Spy Game
When I applied to be part of the Havas Lofts program, I wished to spend the month in a host agency which would give me the opportunity to see another part of the media landscape and focus on the turn towards data, programmatic and content topics. Having the chance to see how it works from the publisher’s side for example, and what issues must be solved in order to work better together.
I also wished to stay in a country where these subjects are already at an advanced level, in order for me to have the most accurate and exhaustive information. Each country has its own specificities and its level of expertise regarding the advertising market, but I hoped I could have the largest and sharpest overview.
With this criteria, Dailymotion + New York appear to be the perfect combination except for one thing I didn’t completely realize before. Even if Dailymotion is part of the Vivendi group, the issues they are confronted with, the partnerships they are dealing with and the strategy they are implementing are nevertheless particular to Dailymotion and must stay somehow confidential.
In this case, it might have some conflicts of interest since I am not really part of Dailymotion, and Havas Media remains a client for them. For example, some partners might not appreciate that I am in the loop of emails or attending some strategical meetings. So I feel sometimes like a spy asking for secret information and running after everyone to rebuild the puzzle.
As a secret agent, I try to sneak in the links, and my coach helps me to talk to each person of the company with one-on-one meetings so I could ask them all the questions I have. And sometimes I find relevant and interesting points that could help me when I get back home.
As a secret agent, I am also now perfectly infiltrated in the city. Where to get the best burger in town, where to buy the cheapest Stan Smiths on Broadway Avenue, or how to get from a station to another with my cup of coffee in 15 minutes…I became Sherlock Holmes looking for clues and tips to enjoy every day.
And in New York, it is really easy to blend in with the crowd. I like this feeling of vastness; it makes me believe that anything is possible and anyone can be somebody. My co-workers reassured me by telling me that this first impression doesn’t last forever. Maybe they are right but for now none of them would want to leave New York at any price.
Since I am here, I’ve succeed in talking to strangers on the street, eating a different sandwich every day at lunch, jogging on the Hudson River, leaving at 6pm every evening, posting nice photos on Instagram for my friends and family, drinking 1 liter of tea per day, reading a book in Central Park and opening my mind to a new mindset.
So I may say that anything is possible, even the most incredible thing
