OMNES Sandbox

What made you progress as a student, and still does today?

Constant questioning. Sometimes I try to curb it, but it is what keeps me going. When I work on consumer trends at the global level, I always have about twenty tabs open on the Internet, and I am so curious about everything that I have to be careful not to click on all the links!

Since the 1990s, Adeline has been involved in a daily routine of consumer research, packaging, omni-channel communication, and design thinking, diving to the depths of the mysteries of advertising: “In my business, I’m used to working along the entire value chain. This global approach, this ability to think at three hundred and sixty degrees, defines me enormously.” Before becoming an independent consultant, who designs content strategies and proposes product ideas, she wanted to reassure herself and consolidate an already “ironclad”CV by embarking on a certification in digital marketing: “My experience shows that you can go back to school even at the age of forty-eight!” Joining CREA Geneva in order to familiarize herself with current practices, she preferred to see a springboard where others would have seen only a constraint. With her boundless enthusiasm, the doyenne who asks “questions all the time” has forged a strong bond with some of her classmates as well as with the school’s principles, which are marked by universalism and boldness: “It was also there that I noticed how strong a junior-senior duo could be. It was a relief to realize that I wasn’t that far behind!” After moments of doubt and the experience of writing a thesis that made her feel quite alone, Adeline finished as valedictorian, and was even more reassured in her own demanding nature that she holds as a keystone. Not content with earning her executive master’s degree and eager to pursue a new chapter at the school, Adeline has since moved to the other side of the desk. In addition to her activity as a consultant in branding and insight, notably for Yoplait at CREA Geneva or Lausanne, the expert participates in further diversifying the panel of speakers.

It is through her meticulously prepared courses, and by ensuring that tools never take precedence over meaning, that she transmits her passionate leanings for brands through eclectic references, commercials, and other flashbacks. And the mix links small, yet powerful detergents that don’t skip a beat, strong chocolatey slogans, grinning cow cheeses for the joy of toddlers and yogurts that make life yummier: “I’m interested in everything because everything can provoke creation. It is essential to have a solid cultural background, and to enhance it not only with knowledge of psychology, sociology, but also with the latest Superbowl commercials. My main goal is to inspire students and expand their knowledge. As Hegel said, “Nothing great has been accomplished in the world without passion.”” Not considering any battle as being lost in advance, Adeline, who gives a lot of herself during her teaching and “receives just as much,” offers this advice: beyond what one might foresee, a great encounter can make for a master key. Her youthful dream of devoting herself to cetaceans having come to nothing in biology school, and even after having had the opportunity to interview one teammate of Commander Cousteau, Adeline preferred to opt for Political Science, then IAE Bordeaux — “it’s simple, I did not want to stop learning.” At the beginning of her career, it was thanks to her network that the novice got wind of a very selective pool of interns at Publicis. This was followed by numerous experiences in advertising and content agencies, where she was able to climb ranks, roles, and statuses.

The woman who clearly defines herself as a “brand activist” cannot compromise with her ethics, which are constantly at the heart of her marketing strategies and practices: “I always tell my students that if a brand has no purpose, then it has no reason to exist: its added value must absolutely exceed its strict commercial value. It’s a question of having a civic brand, of having a soul!” As a lover of theater, cinema, and American literature, it is hardly surprising that Adeline sets great stock in the rigor of words and concepts, since she swears by Raymond Carver or finds that the jibes of Charles Bukowski should be doted on, holding dear The Count of Monte Cristo in her bookish pantheon — “I find the wording to be so beautiful that I’ve read it again and again.” It would not be surprising if the woman who enjoys cycling the roads of the Pays de Gex, where she lives with her husband and two children, found some inspiration for her own escapades in the incredible adventures of Edmond Dantes. Whether the hiker is heading for Santiago de Compostela or meandering through the Jura, it is by varying heights and perspectives that she positions herself at the forefront of her field and refines a mastery she has strived to wield.