A symbol of success and leadership, Mercedes Erra, born in 1954 in Catalonia, currently heads one of France's leading communications agencies, BETC.
In 1995, defying “Anglo-Saxon dominance” in advertising, she co-founded BETC, contributing to major strategic changes for many companies with emblematic slogans. Whether it's health issues for Danone, youth for Evian or vision for Air France, she has anchored companies in the evolution of consumer expectations.
In this exclusive interview, we reveal the captivating story of Erra's rise, exploring her deep commitment to women's rights, her perspective on the ever-changing advertising landscape and her belief in her power to drive positive societal change while giving a voice to the young generation.
Jalis Vienne : Can you tell us about your beginnings and what led you down the path of co-creation with BETC?
Mercedes Erra : When I was young, I thought everything was possible. I saw no obstacles: it helps a lot. I joined Saatchi & Saatchi as a trainee and a few years later, I was appointed General Manager. But there was something that really bothered me: each time I won a new international account in Paris, it was immediately transferred to Saatchi & Saatchi London, just as if “international” could not be “French-led”.
I was shocked. After 14 years at Saatchi, I ended up thinking that being in a group where decision making could be French would certainly make a difference. Havas at the time was willing to hire a new generation of young advertisers and to let it run the game. I joined my counterparts (I am the E of BETC) and we created BETC. Based on a very simple idea: build in Paris a global agency able to generate global ideas for big brands. We have remained loyal to this vision up to now.
J.V : You are a multi-entrepreneur and a successful one. What were the main influences or experiences that shaped your artistic and entrepreneur vision?
M.E : Our initial shared vision, it's simplicity, its relevance "an agency championing the global creativity landscape, but from Paris" was instrumental in our success. In luxury and fashion, Paris reigns supreme in creativity, its superiority is not disputed. There was no reason why we couldn’t bring our own brick in creativity in advertising.
Then, being loyal to this vision on the long term was also key. Time is crucial because success is a marathon, not a sprint. The second point was our obsession with talent. Each time we identified talent somewhere we wanted to hire them. We met many people and convinced them to join the company. I had lots of discussions with Rémi Babinet – the B of BETC - about the balance between strategic forces and creative ones.
In fact, an agency needs both to grow brands and their businesses. The third point is our belief that the world is run by ideas. Ideas persuade people, ideas make people dream, ideas are able to change people. There are good ideas and bad ones. A good idea is scarce and fragile, it can be broken easily. As we are in the business of ideas we focus on it, we protect it...
J.V : What were the pivotal moments in BETC's journey that transformed this project into the empire it is today? How would you describe the evolution of BETC since its creation?
M.E : The "Evian Babies" first film "The ballet" was a milestone for the agency. It was a strategic one because it was the first time we really applied our Creative Business Idea methodology, based on Prosumer®️ research, which consists of paying attention to what the most advanced consumers think.
But it was also a huge moment for the creative reputation of the agency: we took place on this global stage of creativity. Then we never stepped back. It has been a huge effort and it still is. After Evian, we had the Air France campaigns, from 1999 to 2020 (making the sky the best place on earth), which were aired and seen everywhere, and then the “France is in the air” campaign, including the famous “safety instructions” film.
Afterwards we were much copied. Then Lacoste repositioning: how to make the old crocodile desirable again? We are on it since 2004. The last ten years have been amazing: Lacoste tripled its turnover in ten years and we grasped 143 global creative awards! Is there a better proof that “creativity is business”? Another milestone is the win of our first American clients in the mid-2000s: Disneyland Paris and McDonald’s. In fact, we had already won some French clients that wanted to go global.
We then convinced American clients that we were able to handle international brands and accounts. And then, I felt a shift more recently, with some collaborations with global clients, either project-based or retainer-based, like The Coca-Cola Company, H&M, Danone. And most importantly, the identification of Bertille Toledano, Stéphane Xiberras, and Olivier Vigneaux, as our heirs. It was a matter of transmission. Rémi and I have continued to work on clients. So in a way, our forces were multiplied.
J.V : How do you identify potential business opportunities in different industries and how you bring them to bloom ?
M.E : We have had a long-term interest in the economy, observing the evolutions. We prioritize the development of our clients. We have clients which we are enthusiastic about, there can be ups and downs, but we never give up on them.
J.V : Do you have any rituals to find inspiration and motivation?
