Havas Media retains — and expands — the Hermes Arzneimittel account
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Havas Media has defended the full media account of German pharma company Hermes Arzneimittel after a multi-stage pitch and taken on an expanded remit built around a new econometric modelling approach — a rare case of an incumbent growing under pitch pressure.
What happened
Havas Media (Frankfurt) retained the total media budget of Hermes Arzneimittel after a multi-stage competitive pitch, and will now handle an expanded scope. The mandate includes a new econometric modelling approach for campaign planning.
Hermes' brands include Antibrumm, Compeed, Algovir and Biolectra Magnesium. Holding a full account under pitch pressure is hard enough; growing the remit at the same time is the notable part.
Why the econometrics angle matters
The expansion isn't just more budget — it's a promise of better measurement. Econometric (marketing-mix) modelling lets a brand attribute sales to media spend across channels, and in a fragmented media world that's exactly the capability clients are demanding.
It signals where media agencies now compete: not on buying clout alone, but on proving effectiveness. The incumbent that can quantify what works has a powerful defence against challengers promising fresh creative energy.
The value of not losing
In a churn-heavy agency market, retention is undervalued as a story. Keeping an account through a multi-stage review means the incumbent demonstrably out-argued rivals on its own turf — a stronger endorsement than winning a first-time pitch.
For clients, there's a lesson too: switching agencies carries real costs in lost knowledge and ramp-up time. Sometimes the best pitch outcome is discovering your current partner is genuinely the strongest — and giving them more to do.
Our read for marketers
The practical takeaway is to make effectiveness measurement central to how you brief and judge media agencies. The ones investing in modelling and attribution are the ones who'll help you defend budgets when finance asks hard questions.
And weigh retention seriously. Institutional knowledge compounds; a partner who already understands your brands and data can often out-deliver a shiny newcomer, especially when they're hungry to expand the relationship.
Quick FAQ
What did Havas Media win?
Havas Media retained the full media account of German pharma company Hermes Arzneimittel after a multi-stage pitch, and took on an expanded remit including a new econometric modelling approach.
Which brands does Hermes Arzneimittel own?
Its brands include Antibrumm, Compeed, Algovir and Biolectra Magnesium.
Why does econometric modelling matter for media?
It attributes sales to media spend across channels, letting brands prove effectiveness in a fragmented media world — increasingly how media agencies compete and defend accounts.
— Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
Media agencies increasingly compete on proving effectiveness, not buying clout — make measurement central to how you brief and judge them, and value the institutional knowledge an incumbent already holds.
Can your media agency prove what your spend delivers — or just tell you where it ran?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Horizont, Meedia, Leadersnet.
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Written by Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
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