The OùFormer start-up founded by a KEDGE graduate, in...
Two kedgers at the head of an amazing creative studio!
Damien Monel and Joël Griffault, with their partner Léa Griffault, co-founded SCOPE: a creative studio specialising in television & digital advertising and content creation.
INTERVIEW 💬
1️⃣ To begin, tell us about your educational background. What did you study, both before and at KEDGE?
Joël: In 2008, I started doing a Bachelor in International Business at ESC de Clermont, with a double degree at Nottingham Trent University (UK). After that first experience, I continued my studies by getting a Master at KEDGE’s Grand Ecole Programme in Marseille from 2010 to 2012. I finished my studies with an economic certificate from The American University in Washington DC (US), during an exchange with KEDGE.
Damien: I started working towards getting a Bachelor in International Business just after graduating from high school, which is when I met Joël. The way the degree was set up, which combined long-term internships and opportunities abroad, seemed pertinent to me. I went to work alone in Argentina for almost a year and then I did my double degree in Ireland, which gave me the knowledge I needed to pass the exams. At KEDGE I focused on business development and media, in towards Brazil, which was about to host the World Cup and the Olympic Games.
2️⃣ Were you members of any student associations when you were at KEDGE?
Joël: Yes, I was a member of DIAMBARS, an NGO that works to make football and sport a driving force and a direction for education. One of the projects I worked on was Stad' Sup, a programme that supports young people from ZEP through total immersion media workshops in the OM Velodrome which help them find out about jobs in journalism. It was one of my most memorable KEDGE experiences with touching encounters and a committed community to which I will always be linked.
Damien: No: I had been involved in other associations elsewhere since I was a teenager with CISV, an NGO partner of UNESCO, which aims to raise awareness and inspire cultural diversity through international summer camps and other local social actions.
3️⃣We wrote an article about your company three years ago. What is your current situation and what are your development goals for the future?
1.2 M€ of turnover in 2019, which is +62% vs 2018. Three years goes by fast! Today, our creative studio SCOPE and its subsidiaries are doing well! We have continued to grow and have achieved €1.2M in sales in 2019 vs. €740K in 2018 (all activities combined), i.e. +62% growth. This dynamic can be explained by the development of our network of agency/advertiser clients (which is mainly via word-of-mouth), by the opening of our SCOPE subsidiary in Brazil in Rio de Janeiro and by the sale of new innovative solutions in our second subsidiary Lab-INSPIRE dedicated to interactive phygital in retail and events.
Chosen as one of the 100 start-ups of Challenges 2017: At the time of the article, our company was in the start-up phase but was already stable after only two years of activity. In 2017 it had a turnover of 425K € HT and a growth of +360% over that of 2016. We had just been selected by Challenges as one of the 100 start-ups in which to invest in 2017 intending to bring investors into the capital in order to give structure to and accelerate our development. Several funds and investors had shown interest and this was a long reflection, we finally preferred to test our potential in the configuration of the time.
We were hoping for an investment of 400K € to reach a target of 1M € in turnover in 2019, which we finally achieved without investors.
An acquisition offer in 2019: In 2019, this subject came up several times. We received merger offers from two partners, but an offer from one of our "historical" clients appealed to us and sincerely touched us. The approach was relevant both to the integration process and to the common long-term vision. Despite the obvious synergies and the affectionate relationship that binds us, the prospect of a full merger seemed a little premature to us.
The company passed a new milestone in 2020: Today, we have good prospects for diversification and development, by the setting up and representation of a talent hub that serves the artistic sector and lets us target bolder projects! Here’s a summary of our news:
- Representing directors - In partnership with New Moon Directors based in Spain, we are expanding the number of French and international directors we represent in France and Brazil. There are talents in various realms, which lets us meet the expectations of each industry.
- Several TV Productions and Print Campaigns - The trend is to merge content, which often means a lower budget. But this can also represent an opportunity. This year was marked by several TV and print campaigns, with productions for communication agencies and various advertisers such as Twinings, Kyriad, Campanile, Unibet, and ENGIE in Brazil, and print campaigns for the Pierre Lannier and Histoire d'Or brands (the latter in partnership with Anne Marie Gardinier photography agency).
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International Executive Production - We now cover six geographical areas: Brazil, US, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, and Singapore. We have a network of local partners that allow us to provide assistance to clients, agencies, and drama producers in those countries. We recently supported the production of a Netflix documentary (Rio de Janeiro and New York), Yann Arthus Bertrand (Hope Production) in New York, and the Lamomali video of the artist M for the Wagram music label.
- Innovation Lab - Lab-INSPIRE - At INSPIRE, in partnership with the OVVO studio and in the continuity of SCOPE's services, we combine content creation and technology to transform the boutique experience and the event environment. Our new offers come in different forms (transparent display screens, LED, video mapping...), and are all dedicated to our clients' products by combining technology and creativity. We recently took part in the French Tech Tour in Brazil (organised by Business France) to present our latest creations in Sao Paulo and Rio.
4️⃣ How did your education at KEDGE Business School help you become who you are today, and what was it about its teachings helped you develop your project?
Joël: The courses allowed me to acquire skills in strategy and product marketing. The associations I was a member of instilled in me how to work as a member of a team, as well as a commitment to social values. I also completed a year and a half of continuous internships (gap year + six-month end-of-year internship) as a Strategy & Business Intelligence Analyst at Orange Business Services, Airbus Space & Defence (Astrium), and at the Mr. Philippe Hazane, the Space Attaché at the French Embassy in Washington DC. Those experiences have given me a view of the business world and a strong interest in innovation and the launch of new products/services.
Damien: My career path is quite unusual, and built around experiences with an omnipresent commercial and international dimension. The courses provide a general understanding of a company's organisation, management, and development, which is a solid foundation for entrepreneurship. Exchanges abroad and internships are an exciting way to satisfy one's curiosity. I did my gap year at Amaury Sport Organisation, and my exchange in Brazil allowed me to work for the HBS teams its work on the 2014 World Cup in 2014. Its objectives perplexed me at the beginning, but they led to the creation of a subsidiary in Brazil later on. This flexibility and ability to have diverse experiences, both on the human and professional side, is what I was looking for when I began my studies.
5️⃣ If you had to give advice to any other KEDGE graduate who would like to do something similar, what would it be?
Joël and Damien: To surround themselves well, and share their knowledge and contacts without expecting it to be reciprocal. The network plays a very important role, but most of all, meeting other Alumni lets us gain knowledge through each other’s experiences! Don’t hesitate to contact the entrepreneurs - it is a powerful Network of mutual assistance and exchange!
The Business Nursery and KEDGE Alumni: Mrs. Feyrouz TRIPOTIN, Mrs. Laurence BRICTEUX, Mrs. Frédérique GOBERT, and all their teams were there at the beginning of our plans and are still with us today. Our communications have always been productive. Thanks to their support, we won the European Commission's EU-Brazil Connect Competition in 2015, were selected by the Web Summit in 2016, and were named amongst in the 100 start-ups of Challenges in 2017. This is how we met our mentor Mr. Jean-Emmanuel VERNAY, founder of ALL Invest, who guided us in our development and growth! They have provided precious help and support!
6️⃣ Anything you’d like to add? A message to pass on?
Our objective is to maintain a growth of 30% per year to reach 4M to 5M € of turnover in 2025! We’re looking for new clients for ever more creative projects and investors who would like to support our growth! The only condition: compulsory christening at the next Rio Carnival with us!
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