📰​ Le Fil I Creators, brands & media : the battle for attention

Photos, videos, tutorials, posts, webinars, news, entertainment, livestreams, brand marketing and content marketing... the production of online content is surging. It is driven by an ever-growing and increasingly diverse set of players : individual creators with anything from a few thousand to several million followers, digital-native media outlets, specialized agencies and brands investing heavily in their own content strategies. In the face of this content inflation, how do you reach and engage your target audiences ? Our alumni provide some key insights.

Thomas Mayol (PGE23)

Investisseurs 3.0

According to a study conducted by Paris Creator Week and the research institute Coherent Market Insights, revenue from France’s content economy is expected to reach €7 billion in 2025, up roughly 19% from 2024. It could increase five-fold by 2032.  By then, France is also expected to have grown from 350,000 creators monetizing their online content to 1.5 million. The “profession” is becoming more structured –  since January 2023, the Union des Métiers de l’Influence et des Créateurs de Contenu has represented, supported and protected this still nascent industry, which emerged barely 20 years ago and where influencers with millions of followers remain the exception. ‘Nanocreators’ with fewer than 10,000 followers actually make up the majority of members, while one-third of ‘microcreators’ (10,000 to 100,000 followers) generate more than half of the sector’s revenues. These revenues are largely driven by brands through commercial partnerships, sponsorships, branded content production (posts, videos, etc.) and even product co-creation. Yet while only a tiny fraction of creators manage to make a full living from their online activity, some have nonetheless managed to carve out a remarkable position for themselves.

Passion, patience and sustained effort…

This is the case for Thomas Mayol (PGE23), an independent expert widely recognized in financial education and investing, but it is the result of a long-term effort. “I’ve been passionate about investing since my teenage years,” admits Thomas. “Aged 18, while studying at emlyon, I opened my first equity savings plan and started investing with my student income.” At 22, he posted his first videos on YouTube with the ambition “to democratize financial education and help everyone, regardless of starting capital, build long-term financial independence. My goal is to make the most effective knowledge, strategies and tools easy to access for everyone in areas such as stock markets, real estate, taxation, investing and crypto.” His clear and didactic tone echoes Leonardo da Vinci’s idea that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” A multi-investor for more than eight years with a solid professional background in finance, Thomas now reaches an audience of over 600,000 people across social media and has accumulated more than 200 million views. “It took me three years to reach 10,000 followers and then things took off!” Patience and perseverance are two essential qualities for content creators starting from scratch, especially for those hoping to eventually make a living from it. The Investisseurs 3.0 group, founded by Thomas two years ago, has grown into an ecosystem combining training programs, expert-led support and a private investor network. It also includes an independent wealth management service that is accessible from €250,000 in investable assets. “We generated €1 million in revenue in 2025 and are targeting €2 million this year,” says Thomas.

Matthis Dessus (PGE23) 

Utopia

The art of offbeat storytelling

Matthis Dessus (PGE23) co-founded Utopia, a social media agency specializing in TikTok content creation in partnership with TikTok France, which now boasts 25 million active users in France. He also got into social media very early. “I started posting content on YouTube when I was 13. As a gaming fan, I immediately adopted a quirky, humorous tone that felt natural to me. That’s what worked – being natural helped me stand out.” He took that lesson forward, branching out into other topics such as music, always keeping a light tone and an original angle. He then moved on to TikTok. “It was a real revolution. A young, ultra-connected audience constantly seeking new trends found exactly what they were looking for there.” One of his first viral videos recounted the construction of a three-story floating house in Dubai, in his now well-honed style. It was a huge success and brand partnerships followed naturally. “They understand the benefits of being present on TikTok, but they don’t always know how it works. Our role is to figure out the best way to make them part of the conversation, before any commercial contact.” This is often achieved through the art of offbeat storytelling. For the insurance company SOS Malus, the goal was first to build awareness among 18 to 30-year-olds. “We stage first-time driving experiences with friends – all very lifestyle-driven.  SOS Malus only appears as a sponsor at the end.” The campaign generated more than 260,000 followers and over 50 million views. More recently, Utopia helped Center Parcs move away from traditional branding to highlight “the tourism assets of the regions where they operate, such as heritage, landscapes, exceptional sites, festivals and craft traditions.” Center Parcs recorded more than 200,000 likes across three videos and over 2.3 million views. Heetch, Audible, BPI, Yuka, Emma and Nair feature among the 80 clients of Utopia.