M.E : No. I think I am lucky to do a job I like so much, and to wake up every morning asking myself: “whom am I going to meet today? What will be the intellectual challenge today?” Etc... in advertising there is an absolute absence of routine.
J.V : What key management strategies do you employ to foster an environment that delivers results for your clients and projects?
M.E : We have always brought in as much talent as possible but with the lightest possible dose of process. We try to avoid hierarchy and its multiple layers. The agency is as horizontal as possible considering its size. Talent needs space to blossom.
We are much concerned with gender equality, at every possible level from bottom to top. That has been a focus all along my career. It is incredibly fruitful and stimulating for both women and men, and I think this gender balance has been a key success factor for the agency.
J.V :You are also actively involved in initiatives related to women's rights, ecology, and diversity. Do you consider advertising as a catalyst for change? What are the perspectives at BETC regarding these ideas?
M.E : Communication can move perceptions, minds, behaviors. It has a huge power. Change cannot happen without communication and it will play a key part in transition.
This is the reason why NGOs knock so frequently at our door. They desperately need communication on their topics, be it human rights or biodiversity. BETC has always considered that pro bono work is a major area of its CSR policy.
We decided years ago (very early in the history of the agency, around 2000), to dedicate time, energy, creativity to causes that we loved. Women have always been a focus, from Ni Putes Ni Soumises, Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, Global Summit of Women, and now Sista, United Nations Women, Women in Games...
Last year we gathered all our work for women since 2000 and frankly the final object looked as thick as a book. Human rights have been a big topic too, with our work for Human Rights Watch, for The National Museum of Immigration, for Reporters without Borders, for L’Auberge des migrants. And culture is the third subject: we are helping Paris Philharmony since its creation, Paris Opéra Comique, The French National Library for example.
J.V : How do you manage the balance between creativity and commercial responsibilities?
M.E : There is no sales force in the agency, but strategists, and strategy is a creative act of its own. Before we make the creative teams work, there has been a strategic approach, in which we are looking for relevance first, but also for creativity.
We know that when a dose of creativity has been impulsed in strategy, the creative work, strictly speaking, will be better. For strategists and creative people, there is no other option than working together.
J.V : Do you view your career as segmented into different parts or as a continuous line? What have been the biggest obstacles along your journey, and what challenges do you face today?
M.E : I view my career as a continuous journey. Maybe because I deeply think that one can always go further. I am never satisfied and I think that there is always something new to find, to invent.
J.V : What would the young Mercedes say to what you have become today?
M.E : That life is awesome. There are ups and downs but even the downs are interesting, they teach you something.
J.V : Do you believe there's a moment in a creative's career where something clicks, bringing them into perfect harmony with a brand? How can one create that breakthrough, that initial spark?
M.E : When rationality meets intuition and boldness...
J.V : We are living in an era where everything is becoming increasingly automated. Do you believe that the craftsmanship and expertise of creatives will be a more valuable asset in the future, or is it something that already belongs to the past?
M.E : Automation will help us go further in creativity; we are already exploring the opportunities it provides. But never forget that AI only works on the past, on the collected data, on what we already know. There is still space for human invention.
J.V : Considering the surge of social media and influencers, how do you approach these new forms of content and channels while safeguarding the brand's exclusivity and heritage?
M.E : Everything should come from the brand idea, and the idea can be expressed on all channels. In social media, you can convey some contents that fuel the brand idea or shade a special light on the brand idea. For instance, for Danone on health&food, there is a broad field for content.
J.V : Do you consider rebellion, innovation, and transgression as essential spices in advertising? How do you ensure staying ahead in the market and understanding the future generations?
M.E : It depends. Not everything should be disruptive. Sometimes we need to disrupt, sometimes we don’t; it is better to play according to our understanding of the consumers. Sometimes it is more relevant to find something which is deeply anchored in our human roots.
J.V : What role do you envision for advertising in society? And what role do you personally enjoy advocating for in your work?
M.E : Move the world forward. Make it better.
J.V : To finish this interview, can you give us your definition of luxury?
M.E : Things that people fill with value. It can be the value of all the work, the craftsmanship, the gestures of the makers. It can also be mental, psychological, or cultural value, linked to the storytelling about it, the imaginary that it conveys. Luxury can really be immaterial, intangible.
It is also about time, the essentiality of time, the quality of the instant. If I were logical, I would say that in a world where we have been overwhelmed by material things, luxury should explore the immaterial.
