The Havas agency has acquired the communications and public relations consultancy Acento, founded in 2019 by José Blanco, former Minister of Development, and Alfonso Alonso, former Minister of Health. The move involves the integration of the firm into H/Advisors, Havas’ global communications and public relations consultancy.
Acento, with offices in Madrid, Barcelona and Brussels and has a team of more than 50 professionals, will be renamed H/Advisors, although it will continue to be led by Alonso y Blanco. As the company has pointed out in a statement, with the integration of Acento, Havas will expand its consulting services in Spain in coordination with 1,500 professionals around the world.
The acquisition of Acento, who has worked for LaLiga or Huawei, is part of Havas’ expansion strategy. Over the last few years it has made similar moves with other communications and public relations firms in multiple markets. Among them, Gauly Advisors in Germany; Cunha Vaz & Associados (CV&A) in Portugal; or Australian Public Affairs (APA) in Australia. In 2022 it acquired Tinkle.
At Acento they consider the union with H/Advisors to be a natural step and ensure they share vision, values and commitment to high-level advice to clients who operate in complex environments. “We became part of a large multinational group firmly committed to top-level public affairs, allowing us to become a truly global firm.”, commented Alfonso Alonso, co-CEO of Acento, in a statement.
Furthermore, in a statement published on its website, the firm points out that the agreement marks the beginning of a new stage and places it in a new dimension. He also considers that it is the recognition of a career built in a very short period of time. “In just six years, Acento has gone from being an entrepreneurial project to consolidating itself as the reference firm in public affairs in Spain, with sustained growth in volume, relevance, impact and credibility“, they comment. “That a global group like Havas has found a partner in Acento to continue growing in Spain is a clear sign of the value of the model developed and the work carried out.”.
For their part, H/Advisors point out that the operation is a reflection of their plan for 2026 and have highlighted the value of public affairs and strategic communication to manage political, regulatory and reputational complexity. “Strengthening our leadership in Spain and Europe, along with continued investment in priority growth markets such as the United States, is essential to our ambition to build a truly international advisory group.”, shared Stéphane Fouks, Executive President of H/Advisors.
Behind, from left to right: Alfonso Alonso, co-CEO, Acento; Javier Curtichs, Chairman of H/Advisors, Iberia; and Jeremy Dorling, Global CFO/COO, H/Advisors. Front, from left to right: Stéphane Fouks, Executive Chairman of H/Advisors and Executive Vice President of Havas; Pepe Blanco, co-CEO, Acento; and Alvaro Garcia, CFO, Havas Group Iberia.
Acento has also taken the opportunity to reflect on the new dimension that public relations acquires in a context of political, economic and geostrategic transformations. “Traditional models of strategic planning and institutional dialogue are insufficient in the face of the speed, interdependence and unpredictability of events.”they say.
And they assure that public affairs are called to be profoundly transformed. “It is no longer just about positioning or institutional relationship, but about integrating political, regulatory, economic and social intelligence in strategic decision making.”.