Paul Guedj (PGE14)

Club Med

Vivien Deparois (MS10)

Estée Lauder Companies 

The “on-line pilots” of brands stay on course

But how do large companies manage their essential presence on social media and new digital platforms in-house? Two “on-line pilots” of iconic brands share their strategy. “The objective remains to attract and retain our ‘great members’ by offering them unforgettable holidays,” says Paul Guedj (PGE14), who has spent the past two years as Head of Brand, Content & Social Media EMEA for the prestigious Club Med. “Ever since it was created, the brand has been defined by its pioneering spirit and expansion into new territories, whether Cancun, Punta Cana… or Instagram!” Next July, Club Med will open for the first time in South Africa, offering guests a two-part journey: an all-inclusive seaside resort on the Indian Ocean followed by a safari stay in a private 18,000-hectare reserve. “This new concept deserved to be announced in a truly original way.” The ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ campaign, launched in March, began with teaser billboards in the Paris metro: “This is not a film, but your future Club Med holiday in South Africa!” It then embraced a cinematic approach, with two striking 30- and 60-second trailers shown in cinemas and across online video platforms. Content marketing also plays a central role. The documentary series ‘Dream Makers – Creators of Happiness’, released on Prime Video on April 17, explores behind the scenes at Club Med across four 30-minute episodes through two narrative threads: how resort managers are selected and how the resorts of tomorrow are designed. And what about influencers? “We choose the ones we invite to our resort clubs. Most of the time, their feedback is very positive.” ‘On-site experience’ remains one of Club Med’s strongest assets...

The April 2026 Instagram content page of Estée Lauder Companies.

Jérémie Nacache (PGE13)

Antoine Ducret (PGE03)

BRUT 

Attention and engagement: the new conventions of content

“On social media the priority is to capture attention,” says Vivien Deparois (MS10), Head of Earned/Owned Media & Corporate Communications France-Benelux at Estée Lauder Companies Inc. “We operate in an environment where user behavior is largely driven by mobile scrolling and highly fragmented content consumption. The first few seconds of a video are therefore crucial: they need to immediately make people stop and watch.” How can this be achieved? “Each platform still has its own conventions of course, but the boundaries between them are becoming increasingly blurred. Formats circulate across platforms, usage patterns overlap and audiences now expect creativity, spontaneity and closeness all at once.” In this context, brands have to rethink the way they produce content. “We’re seeing a growing diversity of formats: highly produced content especially in the luxury sector now coexists with simpler, more spontaneous formats often captured in everyday settings. This combination helps create both desirability and closeness.” Beyond formats, consistency over time is what truly makes the difference. “The challenge is to build a clear editorial identity with content that is recognizable, coherent and published regularly. This consistency is what allows brands to build long-term relationships with audiences and generate trust.” The ambition? “To create a content universe that is both recognizable and engaging by combining creativity, consistency and an understanding of today’s digital behaviors.”

News reimagined

Traditional news content has also been reshaped by the rise of disruptive content creators choosing to publish on social media and YouTube. “We produce and distribute content focused on innovation and science with the aim of making supposedly ‘obscure’ or difficult subjects accessible in an intelligent way,” explains Jérémie Nacache (PGE13), who heads an edutainment video pure player that now claims 15 million subscribers and ranks as the leading “general media” account on TikTok. “The TV industry has seen a sharp decline over the past decade,” says Nacache, who also produces branded content for major companies including Renault, EDF, Samsung, Google and McDonald’s. “Television still dominates major live broadcasts, especially sporting events, but online audiences increasingly appreciate the freer, bolder, more relatable and more inventive tone of new digital media.” YouTube offers a wide range of high-quality and highly relevant content, as well as ambitious productions that create a buzz. “The documentary Kaizen – ‘continuous improvement’ in Japanese – follows the extraordinary journey of 22-year-old YouTuber Inoxtag. Followed by more than 20 million people across social media, he succeeded in climbing Mount Everest after just one year of preparation despite having no prior knowledge of mountaineering techniques or culture.” It proved to be an inspiring achievement for an entire generation.

For the launch of the Club Med in South Africa, the “Adventure of a Lifetime” campaign embraced a cinematic approach.

A social media guide for aspiring creators 

Are you thinking about launching your own content journey? It’s a great idea! 75.7% of the French population is active on social media, which influences 87% of buyers! On average, people in France use 5.8 social platforms per month and spend 1 hour 48 minutes a day on them. Here are a few insights and recommendations drawn from the 2025 Social Media Guide by E-Commerce Nation, with the top five social platforms in France: 

1. Facebook : a core social platform for ages 25 to 44 and older users, with a strong role in building communities and distributing content. 

Tip : seniors are increasingly active on the platform. 

2. Instagram : the network for creators, focused on visual content, lifestyle, fashion, beauty and food. It is especially popular among 16 to 25-year-olds. 

Tip : short-form video is key. 

