In France, it makes good projects, but we do not know how to sell

Six French start-ups and innovative have completed an internship in New York city to learn the ropes of marketing and communication at the american. What to catch in this area. Story.

Ten days of immersion in entrepreneurial culture american. This is the program that come to live six designers from the French start-ups, stay in New York. The goal: to learn to please the country of communication and marketing.

"In France, it made a lot of good projects, but it does not know how to sell it, so here...", ahead of Lionel Guillaume, founder and general director of "44 screens", a young French company specialized in the accompaniment, interactive visits, cultural. Now, he promises: he will no longer be business as before. "It has come to both to really be certain that we will apply what we learned here... It's inspiring," says he.

Meeting with potential clients

With representatives of five other start-ups, he has just spent ten days to follow the program of the French-American Digital Lab, created last year by the cultural services of the French embassy to help young French companies innovating to penetrate the american market.

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Workshops "marketing strategy", "reflection on design", training on legislation and human resources, meetings with economic actors, and appointments with potential customers and presentations in public: nothing is left to chance.

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"It is a program that allows, in a first time, to understand, to see what's happening and arm themselves for a return to the american market," says Thomas Michelon, cultural consultant, assistant of the embassy of France in the United States. The jury, composed primarily of American, has selected young companies whose products can be distinguished on the u.s. market.

Lionel Guillaume is already in discussions with museums in new york, interested by this mix of culture and innovation, the leg of French companies in the eyes of Americans.

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mode Side, the delegation includes INDUO, which manufactures cotton shirts, water-repellent, on which glide in coffee, wine, and even sweat, without any stain. Its marketing director, Pauline Guesné, has met in New York several potential customers of small brands, "to nurture".

the importance Of storytelling

Contact taken also for Pierrick Chabi, founder and managing director of Wakatoon, him with a famous tv channel for children. In France, its application, turns the coloring pages in cartoons, has already attracted the editor Bordas and national Education.

"I would not have come to New York if it was not for that," he said about the "Lab", of which this was the second edition, in collaboration with the incubator Made in NY Media Center and the support of Business France. A few minutes after a presentation to the public that he has extensively worked on during these ten days, it is said, also, revived by this stay at the contact of the us economy and entrepreneurship US.

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"I'm rather enthusiastic in nature, but in France, one wonders if it serves to something, says the Franco-Beninese arrived in France in 2000. Here, it is necessary."

"The important thing here is to tell a story, the storytelling," observes Hélène Fromen, co-founder and general manager, Wellcut, which allows you to quickly share video content.

the six winners of The "Lab" will leave with the ambition to go back, soon, gain a foothold in the United States. Set foot on an american market of 320 million people would be a nice boost.

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gain a foothold in New York

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But for Thomas Michelon's not a question of helping them to leave France. The man insists on the term "marketing" in the United States, because the idea is that these companies retain their base in france. "If we help a start-up," he says, "this is also to help the employment in France."