PARIS — Digital influence agency Jin has acquired Opinion Act, a fellow French firm specialising in community and consumer behaviour analysis, digital strategy consulting and online reputation monitoring.

The acquisition comes after Jin raised €3 million in private equity funding in 2020, with the aim of building a leading European digital agency. Opinion Act’s team of 35 brings Jin’s headcount to 120 people across Paris, Lyon, Berlin and London.

Under the terms of the deal, Opinion Act CEO Caroline Faillet (pictured, left), who founded the firm in 2004, joins the Jin group management committee as group managing director, responsible for community monitoring and research, and digital and web3 strategy consulting.

The newly-merged agency is structured around five divisions: corporate, brand, PR, data and insights, and web3. Opinion Act will remain as the name of the data and insights offer.

Jin CEO Edouard Fillias (pictured, right) told PRovoke Media that the agency founders had been discussing the merger for two years, since he met Faillet at a Jin event on digital sovereignty: “Caroline is an entrepreneur and Opinion Act is a great, innovative business focused on digital communities, including healthcare and patient communities, lifestyle, food and travel – her biggest client is SNCF.

“There’s a strong connection between us, and Opinion Act is a perfect match for what we call the cycle of positive influence, which includes understanding people and communities. It’s a big move for Caroline and a big decision for us – it’s a leap of faith for both of us, and clients can feel that it’s about people and culture not finances.”

He added that there was also a good cultural fit between the two businesses: “We’re passionate about digital and we live online, and Caroline is the same – she’s publishing a book on web3 soon. We also both want to address the internet in a different way: it’s been spoilt by too much advertising and too much private data being taken and that has hurt trust. Our generation needs to rebuild trust with social media charters and web3 strategy so we can advise clients on taking back control of their digital environment.”

Faillet added: “More than ever, trust is the foundation on which to build thought leadership for companies. Neither social washing nor dark influence: companies must gain social acceptability in a transparent and committed way. Organisations must be connected to their communities, to dialogue but soon also with web3, to share power with them in a new ownership economy.”

Fillias said Jin was planning further European expansion through organic growth and acquisition, with Italy and Spain first in his sights: “We did the fundraising two years ago because we want to build a European digital influence leader. We’re in the UK, Germany and France now, and we will open in Italy and Spain in the next 18 months, as many clients are now asking for work there.

"We need to find talent and we will grow organically, but we still have some room from the funding for external growth, so we will consider that rather than starting from scratch.”

Jin opened its UK office in 2020, with former Dentsu executive Simon John at the helm.