What SEPTIEME FONCTION does

Septième Fonction (7F) is a Paris-based boutique consulting agency founded in 2023 by Axel Salmon that develops brand strategy, identity frameworks, and narrative communication for organizations in the private, public, and para-public sectors. The firm operates from a single office at 64 boulevard de Bercy (75012 Paris) and serves enterprise and institutional clients including Air Liquide, Idemia, Nexity, Paris 2024, Equans, Groupe Vyv, Inria, Gustave-Roussy, Cetim, and Mutualité, among approximately 27 named logos on its website. Its work is organized around three service modules: Brand Strategy (diagnostics, repositioning, architecture, narrative writing, purpose design, employer brand, and identity design), Transformation Support (strategic consulting, editorial accompaniment, internal and change communication), and Deployment & Visibility (360° communication, corporate advertising, publishing, print/digital assets, and motion/video creation). The agency differentiates on the thesis of 'marques justes' (just brands) that align brand identity with positive organizational transformation rather than image management alone.

The core team consists of three full-time staff (founder Axel Salmon, Directeur Conseil Théo Baland, and project manager Solène Alavoine) supported by a curated network of approximately 13 named independent senior consultants, art directors, writers, researchers, and sound designers. The firm is founder-owned and structured as a SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) with €5,000 of share capital; there are no disclosed external investors, parent company, subsidiaries, or funding rounds. The technology layer is essentially non-existent, as the business is a pure professional-services offering with no proprietary platform, app, or API.

Commercial go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-based: engagements are initiated through direct outreach, professional referrals, founder-led business development, and inbound demand generated by thought-leadership activities. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with custom consulting engagements. Marketing assets include the founder's academic teaching positions at Sciences Po Paris Executive Education and IEP Saint-Germain-en-Laye, his associate role at Fondation Jean Jaurès' Observatoire de la marque et de la consommation, co-authored publications (La France à 20 heures, 2024; La France le dimanche, 2026), and membership in the Les choses de la vie collective of public-opinion experts. Distribution is direct to enterprise clients with no intermediary channels and a regional (Île-de-France / France) geographic scope.

Name

SEPTIEME FONCTION

Legal name

Septième Fonction

Website

https://septiemefonction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Septième Fonction is a Paris-based boutique consulting agency, founded in 2023, that develops brand strategy, identity frameworks, and narrative communication for enterprise, public, and para-public organizations across diverse sectors in France.

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: 7F generates revenue through professional consulting engagements, providing strategic brand positioning, identity development, transformation accompaniment, and communication deployment services to organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Septième Fonction is a Paris-based boutique consulting agency founded in 2023 that helps organizations define and activate their brand strategy, support organizational transformation, and deploy brand visibility across markets. The firm operates as a SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) and delivers bespoke advisory engagements for corporate clients.

Product overview

Septième Fonction (7F) is a strategic branding and communication consultancy offering three interconnected service modules: Brand Strategy (brand diagnostics, creation, architecture, purpose design, employer branding, and identity design), Transformation Support (strategic consulting, editorial support, internal/engagement communication, and change communication), and Deployment & Visibility (360° communication, corporate advertising, publishing, print/digital assets, and motion/video creation). The agency operates as a unified consulting offering rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Strategy Advisory Bespoke consulting engagement that defines a client's brand positioning, narrative, and strategic direction. Targeted at organizations seeking to clarify or refresh their brand identity.
• Transformation Support Consulting Advisory support for organizations undergoing strategic transformation, including change management and structural repositioning. Aimed at corporate clients navigating internal or market-driven shifts.
• Brand Deployment & Visibility Consulting service supporting the operational rollout and external visibility of a brand, translating strategy into market-facing actions and communications for corporate clients.

Named customers26 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Les choses de la viecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20237F founder Axel Salmon is a member of the Les choses de la vie collective, described as 'a cabinet of curiosity between a think tank and an agency.' The collective includes experts from the world of ideas, communication, digital, and politics, united by commitment to general interest and opposition to dystopian futures. Collective members include Emmanuel Durand (innovation/expert), Thierry Keller (journalist/essayist), Jean-Daniel Levy (Harris Interactive), Raphaël Llorca (communicant/essayist), Mathieu Souquière (consultant/essayist).
• Observatoire de la marque et de la consommation de la Fondation Jean JaurèscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20237F founder Axel Salmon is an associate of the Observatoire de la marque et de la consommation at Fondation Jean Jaurès, a left-leaning think tank focused on brand and consumption research.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BETC Paris: Top-tier French creative agency known for purpose-driven brand campaigns. Overlaps with 7F on identity, narrative, and corporate communications work for large French and European enterprises.
• Publicis Conseil: Lead French creative and brand agency within Publicis Groupe. Competes for corporate brand, identity, and communications deployment mandates from large French enterprises, including many on 7F's roster.
• Interbrand: Global brand consultancy offering brand strategy, valuation, and design. Directly comparable service set but serves multinational clients with much larger engagement scale than Septième Fonction.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand strategy and design consultancy with a Paris office. Overlaps with 7F across brand strategy, architecture, and employer brand work, but operates at much larger scale with deeper geographic reach.
• Havas Paris: Major French communications group offering corporate communications, brand strategy, public affairs, and health communication. Competes with 7F in the same enterprise and public-sector client pool but as part of a much wider portfolio of services.

Direct peers

• Extreme Society: Boutique brand strategy agency where Salmon was previously Directeur général. Directly comparable in scope, positioning, and target client mix, including ESG/purpose-led engagements.
• Winkler & Cie (W&Cie): Paris-based brand and communications strategy consultancy operating in the same niche mid-sized segment as 7F, with comparable focus on corporate brand strategy and identity for French institutional clients.
• Meanings: Paris-based brand strategy and corporate communication consultancy where Salmon previously served as Directeur conseil. Operates in the same French institutional brand-strategy niche with overlapping service lines and enterprise/government clients.
• Dragon Rouge: Independent French brand consultancy combining strategy, identity design, and brand experience. Competes head-to-head with 7F for corporate brand identity and transformation mandates in France.
• Epoka: French corporate brand and communications consultancy where founder Axel Salmon co-founded and led the corporate strategies division until 2023. Same service offering, same client segments (private/public/para-public), and same competitive set — making it the closest direct comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 SEPTIEME FONCTION