2020 France Consultancies of the Year

The 2020 EMEA PR Consultancies of the Year are the result of an exhaustive research process involving more than 200 submissions and meetings with the best PR firms across the UK, Europe the Middle East and Africa. Analysis of each of the finalists across 20 geographic and specialist categories can be accessed via the navigation menu to the right or below. Winners are unveiled at the 2020 EMEA SABRE Awards, which will be taking place virtually, with details forthcoming soon.

You can find the 2020 SABRE Awards EMEA winners here.

Winner: Hopscotch Groupe (Independent)

Launched in 2000, Hopscotch has expanded to become one of France's largest communications group, with the 2010 merger with Le Public Système helping to create a leader in the industry. But the firm’s growth certainly didn’t stop there; In 2019, Hopscotch grew an impressive 28%, making it a €73.3m agency with operations across EMEA. Hopscotch also has its sights set on creating a viable French alternative to the Anglo-Saxon independent PR networks, which started with its acquisition of 33% of food and beverage specialist Sopexa roughly three years ago. Last year, Hopscotch deepened its investment and involvement in Sopexa, leading to Hopscotch now having two representatives on the company’s board, including one serving as chair. The relationship has reaped hallmark campaigns, including the Barilla Pasta World Championship and the creation of the Fondation pour l’innovation et la transmission du goût (Foundation for innovation and the transmission of taste), which supports and funds original projects that provide all individuals healthy, enjoyable and high-quality food.

Hopscotch operates under the tagline Relationships Built By Design, a phrase  meant to capture the agency’s approach to communications — designing relationships for clients and their audiences. For Hopscotch, that involves inciting high-impact conversations, creating experiences, collaborating and aligning with business sectors and eradicating preconceived notions. The firm showcases a fully rounded offering across multiple sectors and practice areas, with particular strength in digital, events, technology and content production. The client roster is a blue-chip affair that in 2019 added Barilla, PWC, Aperol, Nestle, OVH, LG, Red Bull and Orange Content to existing partners including Microsoft, Engie, Relais et Chateaux and Renault-Nissan.  — AS/DM.

Finalists

BCW (WPP)

In 2019, BCW’s French operation (formerly Burson-Marsteller) generated its fifth consecutive year of income growth, accompanied by operating profits up by nearly 33%.Growth was driven by BCW France’s strength in corporate comms, crisis, public affairs and reputation management, as well as a growing capabilities in integrated, creative and digital campaigns and influence marketing. In terms of sectors, the agency is particularly strong in agribusiness and food and beverage, with sports and e-sports being another area of growth, with clients including Roland Garros, the French Tennis Federation and Nike. One of the team’s most successful campaigns during 2019 was a ground-breaking digital campaign tackling clichéd images of rugby for the National Rugby League.

BCW France has strong, long-standing relationships with clients, including Danone, for which it has worked for 15 years, Accenture, Orange and Bank of America (all 12 years), Sanofi (eight years), Facebook and LVMH (seven years), Mondelez (six years) and Bridgestone and Samsung (five years). Other clients on the agency’s roster include Spotify and Britvic, with new wins in 2019 including PR & influencer marketing for Accor’s hotel brands and consumer PR for Uniqlo, among others.

Thought leadership initiatives over the year included CEO Philippe Pailliart discussing purpose, the annual half-day Crisis Club for clients and prospects, a public affairs survey with Kantar and the development of a new “Impacte” methodology that enables companies to evaluate their social responsibilities and purpose.  The agency has a multi-cultural workforce and international outlook, with 16 languages spoken. New senior hires included Romain Vieillefosse from Elan-Edelman and BETC-Havas as director of the Studio B data, design and digital practice and Anne Duboscq to the public affairs division, also from Elan-Edelman. The agency was also recognised for the second year with a “CSR Gold” award from Ecovadis, measured against 20 environment and workplace indicators. — MPS

Monet + Associés (Independent)

Monet’s positioning reflects its focus on creating engagement, which has helped it develop into one of France’s leading PR firms, with 52 staffers in five offices across France. The consumer PR firm continued its streak of impressive growth in 2019, with revenue rising for the second consecutive year 20% to €6m. That lift was fueled by a client roster that includes Orpi, Casio, Bosch, Siemens, Bayer, Bouygues, Nokia, Roche, Intermarché, Nikon, Pilot, Mattel, Yamaha, Vicat and Engie.. 

Much of that growth was helped by the agency’s ability to handle social media campaigns for its clients, thanks to specific expertise in branded content and influencer marketing. That was further illustrated by a range of eye-catching campaigns, including considerable digital and video activity, such as the #BoschFamilies initiatives which centered around families serving as brand ambassadors for the company’s household appliances. — AS/DM

Jin (Independent) 

Jin was founded in Paris in 2012 by Edouard Fillias, Alexandre Villeneuve and Romain Boudre, who recognised an opportunity to launch a new kind of PR agency that combined digital marketing, technology and influence. Since then, the agency has grown rapidly, opening offices in London, Hamburg, New York and, most recently, Berlin: 60% of Jin’s clients now use the agency for global campaigns and. Its fee income in 2019 rose from €7.8 million to €9.3 million – €1 million of which was from the US and €1.5 million from the UK – with headcount jumping from 65 to 75.

In 2019, Jin articulated a new vision for the future of the agency – “We believe in Tech and Human Connections” to highlight the opportunities provided by technology when it is used to accelerate human relationships and trust. Walking the talk, Jin has developed in-house technologies to support clients’ communications via its Startup-Studio, including digital monitoring solution Plugr (which contributed €700,000 in revenues), and Pitchboy, the first VR pitch training tool for sales and customer relationship management. One new product will be designed and produced every year: for 2020, the team is developing a public affairs digital tool.

To help it manage such rapid growth, Jin significantly increased budget for its Jin Academy professional development and training program in 2019. It also added new service offers in C-level reputation, financial communications and employee advocacy and, improved key offers such as influencer marketing and augmented PR. The agency also added talent including CFO Paul Vedrine, creative director Lucile Le Barillier and international VP Merve Liebelt, who has held senior pan-European and global marketing and communication roles at companies such as Puma and Triumph.

Jin’s client roster includes Groupe Bouygues, Chipotle, Renault and Allianz, with big additions in 2019 including Google, Tinder, Samsung, Philips and Twinings. Highlights of the firm’s work include Tinder’s best ever PR results in France with the Year in Swipe campaign targeting Gen Z — MPS