HR Business Partner

Havas PLAY wins Moccona social, creator & community. August 31, 2026 Havas PLAY has been appointed by Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) Australia to lead social strategy, influencer campaigns and community management for Moccona, an expansion of the agency's relationship with one of Australia's most recognised coffee brands. Havas PLAY, which expanded to the ANZ region last November, will work across the Moccona core portfolio and new product development campaigns throughout 2026. The agency will be responsible for social strategy, influencer and creator campaigns, and always-on community management designed to strengthen cultural relevance and deepen engagement with Australian consumers for Moccona. Beatrix Fisher, head of social media at Havas PLAY, stated, "While Australia's café culture can get the spotlight, there's an equally important coffee ritual happening at home. The quiet morning moment before the house wakes up, the afternoon reset at a desk, the catch-up over a coffee with a neighbour. Moccona has been part of these everyday rituals for generations. Through community management and influencer partnerships, we look forward to helping Moccona show up in culture, fostering deeper engagement with both existing and new audiences." Senior brand manager at Moccona, Maeva Durand, added, "Great brands are built through consistency, relevance and a deep understanding of culture. Havas PLAY has been instrumental in helping Moccona strengthen all three. By bringing together social, creators and community through a connected approach, they are helping us unlock new possibilities for the brand, drive stronger consumer engagement and create a more meaningful role for Moccona in Australians' everyday lives." Since commencing the partnership, Havas PLAY has already delivered two campaigns for the brand, including Cinnamon Scroll, which tapped into local voices to inspire trial of the new Moccona Mixes flavour. Results have exceeded performance benchmarks.

Heineken half-year sales growth led by low and no beer. UK performance was driven by Cruzcampo, Murphy's, Foster's and ciders Heineken half-year sales have risen, bolstered by the low and no alcohol drinks segment. In the first six months of 2026, the drinks group's total sales by volume increased by 1.6% year on year, with premium beer up 6%, low and no up 12% and beyond beer (incorporating flavoured beer, cider, spritzers and ready to drink beverages) rising 8%. The company's five global premium beer brands - Amstel, Birra Moretti, Desperados, Heineken and Tiger - all performed well, with the latter returning to volume growth, driven by the acceleration of cold filtration brewed Tiger Crystal. Operating profit grew 6.7%, with full year numbers expected to be between 2% and 6%. In Europe, performance was broadly flat, with net revenue up just 0.1%, total volume down 0.6% and operating profit increasing by 0.6%. UK results were driven by Cruzcampo, Murphy's, Foster's and ciders supporting momentum, while Heineken's Star Pubs arm continued to outperform the wider pub market following a £44.5m investment across 647 pubs out of the group's 2,350-strong estate this year. The group is progressing at pace with its EverGreen 2030 strategic plan to accelerate growth, with measures including stepping up productivity through operating model simplification, implementing multi-market organisations and 'a focused strategic head office transformation'. Rafael Oliveira will replace him on 1 October, joining from the same position at Jacobs Douwe Egberts Peet's. Harold van den Broek, CFO and member of the executive board, said Heineken's performance "reflects the quality of our growth, the resilience of our advantaged footprint, and our ability to adapt and execute in a dynamic environment". "We took further significant steps to boost productivity and build future fit capabilities, ensuring we drive further growth efficiently. We are confident in our strategy and progress, yet remain prudent given ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty," he added. "We look forward to welcoming Rafa Oliveira as chief executive officer on 1 October as we continue to deliver on EverGreen 2030 in the pursuit of sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders."