Chief Strategy Officer Publicis France and President Publicis Worldwide
Pascal Nessim
Marcel
CEO
Charles Georges-Picot
Marcel
CEO
Anne de Maupeou
Publicis France
CCO
Gaetan du Peloux
Marcel
ECD
Youri Guerassimov
Marcel
ECD
Jean-François Goize
Publicis Conseil
Creative Director
Martin Rocaboy
Marcel
Copywriter
Clément Séchet
Marcel
Art Director
Sophie Larivière
Marcel
Art Director Assistant
Alice Drapanaski
Marcel
Art Director Assistant
Mathieu Andrieu
Marcel
Graphic Designer
Karine Poussel
Marcel
Graphic Designer
Stéphane Gaillard
Publicis Conseil
World Advertising Director Carrefour
Fabrice Derrien
Publicis Conseil
Executive Managing Director
Aurélie Fossoux
Marcel
Account Supervisor
Olivier Quiviger
Publicis Conseil
Client Services Director
Eric Guillod
Marcel
Account Supervisor
Olivia Baranes
Marcel
Account Manager
Elise Briane
Marcel
Project Director
Marine Borreil
Marcel
Project Manager
Nicolas Levy
Marcel
CSO & Managing Partner
Sarah Lemarié
Marcel
Co-Head of Strategic Planning
Luis Cervero
Control Films
Director
Why is this work relevant for Creative Business Transformation?
Act for Food is the strategic and creative platform that drove the corporate transformation of Carrefour in ten countries: impacting the entire value chain of the company, from the way we create our products and negotiate our contracts with producers, to the way we approach customer service in stores.
Background
The greatest challenge of the century is the ecological transition. But it won’t happen without a food transition. As conventional agriculture is the #1 cause of global warming and biodiversity loss. In addition to this heavy environmental cost, there are health and social consequences. Obesity is increasing. And the condition of farmers is more precarious than ever.
There are also, unexpectedly, business costs. The distribution model based on price wars, low-quality food products at low prices, is becoming increasingly unprofitable for the players who set it up. As margins are getting lower and field yields keep declining. Obviously, everybody is losing. The planet, consumers, farmers and even retailers.
Challenge: As the inventor of the hypermarket in France, we have historically been part of the problem. We were tasked to accelerate the transformation of the company from a price war model to a food quality model, and establish ourselves as the responsible leader of the food transition for all in our ten countries.
Strategy & Process (30%)
Facing the challenge to transform the company from a price war model to a food quality model, we had to find a creative platform strong enough to transform the culture internally, and our public image.
No small feat when you’re a historic leader.
Carrefour suffered from the « big bad wolf syndrome ». As a leader, consumers associated Carrefour with everything that went wrong with the hypermarket model, starting with the standardisation of our food system and agriculture. « When you’re big, you’re bad » You’re fighting for your revenue, at the expense of everything else.
The impact doesn’t stop at the consumer. This insidious idea, that Big = bad, prevented Carrefour from being able to truly reinvent and transform.
To win back consumers and employees, we reframed what it means to be a leader. Turning the leadership of Carrefour into a positive, putting our power at the service of bettering food.
Experience & Implementation (35%)
ActforFood is a creative platform that led a deep transformation of the Carrefour company worldwide, as now, every one of our campaigns is an Act for the food transition.
Worldwide
Acts to:
-Change a European law to re-authorize the cultivation of farmers’ seeds, with the BlackSupermarket.
-Finance 60,000 farmers in our agro-écology program.
-Remake our Carrefour label with the highest quality standards.
-Deploy blockchain technology for traceability and encourage clients to check product origin.
-Co-create with customers the largest vegan label.
-Transform the way we negotiate shelf space with brands to encourage quality.
Nationally
Each country has its own acts, specific to local issues. Some notable examples:
-In France, an act to finance the conversion of 2,000 farmers to organic farming, an act to change the law and make video surveillance mandatory in slaughterhouses, an act to defend 100% French organic food.
-In Brazil, an act to fight against food price inflation by carving the prices in steel on our shelves.
-In China, an act for food safety.
Internally
We launched Act For Change, a program that gives every employee the opportunity to introduce new acts for Carrefour, from product creation to innovation on our production lines.
Business Results & Impact (35%)
As it turns out, when you’re using the advertising budget to actually change things, you can do a lot.
Corporate impact: Our main goal was achieved as the creative idea of Act for Food succeeded in transforming the Carrefour company by putting CSR at the heart of its strategy, impacting its business strategy, products, services and operations, worldwide.
Impact for farmers, planet and health: We launched hundreds of Acts for Food in 10 countries. Notably contributing to change 2 laws on agricultural biodiversity (BlackSupermarket) and slaughterhouse video surveillance, fight against food price inflation in Brazil, convert 2,000 farmers to organic agriculture, finance 60,000 farmers in our agroecology program.
Behaviour impact: Our customers’ buying behaviour has changed as sales of fruits & vegetables worldwide rose by 5%, organic sales by 28%, vegetarian by 100%.
Image Impact: +8pt brand preference.
Business impact: Carrefour’s stock value increased by 9%. As worldwide sales rose by 3.1%, worldwide online sales boomed by 30%, and we became the leader in organic food in France.
Four years after, Act for Food is still the durable creative platform for Carrefour’s transformation worldwide. And the progress on food transition is published alongside the financial results in the annual report.