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With the current health crisis, many people have started looking into the benefits of relocating strategic industries to Europe.\u00a0But what about the data and digital marketing sectors \u2013 both of which are highly dependent on the US tech giants?\u00a0Here are the views of four leading French players in the data sector: AB Tasty<\/a>, AT Internet<\/a>, Commanders Act<\/a> and\u00a0Reeport<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The GAFA\/FAAMG have successfully invaded and colonised the European digital sector, particularly in the data value chain. In the process, they have made many companies dependent on their tools.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Here are the risks of US monopolies for Europe and its citizens \u2013 and why it\u2019s vital to relocate the data.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Internet was designed to be open and decentralised. The GAFA\/FAAMG\u2019s objective is to close off the entire digital ecosystem around their offers.<\/strong><\/p>\n Mathieu Llorens, AT Internet\u00a0<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mathieu Llorens, CEO of AT Internet, explains how the GAFA\/FAAMG monopoly is an insidious problem \u2013 \u201cData is the raw material of the economy, and we leave the majority of\u00a0this\u00a0data intelligence (marketing, customer knowledge, etc.) in the hands of the GAFA\/FAAMG. It is important to remember that the Internet was designed to be open and decentralised, and the GAFA\/FAAMG\u2019s objective is to close off the entire digital ecosystem around their\u00a0respective\u00a0offers. Google made its position perfectly clear during the implementation of the GDPR.\u00a0The\u00a0US company refuses to accept any responsibility in its\u00a0general\u00a0terms and conditions,\u00a0it enforces its terms and conditions and passes on the responsibility of the related consent to its customers.\u00a0And its approach is \u2018take it or leave it\u2019.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Digitalisation is not a neutral topic. It is at the centre of major societal, economic and political issues.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Michael Froment, Commanders Act\u00a0<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n According to Michael Froment, CEO of Commanders Act, there is a possible danger to the security of states and companies if the data is no longer circulating due to potential political issues.\u00a0\u00a0 R\u00e9mi Aubert, president and co-founder of AB Tasty, points out the dominance of some GAFA\/FAAMG in specific areas \u2013 \u201cAlthough they have a strong monopoly on advertising for example, there is a distinction between Google, which has all the customer data, and Microsoft, which is more of a technology provider.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Etienne Gautheron, product and operations director at\u00a0Reeport, highlights Google\u2019s role as judge and jury\u00a0\u2013\u00a0\u201cThe marketer must always have a clear understanding of their provider\u2019s business model. Without transparency, and if we rely simply on figures,\u00a0we can lose autonomy and decision-making quality.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n On issue of\u00a0impartiality, Mathieu Llorens also raises the problem of the statistical bias\u00a0of Google Analytics\u00a0\u2013 \u201cGA\u00a0selectively reassigns a share of traffic to itself, encouraging brands to invest more\u00a0in\u2026 Google, while blocking the direct traffic of the biggest advertisers.\u201d<\/p>\n With the current crisis, many people have been calling for French and European alternatives to Google and other US publishers. But is the Made in France approach feasible and sustainable for brands that use data and data marketing solutions?\u00a0<\/p>\n The main advantage of French solution providers is their high quality.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Etienne Gautheron,\u00a0Reeport\u00a0<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Reeport\u2019s\u00a0Etienne Gautheron didn\u2019t really see a strong trend for Made in France during this crisis. Nevertheless, he highlights the \u201cgeneral awareness of data protection with the implementation of the GDPR, and the conservation of data in Europe.\u201d He also mentions the need to\u00a0\u201clisten very specifically to French customers, who want to understand and be involved in their solution provider\u2019s roadmap,\u201d\u00a0and that\u00a0\u201cthe advantage of French solution providers is their high quality.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The customer relationship with French suppliers is different \u2013 it is far closer and there is more dialogue.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n R\u00e9mi Aubert, AB Tasty\u00a0<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n AB\u00a0Tasty\u2019s\u00a0R\u00e9mi Aubert doesn\u2019t believe in a Made in France approach to strategic issues other than health and defence \u2013 \u201cMade in France does not necessarily win over the customer\u2026 In the field of data, we must first compete on a technological level.\u201d He explains that \u201cthe advantages of the AB Tasty personalisation solution are that it can provide both quantitative and qualitative analyses (which its US competitors do not necessarily\u00a0do)\u2026\u00a0There is also a different customer relationship when it comes from a French or European player, which is far closer and\u00a0involves\u00a0more dialogue. And the crisis has highlighted these differences with the US players, who tend to put the customer in the background in terms of their direct relationship.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Michael Froment points out that the French solutions (mentioned here) are successful and are capable of penetrating international markets. \u201cMade in US is not necessarily a guarantee of superior quality.