Jerem Febvre Exemplifies What it Takes to Be A Successful Entrepreneur
While today’s most powerful entrepreneurs exhibit numerous qualities that have led to their success, one of the most vital elements amongst all of them is an intricate understanding of supply and demand, and a keen eye for what is missing from specific markets.
Jerem Febvre, who’s most recent claim to entrepreneurial fame is his role as the digital advertising leader Sublime Skinz, is one industrious entrepreneur who has managed to create leading enterprises spanning the advertising, gaming and music industries.
Considering that the modern human is bombarded by visual content through their constantly lit phone and computer screens, it is only natural that they tune out a great portion of what they see and only take note of what piques their interest. This is problematic for brands trying to navigate the overwhelmingly saturated digital market to reach their audience on their own, but innovative advertising agencies like Sublime Skinz make the whole process a lot easier.
“Sublime is a global high-impact advertising marketplace that creates and delivers premium ad experiences,” explains Sublime Skinz US president Jerem Febvre. “Ads are everywhere on the Internet, because that’s the main way to finance free content. But the multiplication of ad banners and the excess of intrusive ad experiences is creating a counterproductive effect for brands, who are looking for positive awareness. Therefore improving the advertising experience is vital for every ecosystem stakeholder, the Internet users, the publishers, and the advertisers.”
With digital technology snowballing on a global level, Febvre and his co-founders noticed, several years ago, that there was a strong need in the market for clean, timely and well-placed advertising solutions, and he went to work building a business model that would serve brands without annoying users.
“We found out how to change complicated messes into easy solutions. We offer unique products that have amazing performance. That is a fairly easy product to pitch, isn’t it?,” says Febvre. “The company has created an innovative new digital ad format that is more respectful and less intrusive for the users, and earned multiple global awards and accolades for it explosive growth.”
Founded by Febvre in 2012, Sublime Skinz quickly became a powerful leader in the world of digital advertising. Four years ago Febvre was invited to bring the Sublime Skinz startup to a Silicon Valley incubator where the company proved to be at the helm of innovation in advertising. Shortly after its inception, the startup created by Febvre and his co-founders earned the prestigious World Cup Tech Challenge Audience Favorite Award, followed by the Entrepreneur Of The Year Award from Ernst & Young in 2016.
“Inspiration came mainly from years of experience working with Internet players. Listening to what was missing in the ecosystem, and putting some hard work to create a technology that would bring something new to the table. Once we got our adserver ready, we went to convince over 4,000 website publishers and hundreds of media buyers to run our campaigns,” explains Febvre. “And we kept innovating, constantly launching new products, introducing functional improvement with video, mobile, interactivity. It’s been seven years of hard work to go through business and organizational challenges. But it is highly rewarding.”
Today Sublime Skinz operates in 17 countries and reaches over 300 Million users per month for clients such as Disney, Samsung, AT&T, GM, Netflix or JP Morgan Chase.
Named as #129 by the Financial Times on their FT 1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies in 2018, and # 109 on the 2017 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ EMEA program, which ranks the fastest-growing technology companies in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Sublime Skinz is a globally recognized advertising marketplace that creates unique advertising skins and banners for brands across the globe. With offices in Paris, London, Düsseldorf, Singapore, San Francisco and New York, Sublime Skinz is a testament to Febvre’s vision and skill as an entrepreneur.
“We still have a lot to do to keep developing Sublime at the same pace… we’ve been repeatedly awarded as being one of the fasted startups over the past years, and it is still very exciting. In the meantime, I help other companies through advising, mentoring or investment, and I’m always looking for new trends in the industry for new opportunities,” explains Febvre.
One unique quality of successful entrepreneurs is that they don’t stop working at the first sign of success, something Febvre has proven through his work as the founder of several other enterprises, including Gameek, a monetization solution for entertainment websites, and apps such as Music Angels and My Best Fan.
“I love to build and develop projects from scratch. I am very creative. I need to take responsibility and have a full impact… I like interactions with others. I’ve often been told I have a pretty good emotional intelligence.”
While continuing to expand Sublime Skinz’ global presence, Febvre also dedicates his time to expanding his personal education. Last year, he joined the executive Blockchain Strategy Program at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, UK, which he says ‘provided him with a solid expertise on blockchain distributed technology and its impact on industries from Fintech to Advertising.’
Febvre adds, “I also started my first personal investment as a business Angel in other companies and technologies, while continuing to develop positions as an advisor and mentor in multiple organizations.”
Febvre is a contributor at Tech Lab at the Interactive Advertising Bureau, an advertising business organization that develops industry standards, conducts research, and provides legal support for the online advertising industry. He has also taught at various prestigious schools across the globe such as the INSEEC business school, where he lectured during a masterclass on digital advertising and entrepreneurship, the Université Paris Panthéon Sorbonne, where he gave a masterclass on strategy and entrepreneurship, as well as #SUPDEWEB — the School of Web and Multimedia Trades, where he taught advertising for digital startups.
Another important quality for an entrepreneur to make a mark in the modern age is a strong backbone — one that doesn’t let them crumble in the face of failure, but instead, rise to the occasion and use those proverbial failures as a stepping stone.
Febvre says, “I’ve seen very different kinds of people become successful entrepreneurs, and they all have different qualities. Some are hardcore negotiators, other are great leaders, other are visionaries. Most do mix several of these qualities. To me, the most important quality is resilience.”
With an eye pointed towards growing markets, the desire to expand his personal education, and a resilient attitude towards whatever challenges come his way, Febvre is a model for aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere.
