Doing business in...

France
By Jean-Pierre Beaudoin,
Past-President, Public Relations Organization International, Inc. (1996-99)
Managing director, i&e Consultants, Paris
Past-President, International Committee of Public Relations Consultancies Associations (ICO)
Director, PR Department, Paris Sorbonne University School of Communication (CELSA - Paris IV-Sorbonne)
Partner, Public Relations Organisation International, Inc.

For public relations assistance in France contact i+e consultants

1. INTRODUCTION

A. Brief History of Public Relations in France
As a profession, PR was introduced to France after the Second World War, along with the Marshall Plan. At that time, American companies started to establish subsidiaries in France and they, naturally, had a PR function within their organization. This was in particular the case for oil companies.

Gradually, during the 1960s, direct US investment increased the trend towards the introduction of PR and French companies, especially those with international exposure, although in small numbers, started to introduce the PR function within their organization as well.

In the 1970s the PR function was included in public administration, including their territorial organizations.

The development of consumer movements included the demand that government consider them not only as tax-payers, but also as citizens who had a right to be informed.

In the 1980s, the "corporate image" syndrome resulted in the growth of the PR function among French companies, although still only the bigger ones. PR agencies, primarily small in size, mushroomed. Most were, subsequently, taken over by either large US and British PR firms, or advertising agencies, with more or less success. Few large French agencies remained independent.

B. The current state of PR in France
Although the PR profession in France includes many excellent professionals, it is still a small profession. The estimate is that there are 15,000 professionals at all levels of responsibilities employed in companies, government or other organizations, of whom approximately 10 % are employed in agencies or as individual practitioners.

The profession includes many well-trained executives, lured to the attractiveness of the communication function, and the availability of good PR courses up to the highest levels of University degrees.

As the words 'public relations' do not always enjoy the highest regard, many practitioners call themselves "Communications Directors", even if they do not have among their responsibilities all aspects of a company’s communication program, and especially not product advertising.

Although media relations accounts for an important part of the professionals’ jobs, the recent period has seen a strong development of financial PR, lobbying, community relations (including sponsorships) and crisis management.

The market for PR agencies has grown in the 15 to 20 % range each year between the late 80s and early 90s. The economic recession in 1993 has resulted in a slight decrease in market volume and caused a number of agencies to disappear because their financial structure was not strong enough.

As is the case in advertising, the market-leading PR agencies are French owned, either independent, or members of large French advertising agencies.

2. INFLUENCES ON PR AND ASSOCIATED TARGET AUDIENCES

A. Political and Legal Environment
The impact of legislative and regulatory measures on corporate communications is growing, especially in areas such as finance, environmental protection and employment.

France has traditionally been a highly centralized country. Most political decisions are taken in Paris, and most initiatives are generated by government agencies rather than by Parliament.

In 1982, a series of bills was passed aimed at decentralizing a number of government responsibilities (e.g. in environment protection, education and social affairs).

Today, companies must take into account not only government, (central administrations (civil servants) and ministers’ staffs (political personnel) who play a key role) but also both Houses of Parliament, and the administrations and elected bodies of Regions (of which there are 22), Départements (100) and Municipalities (36,000). This does not include the European Union level, which makes more and more decisions with a national impact.

B. Social environment
France is a highly organized country. There is not one interest group that does not have its own association of some sort. Not all are equally representative of the full population concerned by their interest, but all exist, have their networks and their media. This aspect should not be overlooked.

France is a hierarchic country. In each area, there are opinion leaders or so-called "notables" who will become an opponent if you do not treat them as such. This is true in politics, but also in trades, medicine, journalism, etc. Look for who is a "mandarin".

France is an aging country worshipping the young. More is done for the young and thought of the young - or those pretending to be young - than there are youngsters around.

France is Paris and the Provinces. There is a rivalry between Paris, with 8 million inhabitants in its urban area (out of 57 million nationally), Lyon and Marseille with around one million each, and the provinces in general who tend to resent whatever is "parachuted from Paris". There is also rivalry between the provinces, each having its local chauvinism.

Local sensitivities should always be respected. There are only 4,000 municipalities with more than 2,000 inhabitants in France. Although not all are farmers, who now account for only 6 % of the population compared to 25 % only 30 years ago, the rural culture is not far away. Culture has deep roots.

C. Competitive Environment
Strong "liberal" competition is a relatively recent phenomenon in the French economy. French companies were mostly established and protected by government who, moreover, would in many areas fix the prices for goods, be it bread, petrol, drugs and many others.

The practice of fixing prices was mostly eliminated, except, for example, for drugs, under the influence of liberal ideologies and European regulations on free competition between the mid-70s and mid-80s. French companies have now learnt to be competitive.

The most acute area of competition is in mass retailing of consumer goods: a war is on between the super- and hypermarket chains, and between them and their suppliers. In industrial goods sectors, competition is also growing, but buyers tend to remain true to long-established suppliers, which makes it difficult for new-comers to break into the market.

