Mumbai: Havas has announced the strategic acquisition of Hamburg-based digital performance marketing agency EPROFESSIONAL, expanding its portfolio of firstclass performance marketing services and further strengthening its position as a leading agency group in Germany. EPROFESSIONAL will retain its independent branding and join the organisation under Havas Media Network.

Founded in an attic in Hamburg in 1999, EPROFESSIONAL has made a name for itself as a pioneer and provider of customized solutions in the field of performance marketing. The agency is an experienced partner in all aspects of digital marketing, from SEO/SEA to social media and multichannel tracking. EPROFESSIONAL has been working successfully for clients such as Vodafone, L'Oréal and Hapag Lloyd for many years.

“We are thrilled to welcome EPROFESSIONAL to the Havas family. By combining EPROFESSIONAL’s expertise with our group’s local and global resources, we further strengthen Havas Media Network in Germany, ranked "dominant" in the latest RECMA report, and are better equipped to deliver best-in-class digital marketing solutions to our clients. After making investments in the UK, Canada, and India, our objective is to further expand our digital performance capabilities worldwide,” commented Havas chairman & global CEO Yannick Bolloré.

Havas Media Germany CEO Sven Traichel, explains the acquisition as follows, "The focus has always been on making strategic and, above all, locally relevant investments. The acquisition of EPROFESSIONAL is such an investment to expand our digital expertise and offer customers even greater added value. The merger will enable both Havas and EPRO customers to implement successful marketing measures at all touchpoints of the entire customer journey."

EPROFESSIONAL managing director Tim Christiansen, was also delighted with the takeover. "Havas is an ideal partner for us. We share the same vision of offering customers innovative and customized solutions. In addition, the chemistry on a human level is outstanding."

Together with Christiansen, Henner Uekermann will lead EPROFESSIONAL taking on the role of managing director. In parallel, Henner will continue in his role as Managing Partner for the agency brand Arena Media in Germany, which operates alongside Havas Media as a second brand under the umbrella of the Havas Media Network.

Uekermann is approaching his new role with great enthusiasm, "The integration of EPRO into the Havas Media Network and the further development of Arena Media in Germany are two wonderful tasks for me. With EPRO's technological solutions and Havas Media's 360° approach, we can implement holistic strategies from the first touchpoint to conversions and achieve our clients' growth targets effectively and efficiently. By combining our competences, we can offer our clients an absolute state-of-the-art product from which we expect our agency to continue to grow in the coming years."