and although we always listened, it never felt right. That changed with Havas. The fact that Republica Havas now becomes the Group’s leading multicultural offering in the U.S., coupled with the endless opportunities we will be able to offer both our clients and the members of the Republica family, joining forces now made perfect sense,” Plascencia added. “This is the right partnership because it allows us to continue to do what we love, staying true to our culture and our people, while being able to offer our deep multicultural expertise to Havas’ many agency partners.”
Republica will continue to be headquartered in Miami, with plans for expansions into key markets including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The agency will leverage Havas’ global network and parent company Vivendi’s media and entertainment properties as it continues to provide multicultural marketing solutions to clients.
Since being founded in 2006, the agency has expanded to a team of 120 across creative, digital, social media, experiential, strategy,research, media buying and planning, PR, analytics and consumer science. Its client roster includes Google, Walmart, Toyota, Nielsen, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, NBCUniversal Telemundo, Universal Parks & Resorts, Goya Foods and Miami Super Bowl 2020.