Lucien Boyer – President & CEO, HS&E – Featured Profile with iSC

Lucien Boyer, unhealthy President and CEO at Havas Sports & Entertainment, ailment has taken part in an exclusive Featured Profile interview with iSportconnect.

Boyer spoke of the experience he gained at ESSEC Business School and how he was somewhat of a ‘pioneer’ during his education. He stated : “Ten years later (after graduating) when ESSEC realized that sports business or communications/marketing through sport was a real business that could be taught, they came to me for ideas and feedback on their project to start the Sports Marketing chair which exists today.”

Mr Boyer went on to add how his skills in a variety of industry sectors including marketing, communications and sponsorship had helped him to found the Lifestyle Marketing Group (LMG) in 1991. Lucien claimed : “My time with the America’s Cup and Formula 1 allowed me to get hands on experience and really showed me how sponsorship can shape a brand’s messaging and can be an integral part of any event or company strategy.” He added that major events such as the Olympics in 1992 showed brands that they needed agencies to guide them, saying: “Really our business’ growth, particularly in France and Europe, has been anchored in major events- ’92 was the start, ’98 was the confirmation, then followed by the Track World Championships in 2003, and finally the Rugby World Cup in 2007.”

Speaking of Havas Sports & Entertainment’s (HS&E) backing of the Annecy 2018 Winter Games bid, Boyer confirmed: “Since the change of management in early 2011, we were asked to get more involved both by working within a broader scope and by participating at the international level,” adding “Havas Sports & Entertainment is currently committing all the necessary resources in France and internationally, through our network, to help bring the Annecy bid back as a real contender, fully prepared and reaching out to the right stakeholders and influencers.”

When asked as to the importance of HS&E launching its new office in Rio, Brazil, last year he added: “It is clear that the Brazilian market is growing in every sense of the word. Major sporting events, concerts, festivals and international celebrations are coming to this country at an accelerated rate.” Boyer feels that through opening its office in Rio, HS&E has positioned itself to “continue delivering strong, creative ideas to brands and federations looking to stand out in Brazil, and connect with consumers around these big events.”

Boyer admitted that branching into these emerging markets is crucial and added: “It’s clear that our specialist network still has some gaps to fill- as you mentioned, the Middle East is a key target for us, looking towards Qatar 2022, and more immediately as well to service clients in this region where sports business and entertainment is booming. We look to move into these markets within the coming years.”

Lucien confirmed that working with leading global brands such as Coca-Cola and Yahoo! is ‘a key component’ to HS&E’s global success. When it comes to the differences between working with brands and sporting organizations, Mr Boyer stated: “Organizations and Federations generally have slightly different goals and objectives than brands,” however he added “Our approach to their needs and campaigns may sometimes be a bit less business-minded, but that has started to change. Federations have begun to organize themselves as brands do, focusing on return on investment just as much as our consumer brand clients.”

When asked as to whether HS&E were keen to support the so-called lesser-known sports, Boyer said: “We all know that some sports are better known, receive greater media coverage and also offer star athletes as assets. Nonetheless, many times, these types of leading sports won’t get the job done for certain brands.” He stressed that smaller sports could be a better fit for a brands DNA, adding: “Lesser-known sports, or other engaging entertainment platforms such as music, art, or cinema, could be the right answer to anchor a communications campaign.”

Boyer had the final word on his association with iSportconnect and the incentives it brings, stating: “Platforms like this for sports industry professionals are a great way to not only stay in touch but also keep up to speed with trends, what everyone’s up to and what’s to come in our profession. Social communities, especially targeted ones such as iSportconnect, have really changed the face of networking. I am delighted to become a part of this community and hope to quickly make some new connections with the professionals on your site.”

About Havas Sports & Entertainment

Havas Sports & Entertainment is Havas Media’s global brand engagement network and operates globally through 25 offices across five continents.

Its 400 professionals connect brands to fans by helping them share who they are in relevant, meaningful and inspiring ways by developing great ideas. This could be in the form of sponsorship, content creation, partnerships, celebrity endorsement… In turn, they help take consumers, turn them into fans and ultimately into true brand loyal advocates – customers. The reason we are successful is because we listen, we empathize, we measure and we analyze the communities that fans belong to, to ensure that what they want and what brands want to offer is aligned. In so doing, we help enhance their passions.

Havas Sports & Entertainment’s international clients include:  Coca-Cola, adidas, Hyundai Kia, Castrol, Louis Vuitton, Orange, Veolia, Yahoo!, Allianz, Mars, Repsol, Areva, BMI, Santander, EDF & EDF Energy, Puig, Motorola, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Reckitt Benckiser and Lloyds Banking Group. Sports organizations include FIFA, the Argentinean Tennis Association, the English Premier League, the International Cricket Council, the 2011 Pan-American Games, the Annecy 2018 Bid Committee, the Ryder Cup 2018 French Bid, and media groups such as Sky TV and Bolloré Media. Havas Sports & Entertainment is the official organizer of the Global Sports Forum Barcelona, alongside the City of Barcelona.

Havas Sports & Entertainment incorporates the audio-visual production company Havas Productions (France), the event production company Havas Event (France), as well as brand entertainment pioneers Cake, set-up through offices in the UK and the US.