Havas Media announces arrival of Mobext in Phl

MANILA, Philippines - Havas Media announces the acquisition of a majority stake in Snapworx Mobile Inc. the mobile marketing arm of Snapworx Inc., one of the Philippines’ biggest digital marketing agencies.

Following the acquisition, Snapworx’s mobile business will be rebranded as Mobext, which already operates as the global mobile marketing brand within the Havas Digital stable.

This acquisition further strengthens Havas Media’s footprint in the area, adding to its existing two agencies – MPG and Media Contacts.

Snapworx, founded in 2002, is a leading independent digital agency in the Philippines. Its areas of expertise include mobile, social and search marketing. Snapworx counts among its roster of clients Procter & Gamble, San Miguel Food Group, the SM Group of Companies, PLDT, Tupperware Brands, Wyeth in addition to other blue chip brands.

The newly branded Mobext in the Philippines will be led by Arthur Policarpio, the current CEO of Snapworx, who will report in to Vishnu Mohan, CEO of Havas Media APAC. With a decade of mobile marketing experience, Policarpio is a pioneer in the mobile marketing industry, and is a recognized industry leader in the Philippines. 

He was the former president (2009) of the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), the country’s premiere association for Internet and mobile marketing. He will be joined in the Mobext management team by Jeremy Obial, Snapworx co-founder and chief technology officer.

Alfonso Rodes Vila, CEO of Havas Media, said: “We are constantly focused on enhancing our service offerings to address the needs of our clients and the acquisition of Snapworx is part of this strategy.

The Philippines is one of Asia’s biggest mobile markets where the demand for mobile marketing solutions is growing exponentially. Snapworx has some incredibly strong platforms for mobile marketing and considerable expertise in digital. This acquisition also perfectly complements our other agencies in the Philippines”.

Anthony Rhind, CEO of Havas Digital, said: “Snapworx has some extremely sophisticated platforms for mobile marketing and a very impressive list of clients. It is a wonderful addition to Havas Digital’s agencies and we see a great cultural fit with them. I am excited by the prospect of the new agency Mobext, and look forward to working with the teams to continue and support the great work that it is so well known for.”

Arthur Policarpio, CEO of Mobext, said: “We are pleased to be a part of the Havas Media family. The group has both strong local operations and a solid global footprint. We are looking forward to further enhancing the group’s strength and expertise through our extensive experience in the Philippines market.”

Mobext is present in 11 markets globally. In Asia, the agency brand was launched in India in May last year, with plans for roll out in three more markets this year.

The agency offers comprehensive services including messaging services like sms and download, mobile internet services like WAP consulting and development, mobile display, mobile search and proximity based services including LBS and mapping. It will also offer integration through reporting and analytics by Havas Digital’s campaign management platform, Artemis.