This work was initiated in 2024 in partnership with the communication and public opinion strategy consultancy Antidox, with the aim of conducting a sentiment analysis of reactions on X related to major events that took place in France between 2022 and 2024.
For several years, France has been hosting many of the world’s most high-profile major events. The Olympic and Paralympic Games, international sporting competitions, as well as major cultural and technological gatherings, regularly place Paris, French cities and territories under the global spotlight, before millions of spectators and visitors.
Yet, in an information environment dominated by social media, visibility alone no longer automatically translates into influence. A country’s image is not shaped by the scale of an event; it is by the narratives, emotions, and interpretations that circulate online, far beyond the intentions of the organisers.
It is this tension between global exposure and control of the narrative that is examined in the report The Impact of Major Events on France’s Image, published by SKEMA Publika.
A Largely Positive Image, Yet Deeply Fragmented
Analysis of French- and English-language online conversations surrounding major events hosted in France reveals a paradox. On the one hand, France’s image remains largely associated with positive markers: organisational excellence, creativity, cultural prestige and the capacity to host events of very large scale. These attributes continue to underpin the country’s tourist appeal and symbolic attractiveness.
On the other hand, this image appears increasingly fragmented. Perceptions vary significantly across audiences, languages, and national contexts. What is experienced as a moment of collective pride in some spheres may, elsewhere, become an object of controversy, diversion or political debate. The event is no longer a univocal message; it has become a space for competing interpretations.
Emotion as a Driver and a Limitation
Major events primarily generate emotion. Joy, admiration, pride, and surprise form emotional drivers that constitute a clear strength of French soft power. They foster engagement, virality, and memorability, contributing to long-term impact.
Yet, emotion is also fragile. It can be rapidly reshaped by a controversy, a symbolic moment or a statement external to the event itself. In the digital space, emotion circulates faster than meaning, and the intensity of attention guarantees neither narrative coherence nor durability.
This observation calls for a rethinking of how major events are conceived. They are no longer merely isolated spectacles, but moments that must be integrated into a broader projection of influence.
Soft Power Now Co-Produced
Another key insight emerges: France’s image is no longer shaped solely by institutional discourse. Influencers, online communities, international media, brands, and cultural actors now play an active role in the production of narratives.
This shared form of soft power represents both an opportunity and a constraint. It enables a considerable amplification of reach but reduces the ability to control interpretative frameworks. France thus appears less as the sole author of its narrative than as the host of a global stage on which multiple interests, values, and imaginaries intersect. In other words, France increasingly seems to be a spectator rather than an actor in the narrative it seeks to project.
From Event to Process: A Paradigm Shift
In this context, the success of a major event can no longer be assessed solely in terms of attendance figures, audience reach or immediate impact. It depends on its ability to be embedded within a continuous process: upstream preparation, anticipation of controversies, articulation with local governments, and the valorisation of both material and intangible legacies.
Events grounded in regularity, continuity and territorial anchoring, thus appear to generate a more stable and broadly consensual image. By contrast, exceptional one-off events concentrate intense visibility, but are also more exposed to symbolic reinterpretations, and narrative fractures.
Major Events as Levers of Long-Term Influence
Major events remain powerful instruments of French influence. However, their effectiveness no longer lies solely in their ability to capture global attention. It now depends on narrative coherence, adaptation to international audiences, and integration of digital dynamics.
It is precisely this shift—from the event as a showcase to the event as a long-term strategic lever—that the report analyses in detail. It draws operational insights to rethink governance, storytelling and France’s diplomacy of influence in the age of social media.