\u00a0Obviously, there needs to be an equivalent value proposition in terms of French players\u2019 functionalities\u00a0\u2013\u00a0it\u2019s important to note that that some American brands also trust European solutions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n If the data is strategic, you cannot work with a biased and one-sided solution.<\/strong><\/p>\n Mathieu Llorens, AT Internet<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cWhen the data is truly strategic,\u00a0you cannot work\u00a0with a biased\u00a0and one-sided\u00a0solution. When the entry level is free,\u00a0you need to\u00a0position\u00a0yourself on a more\u00a0advanced\u00a0and more qualitative offer which is aimed at mature companies in terms of data use,\u201d\u00a0explains\u00a0Mathieu Llorens.\u00a0\u201c\u00a0French\u00a0players do not have the marketing power of the GAFA\/FAAMG\u00a0\u2013\u00a0it is not Made in France that makes the difference,\u00a0and\u00a0these players can only develop\u00a0based\u00a0the quality of their functional offer and their expertise. Only the product can make the difference.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n What is the positioning of French solutions in the face of competition from Google, which offers free and fully integrated tools?\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Etienne Gautheron \u201cthe free Google Data Studio was not particularly bad news for\u00a0Reeport. Indeed, it has helped to evangelize the market. 90% of\u00a0Reeport\u2019s\u00a0users are former Google Data Studio users.\u00a0Reeport\u2019s\u00a0offer is aimed at complex organisations that inevitably have more advanced needs in terms of governance and compliance with legislation, which Google does not meet. The interconnection of data solutions is also an essential requirement and must be very simple, as it is the case today with AT Internet or Content Square. The national or European framework naturally places constraints, but from constraints comes innovation. It is therefore an opportunity to learn how to adapt and be pragmatic in order to address very specific uses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Google\u2019s built-in tools are not up to standard, and that\u2019s why we exist.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n R\u00e9mi Aubert, AB Tasty\u00a0<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n For R\u00e9mi Aubert, Google\u2019s integrated tools are not up to standard, which is why French solutions are present and gaining market share \u2013 \u201cThe problem with the free service is that it shifts contract signatures to less mature customers\u2026 there is also a need to put human (and therefore financial) resources into a data tool to achieve efficiency. However, if companies do not put resources into the tool, they will not put them into the human resources. When it comes to integration, it is the role of players such as AB Tasty, AT Internet, etc. to make it as fluid and simple as possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Free access\u00a0often\u00a0leads to a problem of data ownership.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Mathieu Llorens, AT Internet\u00a0<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mathieu Llorens explains that \u201cas far as the analytical part is concerned, being free of charge is relative. The Google Premium service (offer equivalent to AT Internet\u2019s), for small audience volumes,\u00a0is 10 times more expensive.\u00a0In other words,\u00a0you\u00a0need\u00a0to have a solid basis for comparison. The free service also leads to a problem of ownership of the data. In its general conditions, Google mentions that it can reuse the data for its own purposes, which is contrary to the entire spirit of GDPR.\u201d He highlights that \u201cfree access is often only temporary in order to\u00a0ensnare\u00a0the user in a closed ecosystem and destroy any competition before imposing a paid solution.\u00a0Take the\u00a0example of Google Maps, which\u00a0wiped out\u00a0most of its competitors with an almost free offer, before multiplying its prices by 50 in a few weeks. As for the integration of Google tools, when it excludes third party tools, it raises a legal problem of vertical integration, which is called abuse of dominant position.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n According to\u00a0Michael Froment, the technical integration of French solutions is not even an issue \u2013 \u201cTechnically, the interconnections are already simple and efficient. The main challenge is to make these connectors known to users. It is therefore more of a marketing challenge than a technological one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n With the announced end of cookies on Chrome, Google is threatening the data players who use them in their technologies. It promises to be able to combine paths and measure conversion with an alternative to cookies. However, are there any\u00a0particular concerns?<\/p>\n Google\u2019s strategy is to monopolise the information it is simply supposed to organise.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Michael Froment, Commanders Act\u00a0<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cThe market is gradually shrinking,\u201d explains\u00a0Michael Froment. \u201cFirst there was a ban on third party cookies on Google\u2019s network, then the deletion of natural keywords in the search engine, and now the removal of the standard cookie. Google\u2019s strategy is basically to gain access to the information that it is simply supposed to organise. The market will probably change with the emergence of players who will want to make the link between the brand\u2019s information (cookies first) and those in the advertising ecosystem (Google and Facebook).