3. WhatsApp : the world’s leading instant messaging app, widely used for private communication and increasingly for customer service in a professional context. 

Tip : use a simple, natural style. 

4. TikTok : at the heart of influence and trend creation. This is the preferred platform of Gen Z and a powerful driver of social commerce through TikTok Shop. 

Tip : create short content, designed to go viral. 

5. Snapchat : the augmented reality network, powered by dynamic filters and lenses. 

Tip : use Stories and ephemeral Snaps to create exclusivity. 

Clearing the smokescreen

BRUT is one of the pioneers of France’s pure-play digital media landscape. Antoine Ducret (PGE03), project lead in the Innovation division, describes its mission as   “putting news where there is none and making news interesting to people who are not interested in it, especially young audiences.” Followed by 20 million subscribers on TikTok and 5 million on Instagram, BRUT blends hard-hitting content aligned with the priorities and concerns of younger audiences – climate change, feminism, mental health, student poverty and social inequality – with a sharp, direct style. “It produces short subtitled videos focused on facts that are concise yet impactful for its target audience, alongside longer formats that break down complex topics or give prominent guests free rein to speak.” At times it also leans on personality-driven storytelling through skilled journalists. “Actor Pierre Niney once gave a one-hour interview to Aymeric, opening by praising the relevance of their previous conversations.” BRUT also positions itself as a neutral witness to unfolding history without filters or commentary, such as during its stark black-background broadcast of the closing arguments in the Gisèle Pelicot case. The company is working to clear what it calls the ‘smokescreen’ of mobile phones – filled with advertising and low-value content – instead opening up different perspectives for younger viewers. “Along the same lines, we launched BRUT Kids last summer, a YouTube channel designed for children aged 8 to 12.” This is a safe space overseen by parents and includes what it describes as the first news program made exclusively for children. “The content includes two types of programming: repurposed BRUT stories such as the life of two sisters living on an island who take a boat to school and original educational content covering topics like space, volcanoes and braille.” More tragic current events are also addressed but these are “adapted to what children aged 8 to 12 are able to understand, without either oversimplifying or overwhelming them”. The aim is to meet children at their level to fulfill its mission of informing them and opening their eyes to the world.

Matthis Dessus, Utopia: “Our role is to figure out the best way to make brands part of the conversation.” The result for SOS Malus: 260,000 followers and 50 million views.

The content of the future: human intelligence first

What will characterize the top-performing content of the future? Our alumni offer a mix of forecasting and grounded perspective. “It will not be robotized,” predicts Antoine Ducret. “While generative AI makes it possible to produce all kinds of content very quickly, it also raises the need to verify information – which BRUT does systematically – and to ensure ethics and transparency out of responsibility toward audiences. Human intelligence will remain essential. It drives creativity and shapes the relevance of our choices and decisions.” Thomas Mayol agrees: “The ability to bring intelligence and education, and to prove its usefulness will be the key to future success,” he says, adding that “relationships will become increasingly personalized.”

Matthis Dessus emphasizes constant adaptation. “Change is continuous and significant. TikTok Shop, for example, generated more than £500 million in revenue in the UK between 2021 and 2022 and its launch in France since April 2025 has been impressive.” Paul Guedj of Club Med highlights three key ways of standing out: “staying close to trends through increasingly rich and precise data analysis, maintaining authenticity in substance and bringing essential creativity in form.” Vivien Deparois agrees and expands on the point. “Today’s audiences have a very strong understanding of how communication works. They can quickly spot content that feels overly scripted or too promotional. This has heightened expectations in terms of sincerity and consistency.” In this context, form alone is no longer enough. “Attention can be captured very quickly but it is only kept if the content delivers real value whether emotional, cultural or informational. That value is what builds lasting relationships.”

Finally, Jérémie[LG1]  Nacache sees intensifying competition ahead. “The democratization of content creation is a powerful expression of freedom of speech. But the bar keeps rising to stand out and break through. You have to give it everything you’ve got,” he advises. As Oscar Wilde said: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

emlyon research and social media 

Social media also plays a role in the research conducted at emlyon, particularly within the MTCI (Marketing, Technologies & Customer Insights) research center. Mathieu Béal has studied the conditions under which brand humor – whether affiliative or aggressive – generates positive buzz or backfires. Yingting Wen has compared AI-generated and human-generated content on social media, highlighting the strengths and limitations of each approach. Charles Revue has shown, through the unexpected lens of comics, how partnerships with niche influencers can become a lifeline for small wine producers facing economic difficulties. Monica Grosso and Marta Pizzetti have analyzed 4,000 posts on X to understand how consumers experience shrinkflation. 

Their research is available at knowledge.em-lyon.com