A government body established in the ministry of the economy, the Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes, plays a key role in watching competitive practices and ensuring that market mechanisms are not hampered.

Once strong, the influence of consumers organizations has decreased dramatically since the late 1980s.

D. Economic Environment
Financial markets are well organized and controlled - both by government bodies and by trade organizations. Stock markets in particular look after the stability of market operations as a key tool in developing the role of the Paris Bourse in international transactions.

An intricate array of national, regional and local (not to mention European) bodies exist to help investors. Key criteria watched in granting government support are job creation, research, export, technology transfers. Beyond this, being accepted is a key in succeeding in France.

Increasingly, investors recognize the role of PR in contributing, very early on, to the smooth operation of any introduction of a new player in an area, whether it be within the financial community (listing on the Bourse), an industrial branch (market entry), a market (distribution and prescribers), or a local community.

E. Technological Environment
France is a world leader in a number of key technologies: aeronautics, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, software, but also, of course, in cheese, wine, fashion and perfume. As a result, you'll find highly qualified researchers and engineers, as well as journalists, in all areas of technology. They resent any vulgarization of scientific information, which often comes as a surprise especially to US newcomers.

Bring your facts, and expect very specific questions. You may even want to resort to French specialists as experts. You will find them, you will learn from them, and it’s a good way to make local friends... if you choose them well.

F. "France is different"
This is a motto often heard, with a sense of national pride when said by a Frenchman (or woman, for that matter), and with a bit of exasperation when in the words of a foreign HQ person who would prefer the world outside to be more uniform (or more like Britain - don’t even think of it when going to France - or more like home - "vive la différence!").

France is also different when it comes to PR - as different as Japan, the Ivory Coast or Morocco. International PR professionals should therefore have a clear strategy, but not arrive, particularly in France, with ready-made programs for local implementation.

3. PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICE

A. The PR Process
The basis for professional methods in PR is more and more homogeneous across boarders. Analyzing publics, researching the state of their opinion, defining a strategy to reach objectives, crafting messages and developing media will, in the principles applied, look familiar, with a few local nuances.

PR professionals (provided they are professionals) understand one another quite well. You will even find that more and more French people speak English, even if not always perfectly.

B. The PR Practice
As is the case with process, the practice of PR is also more and more homogeneous internationally. Professional codes are common. For consultancies that includes the Code of Rome, adopted by the International Committee of Public Relations Consultancies Associations with member organizations in 15 countries, including the US.

In France, the trade organization Syntec RP has developed standard references together with the Association of Advertisers to establish a framework for the relationship between agencies and their clients. In 1993, Syntec RP launched an independent Qualification procedure (OPQCM) which grants qualification certificates to agencies for three years, based on a review of their professional practice.

As an indication of the leading French PR consultancy approach, Syntec RP is a part of the French trade organization of business service firms, along with management consulting, research firms and recruitment companies.

C. PR Plans
PR plans developed by French consultancies look very much like the ones developed in other countries. One difference may be that, in this cartesian country (derived from the French philosopher’s name Descartes, a founder of Logics), more time is devoted to in-depth analyses of situations and less to a display of a variety of tools.

Increasingly, however attention is also being devoted to evaluation criteria and tools. This is part of the increasing professionalism among professionals, who are less and less satisfied with the traditional view that "PR is so qualitative, there is nothing you can measure", and a result of a growing demand by clients, who are less and less reluctant to devote part of their budgets to research, including result evaluation.

D. Do’s and Don’t’s of PR in France
DO supply as much background as possible to your local consultancy. Allow them to use their brains, rather than asking for a straight implementation of a ready-made program.

DO involve your French PR consultancy as early as possible in the definition of a strategy. Local input may well enrich the overall thinking, or avoid mistakes.

DO consider France as a specific country, but check for the coherence of national programs with those of neighboring countries or your home base: there are international influences at play.

DO allow an adaptation of your messages and tools to local circumstances: a video, brochure or other produced for one country may be counterproductive or ineffective in France (or any other country).

DO remember that the French prefer any material to be in French. In most cases it must be in French, especially when addressing institutions.

DO take continuity into account: the one-shot dissemination of a newsrelease or organization of a press conference is totally useless.

DON’T overspend. Or misspend. For example, advertorials or by-lined articles are not appropriate in France.

DON’T be shy, but be modest, however strong you are. French publics love to discover, but hate to be taught lessons.

E. PR Budgets
Fees are based on time-spent. You should get a schedule of rates by categories of personnel. Then all solutions are possible: a flat fee for an on-going program, a fee by operations, or a direct invoicing of time spent. The consultancy you retain must have a time-sheet system in place for its employees, which you must be able to check.

Expenses sometimes have mark-ups, sometimes not. Check this at the time of discussing the contract, and then require evidence of suppliers invoices for materials. This may have an impact on fee levels: agencies with mark-ups may look inexpensive in fees, but may not be in reality.

