In a world where digital technology is constantly redefining the uses and codes of communication, and more generally human relations, how can we maintain an authentic connection?
🤓 To answer this question, we went to meetAlexandre Delaroche, Digital & Web Manager of Bolloré Group – French multinational specializing in oil logistics, communications and industrye – and member of the Club We Are COM. This expert of the digital communication juggles daily between technological innovation and local communication. 🚀 Meet the man who makes digital a tool for cohesion and positive transformation.
Hello Alexandre, what definition would you give to digital brand communication?
For me, digital communication is a part of communication in the broad sense of the theme, which focuses on digital channels: emails, Social Media, intranet, websites… the goal is always the sameWhatever the lever, digital communication allows a message to be transmitted through channels other than traditional physical media.
What is special about your position and what role do you play in the Communications Department?
The particularity of my position is first of all that I am not hierarchically attached to the Communications Department. I am Digital & Web Manager, so I answer to the Information Systems Department. However, I collaborate a lot with the Communications Department. On a daily basis, I translate their needs and act as a bridge between the COM teams and the IT teams.The particularity of my position is an asset since it allows us to move faster in carrying out our processes.
You have deployed the OuiLive event platform for internal use. Can you tell us more about the background and ambitions of this project?
OuiLive is an interactive platform for manage registrations for our internal events and unite around challenges related to sports activity for example. After a period of analysis of the tools and solutions offered on the market, we opted for this solution that we adapted to our needs. The latest challenges that we developed were based around the Olympic Games and our charity race, Marathon Day.
Precisely, can you tell us more about the first Olympic Challenge set up by the Bolloré Group?
The return of the Olympic Games, 100 years after the first French edition, we couldn't miss it! So we created a challenge specially dedicated to the event, open to all employees. We have chosen to engage the internal public with quizzes on the Olympic Games or, more directly, on the highlights of the Bolloré Group.
Our challenges were varied, they could involve photography and video, there was also a built-in pedometer to calculate the number of steps taken per day.
The return of the Olympic Games, 100 years after the first French edition, we couldn't miss it!
How do you communicate about OuiLive to the Group’s thousands of employees?
Our Brand Identity department was heavily involved in ensuring information was shared with employees when the OuiLive app was launched. Members of the department encouraged employees to download the app, particularly through a poster campaign featuring QR Codes. The team continues to bring the adventure to life throughout the challenge, through multiple distribution channels such as mailings, social networks, etc.
To go even further in engagement and encourage interaction, we have integrated a tool into our corporate Teams: Long live Engage. It's a kind of internal Facebook that encourages everyone to join communities, to post photos or videos. It is on this corporate social network that the names of the winners of our challenges are shared each week. I am convinced that the key to engagement remains interactivity.
I am convinced that the key to engagement remains interactivity.
In the digital world, how can we engage and design responsible digital solutions?
For me, there is no miracle solution, there are several ways and everyone is doing their best to minimize the negative impact that digital can have on the environment. It is also important to make solutions more accessible and inclusive.
Let's take the design of a website as an example. Several applications must be taken into account, such as RGAA standards, green UX/green code, image weight, CO2 impact of the servers used, etc. In the world of digital responsibility, communication must be rethought and optimized according to new developments.
In the digital age, where innovations are constant and usage changes are permanent, how can we raise awareness internally? Can you tell us about “Digital Cafés”?
“Digital Cafes” were created to democratize the use of digital internally. The goal? To tackle a digital subject, most often current, and decipher it. It is important that each theme can speak to all professions. More specifically, our first "Digital Café", which concerned AI, aimed to popularize this new technology, to teach the art of the prompt to our employees through very concrete use cases.
This event has received great feedback. Following conclusive satisfaction surveys, we hope to be able to repeat it.
In your opinion, what will be the future major developments in digital communication? How will these impact our professions?
I believe that the future of digital communication lies in the more global use of artificial intelligenceAt the same time, the development of new digital solutions will be increasingly accessible thanks to the "low code, no code"It has now become possible to create applications or websites without knowing how to code and without having any specific computer knowledge.
The future of digital communication lies in the more global use of artificial intelligence.
Do you use artificial intelligence regularly? If so, how?
Within the Bolloré Group, the adoption of AI tools is under consideration. However, on a personal level, I sometimes use it, particularly to organize my vacations and weekends. By using ChatGPT or Layla.ai, I optimize my routes and determine the best tourist places to visit.
Before finishing, and out of curiosity, do you have any final advice or good communication practice to share with us?
Unsurprisingly, my advice is about digital communication. 🙂 Never forget that the actions you take must be designed with the end user in mind. Get feedback, regularly question yourself and practice test and learn ! You should never rest on your laurels., even once your project seems well underway.
3 things to know about Alexandre Delaroche!
His inspiration? Alexandre likes to apply the codes of sport to his professional life. For him, work is above all about having fun, finding something positive in defeats/disillusionments and always aiming for excellence in what you do.
Her favorite ad? A basketball fan, his favorite ad is about the subject. In the 2000s, Nike lost its leadership in basketball to And1. To bounce back, Nike created a legendary ad: a streetball atmosphere with NBA stars, without any product in the spotlight, just dribbling and basketball sound effects. Remember!
His passions ? Basketball, of course! Alexandre is also passionate about music and photography (Slim Aarons is his favorite photographer).
