L'ObSoCo

What L'ObSoCo does

L'ObSoCo (L'Observatoire Société et Consommation) is an independent French research and strategy-consulting firm headquartered at 29 Avenue Philippe Auguste, 75011 Paris, founded in 2011 by economists Philippe Moati and Nathalie Damery. The firm studies transformations in French lifestyles, consumer behavior, and citizen expectations, combining quantitative surveys (typically 3,000-4,000 respondents) with qualitative and ethnographic methods. Its core technology is a portfolio of proprietary analytical frameworks and sociological segmentation models, plus a longitudinal multi-wave observatory design (territories, telework, proximity, longevity, utopics, information fatigue, vacation habits) that produces time-series proprietary datasets unavailable to ad-hoc research competitors.

Commercially, L'ObSoCo monetizes through four product lines: Observatoires (recurring multi-wave study programs with documented partnership pricing of €25,000 HT per sponsor slot, three slots per observatory, or €65,000 HT for exclusive partnership on multi-year contracts), Etudes & dispositifs ad-hoc (custom research for specific client needs), Conseil en stratégie (strategy consulting applying L'ObSoCo insights to corporate positioning and economic models), and Conférences & interventions (expert speaking and training). Demand generation is driven by thought-leadership content: a weekly newsletter ('Le Coup d'œil hebdo'), a podcast series, the Le Cercle membership community, and consistent media coverage. The firm serves large French enterprises and public institutions across retail (Casino Group, Carrefour, Auchan, Syndicat de la Librairie Française), banking (Crédit Agricole), transportation (SNCF), construction/real estate (Bouygues, Action Logement), environmental agencies (ADEME), media (Arte), foundations (Fondation Jean-Jaurès), and tourism (Huttopia, France Silver Éco).

L'ObSoCo is founder-controlled with a professional management layer: Guénaëlle Gault as Directrice Générale (CEO, previously TNS Sofres and Kantar), Agnès Crozet as Directrice Générale adjointe (Deputy CEO, previously CCI Paris Île-de-France), Marie Gariazzo as Directrice (previously IFOP), Boris Descarrega as Directeur Associé leading the statistics pole, plus Véronique Varlin as Associée (previously Havas Worldwide, Australie), and approximately 8-9 additional researchers/analysts. The firm has no disclosed external funding and operates as a privately held, bootstrapped boutique research consultancy limited to the French market.

Name

L'ObSoCo

Legal name

L'Obsoco

Website

https://lobsoco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

L'ObSoCo is a Paris-based independent research and strategy consulting firm, founded 2011, that studies French societal transformations and consumer behavior through multi-wave observatories, custom studies, and consulting, serving large enterprises, public institutions, and industry associations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Research Studies: Custom ad-hoc studies (Etudes & dispositifs ad-hoc) conducted for specific client needs, typically one-time or project-based engagements.
2. Observatory Partnerships:
3. Strategy Consulting: Strategic consulting engagements helping clients define strategies, positioning, economic models, and resource allocation based on L'ObSoCo's research insights.
4. Conferences & Interventions: Speaking engagements, conferences, and training sessions delivered by L'ObSoCo experts on societal trends and consumer transformations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

L'ObSoCo is an independent French research and strategy consulting firm (cabinet d'études) that analyzes transformations in lifestyles, consumer behaviors, and citizen expectations. It delivers four core offerings: multi-wave Observatoires (longitudinal research programs co-constructed with sponsors), Etudes & dispositifs ad-hoc (custom research studies), Conseil en stratégie (strategy consulting translating research into actionable recommendations), and Conférences & interventions (expert presentations and training).

Product overview

L'ObSoCo is a research and strategy consulting firm offering a portfolio of research products and services centered around four main pillars: Observatoires (recurring multi-wave study programs), Etudes & dispositifs ad-hoc (custom research), Conseil en stratégie (strategic consulting), and Conférences & interventions (presentations and training). The Observatoires are flagship offerings co-constructed with partners, tracking societal transformations over time through periodic survey waves. The company also operates a membership community (Le Cercle) and produces content series including podcasts and a weekly newsletter. Notable observatories include studies on remote work, information fatigue, territorial representations, family structures, and longevity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Observatoires (Observatories) Recurring longitudinal study programs that track French consumer behaviors and societal transformations through repeated survey waves (vague 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), enabling trend analysis and measurement of change. Partners co-fund the research and gain early access to insights and exclusive positioning.
• Etudes & dispositifs ad-hoc Custom research studies and tailored study devices designed to address specific client questions and information needs. Project-based engagements combining quantitative surveys (typically 3,000-4,000 respondents) with qualitative ethnographic and participatory approaches.
• Conseil en stratégie Strategic consulting engagements that help brands, companies, and institutions optimize positioning and develop actionable recommendations by translating L'ObSoCo's research on consumer behaviors and societal trends into concrete strategy, economic models, and resource allocation decisions.
• Conférences & interventions Conference presentations, keynote interventions, and training sessions delivered by L'ObSoCo experts on societal transformations, consumer behavior shifts, and emerging trends. Targets corporate audiences and institutional clients seeking expert-led learning.

