Havas Media Group has today announced the launch of LuxHub, a global consulting unit specialised in luxury brand communications.

The network will be led by Isabelle Harvie-Watt, who joined the agency in 2011 as Havas Media Group Italy chief executive. She has previously held marketing communications roles at luxury brands Giorgio Armani, Versace and Tods Group.

LuxHub will be headquartered in Milan, with presence in key luxury markets such as London, Paris, New York and Dubai. Havas Media said it also plans to extend to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Moscow.

Dominique Delport, global managing director at Havas Media Group, said: “Offering our clients the ability to connect to the luxury sector in a meaningful way has always been part of our strategy and I am delighted that we are now able to deliver this specialist consulting service to our clients on a global basis.

“The credibility we already have in this area, coupled with strong leadership from Isabelle to drive specialist teams in all the key markets, means we can provide new insights and innovative strategies both for luxury brands and brands who want to interact with the luxury audience.”

Harvie-Watt added: “Luxury brands realise that they need to change the way they communicate and start building stronger relationships with their consumers. Digital transformation is no longer an option. Growing online distribution and strong content strategies are the new norm.”