It is a huge task to understand the aspirations and values of people today, especially if looking beyond the standard socio-professional profiles. However, this was the ambitious journey that Maison Moderne - the publisher of Delano and Paperjam – embarked on to find out what its readers, customers and members share, what unites them and what their common aspirations are.
The process involved seeking the expertise of anthropologist Dr Abdu Gnaba. His mission? To find and observe "our" Maison Moderne tribe. Over the course of several months Gnaba approached readers, members and clients, and talked with various Maison Moderne teams, encouraging them to share their thoughts, expectations and behaviour.
Dr Abdu Gnaba accompanied and supervised the work initiated by Maison Moderne. Simon Verjus/Maison Moderne)
The result of this work was presented this Wednesday morning to some 150 clients and partners of Maison Moderne at Kinepolis in Kirchberg, at Maison Moderne’s traditional “rentrée” event. The final outcome includes a manifesto that defines the tribe as closely as possible, even though sharing of values is, naturally, a matter of varying degrees. The tribe has been labelled, the Evolutionaries.
"A revolution starts from a single point and comes back to the same one. An evolution starts from one point and ends up at another, and so on," explains Gnaba. "The Evolutionary is the person who, before wanting to change the world, works on themself, the one who also says to themself that society is made by us all. The Evolutionary knows how to seize opportunities, how to anticipate the next move, how to shape the achievements of the past..."
The evolutionary is someone who, before wanting to change the world, works on themself, who also tells themself that society is made by all of us.
Because we are all different and evolving, this manifesto is a collection of points, some of which are common, and aspirations. Because our approach has not been dogmatic, the manifesto is open to debate, discussion and contradiction. Because we are on the move, in transition, in a world in motion, this manifesto will evolve.
Mike Koedinger, founder and chairman of Maison Moderne: "We also wanted to understand what unites our tribe at a time when the world is divided between populists and progressives. (Simon Verjus/Maison Moderne)
“Several extracts from the manifesto have been published on the internet in order to measure the degree of adhesion of our readers via a poll. It is very high, which is reflected in the responses of the more than 1,600 participants," said , founder and chairman of Maison Moderne.
We assume and share our responsibility for the positive development of Luxembourg, for a strong, transparent and inclusive democracy.
The manifesto should inspire the company's different departments in the changes carried out in recent months. The covid crisis was, indeed, seen as an opportunity to set in motion a vast transformation process. "Especially in favour of a different corporate culture," explained , CEO of Maison Moderne. "A bilingual culture where English and French are increasingly used equally. A culture based on trust, cooperation and respect for those who work there." And a clear desire "to care about the cohesion of Luxembourg society, and a positive image of the country. We assume and share our responsibility for the positive development of Luxembourg, for a strong, transparent and inclusive democracy,” Knudson added.
This desire "to accompany Luxembourg's growth in a critical but constructive way, by providing a context for everyone to understand the latest developments" will be put into practice via the events organised by the Paperjam + Delano Club, which has 1,100 members and hosts more than 250 annual events and is the largest in the Greater Region. But also in the editorial offer. "Paperjam and Delano currently have four bi-daily newsletters, as well as several thematic newsletters,” said Dominique Gouviaux, head of media, sales and solutions. Delano’s brand new International newsletter launched on 22 September and a biweekly Finance newsletter in English will be sent out starting 19 October. The two magazines produce 60 issues and supplements (including 4 new ones for Delano) a year, including 32 digital dossiers.
Advertising sales + Content agency = Brand Studio
2021 has also been a year of transformation for Maison Moderne’s advertising sales department and content agency, which are now united as the company’s Brand Studio. "We want a better understanding of our customers and their expectations. The Brand Studio is there to respond to this strong demand from companies to communicate in a different way beyond traditional advertising, to convey their values, their vision, their expertise. We want to offer strong narratives based on strong brands, and thus build lasting partnerships," says , Director of the Brand Studio, which has a team of 67 people.
Emmanuelle Thivollard (head of content strategy) and Youcef Damardji (Brand Studio director). (Photo: Simon Verjus/Maison Moderne)
To achieve this, a new strategy has been put in place: "Firstly, to understand the business objectives in order to define a relevant and value-creating content strategy. Then, create effective, multi-media content that meets the objectives. Finally, deliver the right message to the right target at the right time. Not forgetting to ensure regular follow-up and monitoring," explained , head of content strategy.
"But we've all had to deal with changes in recent times, sometimes radical in approach and method. We're counting on you to help us change things, and you can count on us to help you. This is an important turning point for us, but also for you", concluded , strategic business development advisor and partner with the firm.
This article in French on Paperjam.lu. It has been translated and edited for Delano.lu