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• France Silver ÉcocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-founder of the Observatoire de la longévité (Longevity Observatory), launching to study the impact of population aging and changing representations of aging in France, with the goal of helping public and private actors adapt strategies.
• Casino GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsor of the Observatoire du rapport des Français à la proximité (Proximity Observatory), Wave 2 (2025), providing funding in exchange for positioning alignment with research on proximity and local commerce.
• HuttopiacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsor of the Observatoire Huttopia des Vacances, a study on French vacation habits providing the company with exclusive insights and positioning as a leader in sustainable outdoor tourism.
• Groupe BouyguesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Supporting partner of the Observatoire des usages et représentations des territoires (Territory Observatory), Wave 4, on climate change impacts and quality of life in French territories.
• France Ville DurableminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Supporting partner of the Territory Observatory Wave 4, contributing to research on sustainable urban development and territorial transformations.
• IDHEAL RecherchecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-research partnership for the Observatoire du télétravail (Telework Observatory), investigating how remote work changes living habits and housing needs, conducted with Action Logement.
• Action LogementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in the Telework Observatory alongside IDHEAL and L'ObSoCo, studying the intersection of remote work, housing, and employee mobility for housing policy insights.
• ADEMEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Long-standing partner on environmental and sustainable consumption research, including studies on fast fashion, second-hand clothing, and the Observatoire des usages et représentations des territoires (Territory Observatory) on climate change impacts.
• Fondation Jean-JaurèscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in the Fatigue informationnelle (Information Fatigue) research program, Wave 2 (2024), studying French citizens' relationship with information, media consumption, and political sympathies.
• ArtecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-researcher in the information fatigue study with Fondation Jean-Jaurès, contributing to understanding of how French citizens consume media and information in an age of information overload.
• Le Cercle de L'ObSoCocoreOthersInternal membership circle and think tank operated by L'ObSoCo, producing blog content and facilitating discussion on societal transformations among members. Works on developing new analytical frameworks and emerging topic identification.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kantar: Global insights consultancy offering consumer, brand and media research, including through legacy TNS Sofres in France. CEO Guénaëlle Gault previously held European and global roles at Kantar/TNS Sofres, giving direct lineage and overlapping offer in French market.
• Ipsos: Global market research leader with a major French franchise across consumer, citizen and public-affairs research. Provides overlapping societal and consumer-behavior insight capabilities but at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint than L'ObSoCo.
• NielsenIQ: Global consumer insights and retail measurement firm operating across France with adjacent consumer-behavior and shopper research offerings. Relevant as a broader incumbent whose resources and panel assets dwarf L'ObSoCo's observatory datasets.

Direct peers

• IFOP: Leading French opinion and market research institute covering consumer behavior, public attitudes and strategy support. Director Marie Gariazzo previously served at IFOP, and the firms compete head-to-head for French consumer and citizen-insight engagements.
• Crédoc: French research centre focused on consumer behavior and societal trends, headquartered in Paris. Directly comparable because co-founder Philippe Moati spent 23 years there before founding L'ObSoCo, and the two firms operate overlapping mandates on consumption, living standards and lifestyle research.
• BVA: French-origin market research and strategy consulting firm offering consumer insight, brand strategy and societal studies to enterprise clients. Competes with L'ObSoCo for similar brand-strategy and consumer-trend mandates in the French market.
• Harris Interactive France: French subsidiary of Harris Interactive, covering consumer research, public opinion and strategic consulting for French enterprises. Directly comparable on French consumer and societal trend research deliverables and client base.
• Médiamétrie: France-based audience and media-consumption measurement institute. Comparable as a domestically specialized longitudinal consumer/audience researcher, with similar co-funded observatory-style measurement programs and French institutional sponsors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lobsoco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/l%27obsoco/?originalSubdomain=fr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about L'ObSoCo