What's happening with Voyages-sncf.com? When a French giant changes its name, the We Are COM team rushes to find out what's going on behind the scenes. François Bitouzet, Director of Communications and Brands at OUI.sncf, tells us more about this evolution that's impacting the web and travel "made in France." With this communications enthusiast, we say YES to change!
YES.sncf is...
- A wholly-owned subsidiary of SNCF, created in 2000
- France's leading e-commerce site and leading online travel agency
- 14 million unique visitors per month
- 1,200 employees
- 67 websites and mobile sites to serve customers in more than 90 countries
Hello François, thank you for welcoming us to OUI work! We have a burning question… Why is Voyages-sncf.com changing its name?
This name change is driven by three key factors: today, our customers expect us to do more than just handle transactions. Yes, we know how to sell train tickets, and we do it well. Now, we need to be a true travel companion and simplify the traveler's experience beyond the point of purchase.
As a company, we are also experiencing a real acceleration of innovation. As a result, what we are today no longer really corresponds to what people associate with the brand "Voyages-sncf.com".
Finally, SNCF wants to make its range of offers clearer and allow its customers to control their budget. We are part of this overall approach.
So now is the perfect time to make this transition to OUI.sncf.
Goodbye "travel", hello "YES". What does this change imply for your brand promise?
With OUI.sncf, our company is taking a new step, going beyond transactions to become a relationship-based brand. With "OUI," we clearly signal our intention to do everything possible to say YES to our customers, whatever their desires and budget.
Low Price Alerts, travel ideas in all French regions, interface on Google Home or even bot on OUI.sncf to book tickets: we use all our expertise to respond to the new demands of our customers.
However, you retain your affiliation with the SNCF group. Is this still a competitive advantage?
There is a structural difference between SNCF and OUI.sncf, its wholly-owned subsidiary. Of course, from the customer's perspective, everything is interconnected. If a problem arises on a train, we cannot and do not want to shirk responsibility. This organizational difference is therefore eliminated at the commercial level, and we want to eliminate it at the customer experience level.
Trust in SNCF is extremely high in France today. This is an invaluable asset for a brand focused on relationships. We therefore clearly assert our affiliation and are even one of the first French companies to use a branded URL extension, .sncf!
OUI.sncf's ambitions are European. Doesn't your new name sound too… “French”?
We are already a major player in the industry, with over 11 million trips sold last year to foreign travelers.
Our goal is not to sell trips to Germany to Germans or to Spain to Spaniards… We are selling the destination “France”.
With OUI.sncf, we are clarifying our promise: this emblematic word reinforces our visibility as a gateway to travel to France!
You are welcoming us today to the YES Work, a temporary space in Paris that is part of your rebranding strategy. Can you tell us more about it?
The name change was announced last May. Since then, we wanted to ensure that on the morning of the name change, our 14 million unique visitors would already be aware: that the transition to OUI.sncf would be good news, not a surprise.
We used the time we had left to work with our clients, our collaborators and influencers to share and bring this evolution to life.
The idea for OUI Work came about naturally, as a way to co-create and innovate around the travel experience of tomorrow. This space is designed to foster the sharing of experiences, the exchange of opinions, and forward thinking.
To learn more… François Bitouzet in 3 questions
You clearly display your communication director objectives on your Linkedin profileWhat do you mean by "developing the corporate reputation of OUI.sncf"?
One of the key points is trust. One of our challenges as communicators is therefore to establish the company (and not just its offerings) as a true leader in its field. For OUI.sncf, this means securing a prominent position in the travel industry as well as in the French digital landscape.
By working on our corporate reputation, we're exploring how to make our brand a source of trust and legitimacy, an attractive company for talent. To this end, we highlight our employees, share our company strategy, and discuss innovation as a core competency. This work is truly fascinating!
You had several agency experiences before joining OUI.sncf. What do you take away from this career path?
These years have given me a real taste for creativity: in an agency, we are constantly challenged to find new ideas, to surprise, to think outside the box.
I also retain a 360° view of the issues and the ability to integrate expertise, PR on one hand, advertising on the other… Today, we work on comprehensive operations, serving our brand. The launch of OUI.sncf is a perfect example!
What advice would you give to students (and communicators of all ages)?
"If you spend more time being bored than having fun, you should change jobs!" Communication is a creative profession, a passion-driven profession. It's important to enjoy it!
"Work on your strengths rather than your weaknesses." Often, in academia, we're encouraged to work on our weaknesses to get average grades... The professional world is the opposite: focus on your strengths, go for it!
