BrazilBCG buys GOV app to foster dialogue during large transformations
Boston Consulting Group has completed its second acquisition in the space of a month. In France, the management consulting giant has bought GOV, an app that facilitates large-scale social dialogue and participation.
The French start-up GOV was founded in 2014 by entrepreneurs Pierre-Alexandre Teulié and Bobby Demri. Their product GOV is a free app for iPhone and Android that allows people to express their opinion on political, societal or economic issues, and interact with one another. GOV was notably used during the 2017 French presidential elections, enabling citizens to provide feedback on politicians and political debates, and providing campaign teams and media with real-time feedback on sentiment and trends.
During the elections, the GOV tool proved itself as a valuable tool for its user friendliness and speed, although its output was not always spot-on. With around 50,000 users at the time, GOV was able to accurately predict the rise of candidates François Fillon and Benoît Hamon, but was less effective in predicting the results during the final stages, when President Emmanuel Macron of En Marche! ousted top rival Marine Le Pen of the National Front.
However, the co-founders have from the start emphasised that GOV does not seek to reflect the voice of France’s society (its sample is too small to be representative), instead it is a digital-driven approach that facilitates hearing people’s views and fosters two-way dialogue. “People want to be consulted and listened to. We respond to this need,” said co-founder Teulié in discussion with French newspaper Le Figaro.
Based on the momentum booked during the elections, GOV has since monetised its value by selling its tool as a white label solution to local authorities and businesses. It is this activity which drew the interest of Boston Consulting Group, one of the world’s largest consulting firms and a leading player in the strategic consultancy domain.
Dialogue during large transformations
BCG helps clients from all sectors with large transformations, from strategy through to human capital. Using the app, the consultancy bolsters how its project teams can reach out to employees across levels and borders, in order to gather input on matters including strategies, innovation, new products or employee policies. Alongside gaining valuable input for crafting transitions plans, it paves the way for a more inclusive approach to change, enabling project teams to timely respond to concerns or opportunities.
As a result, BCG’s projects will face less resistance and ultimately enjoy a higher probability of success, is the firm’s line of reasoning. According to Ludger Kuebel-Sorger, a partner at BCG in Germany and global head of the firm’s software and solution arm, the new tool “will help support the drive commitment of teams across major transformation projects.” Kuebel-Sorger also highlighted that GOV, now rebranded as ‘Tuned by BCG’, will assist innovation and organisational goals as it supports “continuous dialogue between management and employees.”
The transaction sees GOV co-founder Bobby Demri join BCG in France as Director of Business Solutions. Pierre-Alexandre Teulié meanwhile works at Nestlé, as the head of the company’s e-business, communication, sustainable development and public affairs activities in France. According to co-founder Demri, “joining a global powerhouse such as BCG provides the opportunity to rapidly scale at an international stage.”
The move comes three months after BCG launched two new divisions in France: BrightHouse (a purpose-driven branding consultancy) and Digital Ventures (the firm’s venturing and digital ideation wing). Boston Consulting Group’s French division has close to 600 consultants, and France is also home to BCG’s European innovation center for operations and Industry 4.0.
