« The French version of The Apprentice » has just ended. The American programme has been a huge hit since it aired on NBC in January 2004 with its co-producer, Donald Trump. The same can't be said of the French version which the press panned when it first aired, was cancelled after 2 weeks due to low audience figures and left to fester on M6 Play. I was interested in the show's "shark", Alexandre Woog, a character who got a lot of stick for his sheer nerve, blatant ambition and provocative side. How did he cope with this kind of exposure? What was his take on the negative press? What advice does he have about image management and coping with media pressure?
If you haven't heard of Alexandre Woog or have only seen him through the "charitable" eyes of the press, let me enlighten you.
HEC finance graduate Alexandre is an ambitious 31 year old whose positive energy, dazzling smile with sharp canines (the sharper the better when you're a shark right?!) and an equally sharp mind strike you the minute you meet him. Alexandre founded e-loue, a rental marketplace for the general public that earned 2 million in 2014 (and doesn't plan on stopping there), and throws himself into battle with his sword in hand. This hyperactive entrepreneur is actually a fencing champion and training for the 2016 Olympics. Now you see where he gets his ability to see what's ahead, his energy, love for tactics and instincts to achieve his goal. The competitor's self-belief and drive is infectious. He's self-aware, surrounds himself with communication professionals and, like any elite athlete, comes prepared.
How did the production team at The Apprentice find and contact you? And why did you agree?
Endemol was planning the French version and contacted me in early 2015. I don't know how they found me but I'm in the press a lot because of e-loue and fencing. They liked my profile and it all happened fairly naturally. As a fan of the US show and its business focus, it was a no-brainer for me. Plus I'm competitive, I rarely turn down a challenge. And I was aware that it was a way to build my network and raise my profile.
I think it's a bit of a shame that you didn't mention all your trophies as an Olympic fencer, it would have given your profile another dimension and justified your zest for competition that was highly criticised. Why didn't you mention it? Was it your decision, did the production company force you to or did your sponsors refuse?
My profile on the website states that I'm an elite athlete and entrepreneur. My profile on the TV didn't mention it because I already had the label as an HEC graduate, so it was probably too much information. I didn't hide it as I spoke about it during the show but you're right that it was left at that.
How would you describe the competitive spirit you've gained from elite sport? Do you believe we're born with certain skills or that you can nurture them yourself?
We live in a system that imposes this competitive spirit on us from childhood, especially in our education system. Then you make yourself who you are based on your desires, the goal you set yourself and to achieve your goal I think you need a competitive spirit. The higher you get, the stronger your competitive side gets. You can nurture it but it also ties into your basic ambition and who you are. You definitely have to nurture it in sport but competition is everywhere nowadays.
Let's go back to The Apprentice and your image. I know reality TV production companies well and we know they cast people based on the types of profiles the programme needs. Who chose your "shark" role?
The role matched the classic stereotype of a company executive and graduate from a top school with a background in finance. On the one hand, I see the corporate world as one where it's hard to find your place, you have to fight, you don't take any prisoners so you can become like a shark. I don't see being a shark as a negative, it doesn't mean being a bad person, double-crossing people, it's more the idea of being a fighter, going for it, getting involved, being knocked down and coming back fighting. Choosing the word "shark" was a conscious decision as I know how media exposure works and it was a strategic choice of role. I'm completely comfortable with it, it's true to my personality. I don't have a problem with this image as what I attracted me to the show was the corporate world, not the general public. And that sector knows exactly what I mean. I primarily did the show to have fun and my provocative side did the rest! You have to take me with a pinch of salt. Everything's exaggerated and taken at face value on the TV. I think smart people can make the distinction. And anyone who knows me knew what I was doing and that there's more to me than this one side of my personality.
Were you aware of the risk this type of profile would be stigmatised, as it was after the first episode aired?
