INfluencia: Why did you decide to sponsor a sailboat again for the Vendée Globe after a relatively disappointing previous edition?
Camille Eyraud: Our involvement in this Vendée Globe is linked to a story of encounter and passion. We are a house that operates very family-style. Olivier Baussan created the company in 1975. Reinold Geiger bought it in 1996 and has controlled it ever since. This family functions very much based on its passions. Reinold Geiger is a former professional skier and often sails with his loved ones on sailboats. With his son Adrien, who is CEO of the group, he fell in love with the person that Clarisse is and that explains our return to the Vendée Globe.
IN. : What are the reasons for this crush?
C. E. : Adrien was touched by the values that Clarisse embodies. He had already met in the past before completing their partnership. Clarisse's vocation is to commit to women and promote female leadership in sailing. Her journey led her to defend this cause and our house became involved very early on in these issues. We make it a point of honor to support all women in their personal and professional projects. In 2020, we decided to take a strong position on the key issue of parenthood by becoming the first international cosmetics group to implement a parental leave policy on an international scale. This policy applies to our employees worldwide, including in company-owned offices, factories and stores. The main parent benefits from a minimum leave, paid at 100%, of 20 weeks and the second from a paid leave of at least 12 weeks. This measure fits perfectly into Clarisse's fight as she seeks to combine her role as mother with her professional aspirations.
Camille Eyraud, Head of Brand Impact and Vendée Globe project manager
IN. : Clarisse is also an excellent communicator…
C. E. : Clarisse has a strong ability to feel the beauty of the world and she knows how to share her feelings. She has genius and a constant desire to create connections with as many people as possible. We see this especially when she visits schools and talks to children. There is a strong, quite intimate emotional dimension in her which is added to her human dimension.
IN. : Have you set specific sporting objectives for your sailor?
C. E. : No. We only want her to shine and have fun. We hope this will allow her to finish the race in the best possible place for her.
C. E. : No. The sailboat is owned by Alex Thomson who also employs the team in charge of the boat. Our commitment as a sponsor runs until the end of this Vendée Globe.
IN. : What promotional and communication operations do you plan to deploy during this race?
C. E. : We talked a lot with Clarisse about how we wanted to communicate together. What messages would we like to convey and in what forms? We quickly decided not to have a physical presence at the start of the race in Les Sables d'Olonne. We preferred to shoot a series of five fairly short videos around Clarisse and the values she defends. The first episode was revealed just after the start of the race and a new video will be broadcast every month. These films will be played on loop in our stores and can be seen on our website and on social networks.
IN. : Will Clarisse also publish content during the race?
C. E. : Without a doubt, but this file is managed by his sailing team, not by us.
IN. : Is the navigator also involved in the development of your skincare and beauty products?
C. E. : Yes. Clarisse is experimenting with a regenerating treatment which is available in our spas. Its benefits are more effective than a 20-minute nap and Clarisse will test it during the race to test its efficiency in extreme conditions.
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