[Lengow Day] Interview with Michel Juvillier, President of the Editorial Committee

The editorial committee for the fifth annual Lengow day will be chaired by Michel Juvillier. Meet the digital expert who on 11th October, in collaboration with Chris Dawson (Tamebay), André Patrzek (Keller Sport), Guido Ghedin (Cifnews.com), Roger Graell (Mango), Noelia Ruiz Santacana (La Caixa) and Julien-Henri Maurice (BazarChic) will bring you a programme focused 100% on cross-border.  A consultant specialising in Marketing Technology and Paid Advertising, Michel Juvillier began his career 25 years ago with the French publication, Libération, before moving on to Microsoft/MSN. Over the last 10 years, Michel Juvillier has also worked with the media, advertisers and ecommerce players who are looking to develop additional sources of revenue via Data or Programmatic Ad revenue. While the preparations for Lengow Day are in full swing, we asked Michel a few questions about his vision of ecommerce.

1/ Can you give us an ecommerce-related anecdote?

In 1998, I met Christophe Charle, the founder of Cdiscount. At that time I was in charge of MSN's advertising sales at Microsoft. Christophe had grabbed my attention and fascinated me by his strong determination, his imagination and also his empathy. Not only for his idea but especially for his clients....

2/ If you were a superhero, what superpower would you choose to facilitate global ecommerce?

I would eliminate the language barrier. Aside from regulatory aspects, I am convinced that fundamentally ecommerce, like commerce as a whole, relies on trust. This trust is won much faster if both parties (the seller and the buyer) can understand one another by speaking the same language...It can also play two roles. It would allow you to be empathetic in order to understand the client's expectations and deliver the services that they expect from you. If I were entitled to a second superpower, I would choose free delivery for purchases made on foreign sites. According to a study conducted by Paypal in 2015, internet users would be ready to buy products from foreign sites if the delivery were free (50% of respondents), the returns were free (38%) or if the delivery time were faster (35%).

3/ A piece of advice for the internationalisation of ecommerce businesses...

Conduct a thorough analysis of local customs: This, of course, can be done through the sacrosanct practice of conducting market research, but also through a comprehensive (even sociological) analysis of the cultural norms and particularities of the country in which the online seller would like to launch their business. Dare to bring value-adding innovations: Strive to be different and stand out. This can be in terms of products, price or even the quality of the services on offer. In short, being non-conformist to meet the needs of an international clientele. Ensure a good level of logistical organisation for a multinational business that best responds to concrete elements such as stock management, delivery times and the after-sales service. These topics will be discussed throughout Lengow Day 2017 :)

4/ A word about Lengow Day?

It's a major European conference set to inspire, exchange ideas, and find solutions that enable the growth of ecommerce businesses on an international scale. See you in Paris on 11th October at Châteauform 'City George V for the fifth annual Lengow Day. To keep up to date with the latest Lengow Day news, head over to the event website,  keep reading our blog, and follow our updates on Twitter (@Lengow_UK) with the hashtag #LengowDay!

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