F. Consultancies vs. in-house
French companies have tended to have in-house PR teams, and resort to agencies either for specific tasks (producing tools, organizing events, etc.) or when advisory competence is needed (lobbying, crisis, etc.). As a result, there are few "full-service" agencies as you would find them in the US or Britain. Yet, the level of professionalism is comparable on both sides, and you will find superior expertise in specific areas in agencies.

G. France in International Programs
Coordinating international programs is a growing need. Our experience in working with international clients for many decades indicates that it requires specific skills and organization by consultants. It also indicates that France is more and more in a favorable position to serve as a coordinating platform for international programs, especially when it comes to addressing southern Europe.

4. COMMUNICATION CHANNELS AND MESSAGES

A. Advantages and disadvantages of...

(1) Word-of-mouth
France is a country where the most research has been carried out on the phenomenon of rumours. The French tend to believe whom they know and trust more than any media, but this is not a national characteristic: the same is true in many other countries if not for mankind in general.

Word-of-mouth is particularly effective and useful among specific interest groups. It becomes extremely damaging when hostile. But again this is standard. And it does not start spontaneously: one can often trace the origin of any shared opinion.

(2) Print media
The French read few daily newspapers (the largest daily circulation is less than 800,000 copies), more weeklies, a mass of trade magazines, and are said to be poor readers in general.

Yet, the print media are most effective when targeted using factors other than just circulation numbers. PR media planning tends to be a focussing discipline rather than a pure tool for wide visibility. The print media industry is undergoing a major restructuring, partly with British and German print groups gaining entry into the market. One point to note: the strength of youth publications in France.

(3) Electronic media
Radio audiences are increasing in numbers, as are the number of radio programs. TV is well watched, with six national channels, but cable TV has failed to become popular. TV is for impact, not credibility: polls show that the French trust TV journalism less and less. As little as they do politicians...

A French feature in electronic communication is the widespread Minitel, a national teletex network with terminals in some 5 million homes. It has become a standard tool for information access. At work, the French are not yet big users of EMail, but they utilize Minitel for professional purposes.

B. Important Message Elements

(1) Dominant styles
Each form of communication has its style. Cultural and graphic references are diverse and impact the style of each public and type of message.

From comic strips (a Franco-Belgian specialty) to financial ads, France shows a diversity of styles - perhaps greater than are to be found in "anglo-saxon" environments.

The French like to play on words, but, in a professional environment, they appreciate clarity. The print media is influenced by the use of headlines and photographs: copy is brief, with headlines and pictures.

The French appreciate good speakers, not theatrical but not boring, even for technical presentations. Visual aids are now expected in all circumstances.

(2) Indirect vs. direct messages
A poetic people, the French like metaphors, provided that they are first told what it is about. Seduction is less and less a stand-alone exercise: facts first. And everybody will have an opinion on the facts.

C. Channels and credibility
Depending on which public you are addressing, and with which message, the channel chosen must be the one that has the closest, and most credible, link to the message: it must be identified by the audience as reliable for the specific type of message. Apart from this, there is no general rule.

Doctors continue to be included among the most reliable sources of information for the French, as opposed to TV journalists. Across the country, regional daily newspapers continue to enjoy a high credibility. They are also the only sector of dailies which are the most profitable.

D. Messages and credibility
Science and technology are seen as adding credibility to any message. Promises are no longer taken for granted. Recent research shows that the French like innovation, and can distinguish between what is new and that which is innovative.

Respecting the environment and being good for one’s health are also increasingly useful messages, not unlike what is seen in other developed countries. Yet, the French are not very militant in either area.

In all cases, messages must convey the impression that the sender has understood his audience and speaks the same language. In one word: messages must be formed to help integrate them into a given community.

E. Effective strategies and tactics
Combine credible channels and integrated messages, and you have the answer. Which means that you must first gain an in-depth understanding of your publics.

French people like to be listened to before being addressed, and opinion-leaders like to be recognized as experts. Call for their help as you offer yours.

5. CONCLUSION

A . Summary
The French practice of PR is not fundamentally different from that in comparable countries. But the country itself, i.e. the field on which the practice is performed, is different from any other.

In approaching PR in France, you should, therefore, be very specific as to who you are and what you want to achieve, then listen to the advice of a local professional for the design and implementation of a strategy and program.

You will be able to recognize whether the strategy and program are developed professionally, because you will recognize the process. You may be surprised by some aspects of the recommendations, but by asking questions, you, as a fellow professional, should be able to verify that the course of action is not misdesigned.

B. Key Elements to Remember
Media are not almighty. Seek direct communication with key influentials: they will supply you with strategic information and will play a key role in your success or failure. Seek integration rather than visibility.

C. The future of PR in France
There is room for growth for the profession in France.

If PR professionals continue to raise their level of competence in management issues and therefore their ability to cooperate with the highest levels of management in other disciplines, whether finance, human resources, technology, or other, they have all the assets to play an increasing and justified role in managing corporate image as a corporate asset.

For public relations assistance in France contact i+e consultants