Aesop Appoints Havas CX as Global Customer Engagement Agency

Global skin, hair and body care brand Aesop has appointed Havas’ dedicated customer experience network, Havas CX, as its global customer engagement agency following a competitive pitch.  

The account will be led by Havas CX customer engagement agency, Havas CX helia, which has been tasked with developing a new global replenishment and recognition programme for customers. It will be supported strategically and operationally in key markets by a combined team from Havas CX helia in the UK and BETC Fullsix in France, which pitched together with expertise from Havas CX in Asia for the account. 

Working alongside Aesop’s in-house CRM team, which has over the past year invested heavily in customer marketing technology, the agency will leverage data to advance the cross-channel customer experience, with a focus on innovation, differentiation and digital acceleration. It aims to deliver the kind of unique, unexpected experiences the Aesop brand has been built on, further inspiring customers to become brand ambassadors.

The pitch was led by Gianfranco Cuzziol, global head of CRM, Aesop, and run via The Observatory International. 

Dominique Bergantino, managing director London, Havas CX helia, says: “Aesop boasts one of the world’s truly unique in-store experiences – so our challenge was to think less about the micro-interactions we can deliver digitally and more about how technology can enable an end-to-end customer journey that both recreates and interweaves with that physical experience. It’s a fascinating brief, and we can’t wait to get started. 

“Equally, we’re proud to partner with a company that shares our commitment to putting people, planet and profit on equal footing. Aesop certified as a B Corporation in 2020 – a wonderful achievement we’re in the process of working toward ourselves. This new partnership with Aesop inspires us to reach that goal as urgently as we can.”

Gianfranco Cuzziol, global head of CRM, Aesop, adds: “In a highly competitive pitch, Havas CX was the one agency that really ‘got’ the Aesop brand – built on the back of amazing products, beautiful stores and a truly unique customer experience. As well as a clear, ambitious vision for translating the Aesop experience across all channels, they showed a real understanding our specific market nuances, especially in the incredibly competitive skincare markets in Asia. This is a moment of significant opportunity for our brand, and we believe we’ve found the best possible partners with which to maximise that.”

Havas CX brings together more than 1200 people from 20 of Havas Creative’s global agency groups and local agencies, plus additional specialists from across the Havas network, under a common structure, governance, methodology and mission. Fostering integration between these agencies and individuals, it combines the power of rich insights, user-centric technology and experience-led design to transform business performance for its clients and partners.