Building Emakination

Olivier De DonckerCommunication Manager

Journée de l’innovation sociale25th October

Journée de l’Innovation Sociale – 25/10/07

Emakina in a nutshell

Founded in 2001 as the merger of 3 companies

Full Service Interactive Agency

Four main areas of activity: information websites, e-commerce websites,

interactive marketing, strategic consultancy

Largest interactive agency in Belgium with 150+ employees

Main clients: Proximus, Fortis, Brussels Airlines, Center Parcs, Wrangler…

Since July 2006, listed on Alternext, an Euronext segment for fast-growing

SMEs

Journée de l’Innovation Sociale – 25/10/07

Forget the Internet Bubble

Interactive agencies market is consolidating at lightspeed

From a SMEs market made of local actors towards a European market

dominated by 5-6 major players

Example: Duke (FR) acquired by Razorfish (US) > acquired by aQuantive (US)

> acquired by Microsoft

Eat the others or get eaten by the competition (“get big, get nest or get out”)

Journée de l’Innovation Sociale – 25/10/07

Five acquisitions in 15 months

April 2006

B. On The Net (5 people, Brussels) January 2007

Design is Dead (8 people, Antwerp) April 2007

SunTzu (17 people, Rotterdam) May 2007

groupe Reflect (25 people, Paris and Limoges) June 2007

The Reference (40 people, Ghent)

Journée de l’Innovation Sociale – 25/10/07

The strategy

Building a European network with Brussels as center Aggregating new competences around a core business Reaching a critical mass to get bigger, more ambitious projects End goal: joining the European top 5 of interactive agencies within 5 years

Journée de l’Innovation Sociale – 25/10/07

Challenges at the HR level

Preserving the culture of each acquired agency Respecting the employees as individuals (avoiding the “Hello, Mr. 9323”

syndrome) Creating a common creative and business culture throughout the network Encouraging the exchange of best practices between 200 people

 

→ Articulating local and global to maximize the network effect (“1 + 5 = 10”)

Journée de l’Innovation Sociale – 25/10/07

Creating the dynamics

Each agency keeps its name and its identity Words matter (especially with the French ;-)) “Emakina Group acquires company X” → “company X joins Emakina Group” “restructuring” → “alliance”, “optimization” Always explain the reasons behind the operation and the benefit for the

company you acquire (career and business opportunities) Core message: we need everybody to achieve the next objectives

Journée de l’Innovation Sociale – 25/10/07

Emakina Group Day

10th August in Brussels (Flagey)  First gathering of all the agencies in real life Introducing each agency (PPT presentation) Film shot in the offices Party at Emakina Core messages:

* Our European network is now a reality

* We need you to develop it

* We’re alike ! We have the same corporate culture

Journée de l’Innovation Sociale – 25/10/07

A common link: EMAKINATION

Emakination = Emakina + Imagination + Nation A common state of mind that distinguishes Emakina Group people from the

rest of the world A common sense, taste for creativity, technology, web culture… A few core values:

* “best ideas rule”

* “we hate meetings”

* “it’s not a work, it’s a passion”

* “we love change

Emakina Group Day – 10/08/07

Emakina Group Day – 10/08/07

Emakina Group Day – 10/08/07

Emakina Group Day – 10/08/07

Emakina Group Day – 10/08/07

Emakina Group Day – 10/08/07

Emakina Group Day – 10/08/07

Emakina Group Day – 10/08/07

Emakina Group Day – 10/08/07

Journée de l’Innovation Sociale – 25/10/07

Thank youAny question?