Havas Digital is partnering with Media6Degrees, an ad firm that collects social media data, to improve advertising solutions for its clients.

Media6° — infused with $9M from US Venture Partners, Contour Venture Partners, Coriolis Ventures, among others — uses social graph data to provide major brand marketers with "scalable, customized audiences." Havas will use the social graph targeting technology to integrate consumer insights with hyper targeting, which will provide its labels with increased value, the company said.

"Network neighbors" — that is, potential customers connected to a firm's existing customer — are likely to respond to advertising from that firm at rates 2X – 30X higher than those targeted using traditional demo or geotargeting techniques, Media6° claims.

Data and insights from Media6° will go into the development of Havas's Virtual Brand Network for Advertisers, a network that aggregates digital media inventory like banner ads. Havas will manage the inventory as a brand-focused ad network, using it to meet the demands of particular clients.

Havas Digital is a holding company that manages Havas Media interactive properties. Media Contacts, global interactive media network; Lattitud and iGlue, sister’s interactive media networks; Mobext, mobile advertising network; Uncommon, direct marketing specialist in Spain, and One-to-One, specialized CRM solution in Portugal. Clients include Air France, Danone (Dannon), Diageo, Expedia, Fidelity, France Telecom, ING Direct, Nike, Peugeot/Citroen, Repsol, Reckitt Benckiser, Sears and Vodafone.

In November last year, Havas launched its virtual brand Futures network, powered by Artemis, a database management and reporting system that's profiled over one-third of the global online user population.