\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n On the issue of cookies and to compensate for their removal, R\u00e9mi Aubert says \u201cit will be important to work on user intention algorithms. With consumer behaviour being instantaneous, the lack of information for path reconciliation does not necessarily represent a genuine challenge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n We are reaching a tipping point, but there are still reasons to be optimistic.<\/strong><\/p>\n Mathieu Llorens, AT Internet\u00a0<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mathieu Llorens talks about a tipping point \u2013 \u201cWith the end of cookies, data control is about to be entirely in the hands of Google. The American company has managed to hijack the GDPR in favour of its Chrome browser and its logged universes. Nevertheless, there is still reason for optimism, as almost all US states have filed complaints related to these privacy and abuse of dominance issues. The entire digital ecosystem, in France and elsewhere, has an interest in keeping the Internet open and free of cartels, for healthy competition that promotes the development of businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n How can we reverse the trend of an Internet that is\u00a0closing down? How will French solutions be able to conquer new market segments? What strategies should be put in place and what can be expected from public policies for the data sector?\u00a0<\/p>\n French technology is well developed, but we need to be able to better market our know-how.<\/strong><\/p>\n R\u00e9mi Aubert, AB Tasty\u00a0<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n R\u00e9mi Aubert looks at the specific nature of the US market, which is much larger than the European market \u2013 \u201cEurope is not sufficiently incorporated in legal and business terms. A global alignment of European markets would be a good basis for the expansion of companies in the digital and data sector. European technology is state-of-the-art, but the point of improvement is in marketing to be able to better sell our know-how.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFrench companies are well supported by the State,\u201d explains Mathieu Llorens. \u201cI do not expect national economic favouritism, but existing laws should be enforced, especially in terms of international taxation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n We need a European label for technology, to unify the market and gain recognition.<\/strong><\/p>\n Michael Froment, Commanders Act<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Michael Froment believes in the establishment of a European label for tech, which would unify the market and ensure that French solutions are recognised in all countries \u2013 \u201cThe notion of industrial policy and the planning of the tools that are lacking (an alternative to Zoom, for example) must also be brought back to the forefront. In certain areas, Europe is absent, which inevitably leaves room for US alternatives.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Is it possible to build a data ecosystem with French solutions?\u00a0<\/p>\n For Michael Froment, it is both possible, desirable, and indeed necessary in some cases \u2013 \u201cThe way in which we communicate about the interconnectivity of solutions is key. The other important point is to have buyers of our French solutions, which would allow us to build a real digital industrial sector.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Mathieu Llorens is convinced that the choice of French solutions is safer (for all the reasons mentioned above), and ultimately more economical \u2013 \u201cIt is also essential to\u00a0raise awareness and\u00a0improve communication\u00a0about\u00a0connectors\u00a0between solutions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Etienne Gautheron refers to the diversity of solutions that can meet multiple needs \u2013 \u201cThe people-centred culture of the French players is necessary and a genuine advantage.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n To round off,\u00a0R\u00e9my Aubert\u00a0underlines\u00a0the international\u00a0aspect\u00a0of the French and European players. \u201cOur strength lies in our ability to address markets all over the world in compliance with legal rules.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With the current health crisis, many people have started looking into the benefits of relocating strategic industries to Europe.\u00a0But what about the data and digital marketing sectors \u2013 both of which are highly dependent on the US tech giants?\u00a0Here are the views of four leading French players in the data sector: AB Tasty, AT Internet, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12033],"tags":[2539,11603,17144,906,11205],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-61940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analytics","tag-building","tag-data","tag-ecosystem","tag-french","tag-solutions"],"yoast_head":"\nThe dangers of the GAFA\/FAAMG monopoly<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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\u201cDigitalisation is not a neutral topic\u2026\u00a0It is at the centre of strong societal, economic and political issues (protection of privacy, freedom of the press, democracy, etc.).\u00a0All of\u00a0our businesses in the data sector rely on data-based decision support. If they are no longer controlled or if their access is blocked, the danger for our economy is real.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nThe advantages of Made in France<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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The illusion of free access and solution integration<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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The end of cookies?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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A brave new\u00a0world<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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So, is it possible?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n