Outside the Box How a Talent Competition Broadcast on M6 Wants to Change Everyday Lives in France
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16 May 2012 week 20 Outside the box How a talent competition broadcast on M6 wants to change everyday lives in France Luxembourg United States RTL Group presents Britney Spears and Demi Lovato digital innovation to join The X Factor RTL Group environMIND team meets in Brussels France FremantleMedia France founds 123 Productions week 20 the RTL Group intranet Cover: Illustration by Andres Rodriguez (www.123RF.com) 2 week 20 the RTL Group intranet FRANCEFRANCE Giving tomorrow’s entrepreneurs a helping hand With L’Inventeur 2012, M6 is setting out to spotlight the work of numerous inventors and enable some of them to take their inventions to the next level. France - 16 May 2012 Many people may be unaware of the fact that go-getters, and some of the participants have a fair amount of the objects we use on a daily absolutely blown me away. There really are basis have their origins in France, including the some surprising people out there.” sewing machine, the chip card, the non-stick frying pan, safety matches and the iron. The fi rst episode of L’Inventeur 2012, which All these inventions revolutionised people’s daily showcased inventions including pocket-sized lives, as well as reshaping the destinies of their toilet paper, a spoon that sweetens whatever inventors. M6’s new show L’Inventeur 2012 it is used to stir and a foldable solar oven, draws on this long-standing tradition of creative was watched by 3.2 million viewers, giving the energy. programme an audience share of 20.7 per cent among viewers aged under 50. That evening, According to Albert Einstein, invention is all M6 proved to be the most popular prime time about thinking outside the box. The show’s channel among that target group. “The strength jury comprising four top professionals – CEO of the programme is its variety, because there are and entrepreneur Hapsatou Sy, inventor and several categories: inventions useful in everyday designer Jean-Michel Chaudeurge, consumer life, utterly nuts inventions, and inventions that expert Philippe Bloch, and distribution could change our planet. And there will also be specialist Pascal Gayrard – expect exactly this some surprises”, Alex Goude, who co-presents unconventionality of the budding or seasoned the show with Sandrine Corman, promised in the inventors appearing on the show. The jury’s brief 18 April edition of Ici Paris. is to sift through the inventions presented by the 170 contestants (whittled down from Produced by FremantleMedia France and 300 original submissions), choose the most inspired by the US format American Inventor, ingenious ideas and assess their relevance, the show is not entirely new to M6. Back in 2007, market potential and future benefi t to consumers. the channel already aired L’Inventeur de l’année At the same time, the jury members will raise any (Inventor of the Year). “That programme problems associated with the inventions’ future performed very well in the ratings, attracting an commercialisation. The fi nal choice of the best average audience of 3.9 million viewers, but inventor will be left up to the audience watching we waited to see the extent of the winning the live broadcast of the show’s grand fi nal. invention’s success”, explained Anne-Sophie At stake is a prize of 100,000 euro plus a chance Larry, Head of External Flow Production. The to market the winning invention and maybe 2007 edition was won by Raymond Garcia, make a fortune. whose vertical barbecue won over 10,000 buyers. But as Anne-Sophie Larry pointed out: In an interview published in the 12 May edition of “Sales of Raymond’s vertical barbecue did TV Envie magazine, jury member Jean-Michel not enable him to break through in this highly Chaudeurge explained why he had become competitive market. On the other hand, involved with the programme: “I agreed to do it thanks to the media exposure provided by the out of empathy. I want to help others make their programme, the second-ranking invention mark. I was genuinely eager to see some real featured on the show, Yves Vincent 3 week 20 the RTL Group intranet Hapsatou Sy CEO and entrepreneur behind a highly successful global and tailor-made beauty salon concept In July 2005, aged just 24, Hapsatou Sy embarked on her big adventure with Ethnicia. In 2007 she won second prize for business innovation in a competition open The jury (from left to right): Jean-Michel Chaudeurge, to young entrepreneurs. Today, there are Philippe Blochy, Hapsatou Sy and Pascal Gayrard 16 Ethnicia beauty salons in France, with 3 more due to open shortly. Brottier’s pulsed light hair remover, really caught on, and in less than fi ve years his company E-Swin generated sales totalling Philippe Bloch 10 million euro”. Consumer affairs expert, professional speaker and emcee, a veteran thinker about how best to serve To relaunch the L’Inventeur brand in 2012, in customers’ needs