The spotlight was on me from the first episode with a focus on shocking things that were said. All the liberal papers roasted us but the basic concept wasn't their thing anyway. The profiles' stereotypical side was ideal for tearing to pieces, but that's the game. As you said, they cast people to present classic profiles. Reading these newspapers was entertaining more than anything because they didn't' make much of an effort and are stereotypes themselves. But they missed the programme's objective which was to prove that even without a degree, you can succeed if you work for it. And it was worth showing that in a country like France where we struggle to celebrate success and focus too much on degrees. People reacted one of two ways to my profile: some liked my ambition and how much I relished the challenges and others were shocked by my confidence and hunger for success. The issue is that people in France don't like being ambitious and wanting to earn money. So I expected people to react like that. I'm comfortable with their reactions but that doesn't change my beliefs. It affected my loved ones because they weren't prepared for it, for this gratuitous violence, because some extremely violent things were said. The more violent it is, the more I see it as jealousy and the more it makes me laugh so it affects me less. But I was prepared for that so I didn't have a problem with it. My only regret is that because it went on M6 Play, people won't have the chance to see my skillset and how I grew over the course of the show.
How did the show affect your image and relationship with others? Is there a before and after The Apprentice ?
The overexposure obviously gave me some fame so people recognise me in the street. But the funniest thing is the old "friends" that suddenly appear out of the blue. Otherwise it had a very positive impact on the people that I wanted it to affect. I think that as a company director, I was brave to appear on this kind of show as there's far more to lose than to gain. I took the risk and I'm proud of it. And the people that matter have all reacted positively, so just for that I think I've done well.
They sold you the programme as a true copy of the one in the US and even kept the original name, The Apprentice. I'm one of the people who were excited about the show because I enjoyed the US version. I was surprised, even disappointed, when I saw the first trailer. It isn't on a par with the show's ambition and the weak casting is obvious. I didn't believe for a second in the participants' ability to fulfil the position on offer. None of them had the experience or skills to get the job, so you don't believe in it from the outset. Are you happy with the result of the French show?
You're right, the cast is maybe younger than the original American version. Then I have a few criticisms and there are improvements that could be made but I can't discuss them here.
What have you learnt from this experience?
I didn't really learn anything new in terms of the audiovisual industry as I already had a lot of experience in press coverage. I know more about the secrets of filming now. It was an amazing adventure and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Firstly, on a personal level, experiencing the isolation is unique. The projects were real challenges. In terms of visibility, being on TV is a powerful tool even if we'd have liked it to be a bigger success, and the impact for me was huge with it being on Prime for just 2 weeks. It's been very positive, even more so as I had enough distance because I prepared for it before, during and after the show.
How would you behave if you had to do it again?
I have no regrets about my character, I'd do exactly the same thing again, even if it's fairly provocative. I've always thought out of the box. When I was 24 in 2011, I decided to do some buzz marketing for my e-loue company. I launched a mini events site to rent out your girlfriend. Everyone was talking about it and it raised the profile massively but it shocked some people and some doors closed to me. At the end of the campaign we revealed that you can rent anything with e-loue, just not your girlfriend. I won loads of press, marketing awards etc. and it enabled me to have a relationship clear-out. I'm always learning, I started from nothing and I succeeded, it's something real. I've got a good sporting career, that's something real too. I have nothing to prove with the show. I'm true to myself. I don't grovel and that's why people notice me, and that's OK with me. I think the programme would have worked better if there were stronger characters to "put on a show".
What would your top tip be about this kind of media exposure and handling it?
The only tip I can give is to have support and be professional. I had a lot of experience in media management but it still isn't easy to handle this degree of exposure. I think I handled it well. But when I look at the other candidates, I don't think any of them were prepared or supported and they could have done better before, during and after if they'd put the distance they needed between them. It's a huge risk if you can't take a step back to not be affected by this type of exposure. You must have professional support. We all know that the key is managing your image and communication, no matter the level. You can't make it up, so you have to get a specialist involved.
Photo Credit : Pierre Olivier
