Leading global confectionery and gum giant Perfetti Van Melle has named Havas Media Network as its media agency of record across Australia and New Zealand, following a competitive multi-agency pitch.
The selection focused on identifying the partner best equipped to help the brand stand out in a crowded market and build on its already strong distribution presence. Havas Media Network emerged as the preferred choice, demonstrating the strategic vision and capabilities to elevate the brand’s consumer engagement.
Michael Puglisi, Country Manager for Perfetti Van Melle ANZ, commented,
“Havas Media will begin work immediately on helping to create impactful innovative campaigns with a renewed customer centric strategy, defining new audiences to help drive brand consideration,”
Virginia Hyland, CEO of Havas Media Network ANZ, said,
“Perfetti Van Melle has been a valued client for the past four years. It can be extra challenging as the incumbent however to know that we have pitched against the leading indies and global networks and delivered a more compelling, competitive way of working where we are converging data smarts with the ability to activate at pace in channel to deliver greater impact and retail growth, is a huge boost for our talented agency team. We’re a very different and exceptionally strong offering, with the firepower of the globals coupled with our entrepreneurial spirit.
She added,
“The Perfetti Van Melle marketing team are highly ambitious and continually committed to propelling their business forward, always challenging the status quo. This is exactly the type of marketing team that brings out the best thinking from Havas.”
As the confectionery leader looks to grow its footprint, Havas Media will play a key role in attracting new consumers while keeping iconic brands like Mentos and Chupa Chups top-of-mind for loyal customers. The scope of work includes enhancing media planning efficiency, minimizing waste, and maximizing the value of existing media investments.
Perfetti Van Melle will also leverage Havas Media’s proprietary data, technology, and analytics suite—particularly its audience engagement platform, Converged. Powered by over 35,000 data points across geography, demographics, behavior, attitudes, and consumption, Converged provides unmatched insight into more than half a million individuals, enabling highly targeted, data-driven media strategies.
With a global footprint and household-name brands including Mentos, Chupa Chups, AirHeads, and Smint, Perfetti Van Melle continues to lead the way in confectionery innovation and market presence in over 150 countries.
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