Dream Teams: Ubisoft’s Michelle Wun and Jean Gauvin

What’s your top tip for successful relationships between commercial and creative teams?
Michelle: Well, both teams must collaborate even before selecting a product or, if necessary, a partner. Initial alignment on the vision should be part of our consideration. It’s crucial for us to set common goals and clearly understand the limits of what our licensee can achieve.

Jean: There’s a tendency to believe that creatives generate ideas that may not be strategic, while salespeople only see the financial aspect of the relationship. However, this is not the case. In our organisation, both teams are capable of being business-minded and analytical without stifling creativity and out-of-the-box ideas.

Yes, I imagine it’s quite a common misconception!
Michelle: Creatives can offer a broader vision on commercial aspects and vice versa. As an example, it’s crucial for business leads to understand what’s trending in the market, gaps in the business, various manufacturing processes and so on… That all helps in better assessing the value and feasibility of concepts.

Jean: For creatives, it’s important to grasp the financial parameters of the market in which we operate… Especially the competitiveness of the market where the product we develop with a licensee will evolve.

Which recent launch would you point to as a good example of your team’s close collaboration?
Jean: The launch of our consumer products program for Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a concrete example of our team’s symbiotic work. All the products brought to market are the result of joint efforts between creative and business.

Michelle: Much like Yin and Yang, we proposed, iterated and participated in every stage of development. Without the business team, we wouldn’t have been able to access certain new licensees, with whom the creatives had a blast creating super-cool products.