addition to a new jury the show has a panel of A graduate of ESSEC Business School, consumers. For the fi rst time in a programme Philippe edited several business magazines featuring jury members, anonymous members before publishing numerous popular works of the audience will also be given a chance to of his own. In 1994 he set up the Columbus have their say. From behind a two-way mirror, Café chain. Today, he is a professional this panel, which comprises 11 consumers, speaker and emcee who invests in start-ups will attend the auditions, comment on the and presents L’Entreprise BFM on BFM TV. contestants’ demonstrations of their inventions and pick up on the remarks made by members of the jury. Anne-Sophie Larry stressed: “This panel will play a key role in the contestants’ selection, Pascal Gayrard since it will have the casting vote if the jury fails CEO of Métro Cash & Carry France, distribution to reach a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decision about an specialist invention. Aware of the importance of their role, they explained: “We take the inventors seriously Pascal Gayrard runs a prosperous company because we are making decisions about the employing around 10,000 employees. He lives of people who have put everything into their started his career in the supermarket sector project”. in 1981 and went on to occupy several managerial posts in the distribution sector. In Another novelty in the 2012 version of the 1992, he opted to join Métro Cash & Carry programme is that the development phase for France, rising to become its CEO in June inventions by members of the jury has been 2006. replaced by a live fi nal which will give viewers a chance to see the inventions being tested in real conditions. Only the six best inventors Jean-Michel Chaudeurge will reach that fi nal, which will give them a last opportunity to ‘sell’ their invention by Inventor and designer, with a string of successful inventions to his name highlighting all the improvements that have been made. The three candidates subsequently After graduating from the prestigious École remaining will present an ad showcasing their Camondo (a school of architecture and invention, be given one minute to convince design), Jean-Michel Chaudeurge went on French viewers that their invention deserves to to create a series of successful products win, and then be left to the mercy of a public vote. including the celebrated babyfood steamer and blender Babycook (and Babycook Duo), The next episode of L’Inventeur 2012 will air on and an award-winning range of stylish, M6 at 20:50 on 21 May. comfortable, practical Babyzen strollers complete with warning lights, which will soon be available in 60 countries. 4 week 20 the RTL Group intranet A showcase for digital innovation and diversity From 8 May to 10 May, the event ‘Art, Life, Culture in the digital space – Letsgoconnected.eu’ took place in Brussels, organised by Bertelsmann in cooperation with NBC Universal and Vivendi. Guillaume de Posch presented RTL Group’s digital businesses to EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes. Luxembourg - 11 May 2012 Guillaume de Posch says: “RTL Group is actively pursuing its digitisation strategy: our linear free-to-air channels are already available on multiple digital networks: terrestrial, cable, satellite or IPTV. We complement our channels with multiple non-linear offers such as free catch-up TV, paid on-demand service and apps on TV, tablets and smartphones – in a nutshell: on all second screens available to the viewers. We will do even more in the future. Let us not forget that content is the key driver of the demand for such devices. European content needs to be nurtured and properly protected by copyright. A proper playing fi eld must be Guillaume de Posch and Rhys Noelke (left) explain RTL Group’s established among all industry players on such digital devices to Commissioner Neelie Kroes new distribution networks.” Under the heading ‘Let’s Go Connected’, Bertelsmann, NBC Universal and Vivendi The aim of the event was to enable showcased the diversity and creativity of participants to experience a variety of digital Europe’s digital landscape, ranging from TV, content offers and interact with digital content books, press to music and fi lm, at the Ancienne providers, platform providers, artists and Nonciature – the former embassy of the Vatican entrepreneurs. European Institutions, Member – in Brussels. States, press and industry stakeholders had the opportunity to witness the vitality and Visitors were led in groups through a digital geographical scope of legal digital platforms landscape divided into different ’salons‘ offering access to creative content. representing the music, publishing and audiovisual sectors. Guillaume de Posch, Kroes said: “My vision is a digital ecosystem that Co-CEO of RTL Group, took the opportunity supports European consumers, creators, and a to guide EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who competitive content industry.