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“MAKES SENSE?” Ep. 21: The Art of the Second First Impression with Alban Duron (SKEMA 1996), Marketing Director at JCDecaux
In the SKEMA Alumni community, everyone knows this reality: careers progress, skills evolve, ambitions change... but the image that others have of us sometimes remains stuck in an old version. After a few years, we become "the one who does that", "the one who did that", as if everything were frozen when everything, precisely, has changed.
This 21ᵉ episode of MAKES SENSE? explores how to renew, surprise again, "re-brander" and evolve your professional trajectory.
From Luke Skywalker to Mark Hamill: a metaphor that speaks to all alumni
The Star Wars saga offers an illuminating parallel: Luke Skywalker represents evolution, transformation, moving from one role to another with coherence and impact.Conversely, his interpreter, Mark Hamill, has long remained locked into a single character, unable to break the public perception associated with that role.
Harrison Ford, on the other hand, succeeded in doing what every leader aspires to do: broaden his range, surprise, impose new codes, from galaxy pilot to professor-adventurer to neo-black hero.
In professional life, the same pattern can be found: some remain locked into their "first role", while others succeed in embodying several successive, coherent identities.
The expertise of an alumnus: tips for successful rebranding
This episode welcomes Alban Duron (SKEMA 1996), Marketing Director of JCDecaux. Alongside Kevin Erkeletyan, he deciphers the crucial notion of second impressions.
Through the history of Jean-Claude Decaux, the evolution of street furniture and the strategic return of Burger King in France, the exchange highlights several useful levers for alumni seeking professional advancement.
Among the key ideas explored:
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how to become a "positive surprise" in the eyes of those around you,
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how to signal a profound transformation without denying your career path,
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how to rewrite your career story to open new doors,
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how to go from "the person who has always done X" to "the ideal person to do Y".
A set of concrete tactics for creating, repositioning, clarifying and, above all, regaining control over how others perceive our career path.
Episode in French*
