In the fast-paced world of tech events, where innovation and networking reign supreme, effective marketing is not just crucial—it's the engine that drives success. Today we’re putting the spotlight on our Chief Marketing Officer, Caroline Roullet, who has been in charge of marketing, communication, and branding matters for the event for the past 6.5 years. (And yes, half years count when you work on an event such as VivaTech!)
Let’s dive into how Caroline pushes the boundaries of marketing for VivaTech.
What do you love about working at VivaTech?
“VivaTech is a launchpad for businesses and connections in the global tech and startup scene. It's all about bringing together champions of tech and decision-makers from around the world.
“What I love about my job is my capacity to highlight some initiatives, associations, and incredible entrepreneurs that strive to have a positive impact on society, through technology and sustainable business practices, and give them a boost of visibility during the four days of the event.”
How do you maintain and enhance VivaTech’s reputation as ‘Europe’s biggest startup & tech event’?
“One step after another. Every year, we capitalize on our strengths, we work on our weaknesses, and we create new challenges (new audiences to reach, new countries, new launches, etc.). It always starts with clearly defined and measurable objectives. We also ensure that our positioning remains relevant in a context that is evolving very quickly. And then we test a lot of things.”
How do you balance traditional vs. digital and social media marketing?
“Our approach from a marketing point of view has always been to think 360°. Each lever has different objectives, reach, and return on investment. It is thanks to their complementarity that our marketing plan as a whole is powerful.”
How do you attract such a diverse audience, including startups, tech leaders, major corporations, investors, and the general public to one event?
“We reach out to our various audiences through different channels. For investors, we focus on relationship marketing management. To connect with C-levels, we leverage digital channels, especially performance-oriented ones. For the general public, we focus more on offline media.
“Interestingly, behaviors at events change over time, and the effectiveness of different approaches varies. It's all a question of dosage, depending on the objectives we set and the associated costs.”
What marketing initiatives have been most successful in driving engagement and participation in VivaTech?
“If we talk about awareness, the OOH campaign on Times Square was smart in getting people talking about the VivaTech brand where it was not expected. More traditionally, performance-based digital channels are good tools for generating consideration and conversion.”
How do you collaborate with VivaTech’s corporate partners to amplify marketing efforts and reach a broader audience?
“We try to work as closely as possible with our partners, with regular exchanges, to understand their challenges and align our promotional efforts with theirs. Our goal is to promote their offerings as effectively as our own. We work in parallel with a set of media partners, who have become much more than that over the time of our collaboration and who help us support this visibility.”
How do you stay ahead of trends?
“We listen to the market, we document ourselves, we read a lot, we question ourselves, we inspire ourselves. The advantage of tech is that it is so dynamic that you never get bored.”
What are your priorities and goals for VivaTech's marketing strategy in the coming years?
“It seems to me that data management is a key marketing topic for years to come in the events industry. The arrival of AI also changes the cards quite a bit. This offers new opportunities while knowing very well that it is through testing and safeguarding that we will be able to create effective solutions.”
What sets VivaTech apart from other similar events?
“VivaTech has something particular in its way of approaching subjects: there is a certain simplicity and kindness in the exchange, which allows very different people, from researchers to startups via investors or major corporations, to debate, share, and find solutions to the problems encountered. All while being very professional and return-on-investment oriented. We don't take ourselves too seriously while doing serious business.”
What are you excited to see at VivaTech this year as a CMO?
“This year, we are fortunate to host a program dedicated to CMOs: the presence of inspiring CMOs like Asmita Dubey from L'Oréal or Marc Pritchard from P&G who will speak on Stage 1, insights from experts in dedicated sessions on the Exec Arena stage, meetings with startups that make cutting-edge solutions built for marketing. I cannot wait to see it!”
Are you a CMO and interested in attending VivaTech this year? Book your pass and automatically get access to the exclusive CMO Program and CMO Lounge. Get business done, gain expertise, and network with fellow marketing peers.