How Jean-Hugo Filion Is Leading Cossette’s Digital Transformation
Undoubtedly, the concept of ‘digital’ has been on a bit of a journey over recent decades. With the increased integration of brand experiences, and everything that happens on the screens we experience the world through becoming a crucial facet of the modern communications offering, the matter finds itself a key point of fixation and necessary evolution for agencies around the world. What used to be called ‘digital agencies’ are now just agencies.
Among these is Cossette, which, for the past 20 years, has really pushed the envelope in this regard. Nowhere is this more clearly indicated than with the recent promotion of Jean-Hugo Filion, who now holds the title of senior vice president and general manager, digital solutions. A proven leader who came up in account management, Jean-Hugo has spent two decades elevating the creative offering, forging strategic partnerships across diverse sectors, and, naturally, advocating for the expansion of digital offerings. Responsible for strong work with the likes of Google, Tourisme Montréal and Telus, but also internally, pushing for human-centric even amidst the questions of whether AI is coming for people’s jobs, he represents the blending together of both worlds, and the future of what Cossette can offer in this sphere.
To learn more about his career, his plans for the future, and what this promotion represents, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Jean-Hugo for a chat.
LBB> Obviously, the big news is that you’ve just been appointed senior vice president and general manager of digital solutions. Congratulations! How’re you feeling, and what does this opportunity mean to you?
Jean-Hugo> Thank you! Obviously, I'm super proud and I'm very excited for this opportunity. I've worked at Cossette for almost two decades, and during those 20 years, there's never really been a dull moment. I was able to witness big changes in our industry, especially in digital, and so for me, it's really interesting to be able to focus on this even more – especially in a time with AI. Truly, it's an amazing period to be working in this field while exploring how we can transform, improve, and more and more use technology for human good.
LBB> Building on this, can you tell us about the role you played in Cossette’s digital evolution? How has the agency shifted across the years you’ve worked there?
Jean-Hugo> Cossette was one of the first Canadian agencies to have a digital business unit, and so it's always been part of our entrepreneurial spirit to go for innovation and enhance our breadth of expertise.
With regard to digital, we realised that brand experiences were becoming more and more integrated. So it went from something very specialised (that 20 years ago, I would say was a bit foreign for most of my colleagues), to being part of our day-to-day life. I saw it grow from a discipline that was a little bit more remote to something that underscores everything we do.
However, what's remained constant for the 20 years is really that entrepreneurial spirit of always trying to find what we should focus on. That's always been the mindset here, and it isn’t going to change.
LBB> Tell us more about the agency’s appreciation for digital! What sparked the interest so early on?
Jean-Hugo> I think Cossette has always been known for integration. We always start with a human need, first and foremost, and then regardless of the channel, we want to be able to master all of the ways to reach someone.
When digital started to grow exponentially, I think people realised that you couldn't claim to be an integrated agency and be channel agnostic if you didn't master digital. And I think that's how the people leading saw it. They had the right mindset of seeing the big potential, while also realising it was something we needed to master to claim total integration in communications.
LBB> With that said, digitally, what are the obvious next steps for Cossette?
Jean-Hugo> The first thing I'll say is that I see technology as a means, and not as the main topic. It needs to serve a bigger purpose and human needs. I also want to make sure that as we keep growing, we're always relevant for humans and part of the culture.
In terms of where I see things going, in the past years, CDPQ has really helped us invest in future-proofing our capacities. So I am very excited to see how we're going to integrate more and more AI tools and solutions. We've also developed our own tool that allows us to use AI for a whole variety of functions. Keeping investment in proprietary tools like this is something that we'll see more and more with our group, and that's going to strengthen our capabilities.
LBB> Moving back to your career, you started on the account management side of things. How did this pave the way toward your interest in digital? Do you find the skillset to be complementary?
Jean-Hugo> First of all, I'm a very curious person and I like innovation. So, technology and digital are extremely rich areas of study when you're like me, because there are so many new things to explore and try. However, an equally big factor is that while working on major brands, I was able to see why digital transformation was so important. They always needed new innovations. To this day, that has kept me going.
To answer your second question, when you're in account management, of course, you need to have the hard skills for your craft, but also a lot of soft skills. And I think that in the digital space, it's especially important to embrace this approach, because things are always changing. What I learned throughout my career in account management was the importance of human relations and how to collaborate and get the best out of experts, especially when they’re very different. Having diverse angles and mindsets is what makes the product even more rich.
LBB> As part of this, you’ve also found time to forge strategic partnerships across diverse sectors. To what do you owe this success, and why is this such an important initiative to you?
Jean-Hugo> Because I like problem-solving and I'm interested in all of the categories, Cossette’s array of clients gave me the perfect opportunity to work with everything from telcos and packaged goods to retail and tourism. In all of that, I learned that at the core, it’s about the human’s needs first.
To this end, one of the chances we've had at Cossette is the opportunity to work directly with leaders in each of the categories. I see our clients as partners – we get better together, we learn together, and we're able to transfer learning from one client to another. That allows us to bring value, because it's a circle of learning that can be shared.
LBB> What are some of the main benefits of digital activity, from your experience? In what ways does it enable better product quality and business expansion?
Jean-Hugo> Recently, we released a new iteration of the Tourisme Montréal digital ecosystem. It's been our client for more than eight years, and here, we were really able to take the tools that are available to us to go further in terms of the experience on the website, and also to really enrich our capabilities in terms of data.
For me personally, what I’m very proud of with this is that we’ve built something fresh on the back of a legacy, meaning we can keep improving and evolving with the client into the future.
LBB> Of course, we have to touch on AI, which is an interesting subject given your personal emphasis on a human-centric approach. How do you see the two balancing out?
Jean-Hugo> Truthfully, I think being human-centric is more important than ever, because as AI becomes more and more utilised, we’re forced to focus on what's important for businesses and humans. For me, technology is always a means, but never an end. You have to think of what really makes people engage with a brand and what adds value to the world. Regardless of the channel or the technology that you use, if you're providing a meaningful connection with a user, this is the base of success.
LBB> Building on this, you’re strongly committed to mentoring the next generation, and promoting DE&I. What does this look like on a day to day basis, and is there any advice, digital-related or not, that you’d give to incoming employees?
Jean-Hugo> ED&I is very important at Cossette. Within Plus Company, our agency network, we have a strong plan with KPIs that we're measuring, but we also know we're on a journey. So, as part of this, we also have different programmes. We do communications consultation. We also do outreach to help give some communities access to our business. We want people to get involved!
With that said, in terms of advice, I would say regardless of your job, you have to connect with the culture. You have to understand what's going on in the world, and you have to be curious. Also, I would suggest being mindful about developing your hard and soft skills. Both are important, and you need to find the right balance to make a strong impact.
LBB> Finally, the work isn’t everything. What do you like to do when you’re outside the office?
Jean-Hugo> I'm a huge travel buff – in fact, I would say travelling is my biggest passion! I'm always planning the next trip, because I want to explore everywhere around the world. This has also worked out nicely at work, seeing as I’ve had the chance to collaborate often with the tourism sector, so I feel quite lucky in that regard.
Of course, I'm also the father of three dogs, so they keep me super busy at pretty much all other times!
