On the deathbed of the briefing culture
Advertising clients prefer to rely on mass pitches rather than serious briefing processes
"Briefings have become more uncertain, anxious and restrictive in recent years," says Jean Etienne Aebi, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis. And Hansjörg Zürcher, Creative Coach at Advico Young & Rubicam, adds: "Although many clients fulfill the important principles - just as they are taught in marketing and advertising schools today - their briefings often lack that certain something, the necessary creativity and foresight."
The poor state of the briefing culture is also demonstrated by the reaction of advertisers to the question of which briefings impress them. Many were unable to name a single example. And the few that were mentioned were from years ago.
Like that of Hansjörg Zürcher: he still raves about the briefing from the Central Association of Swiss Milk Producers (ZVSM), from which the advertising campaign with the Lovely cow emerged in 1992. "Cornelia Harder, then head of advertising at the ZVSM, knew exactly what was needed for good advertising and had the necessary courage and foresight," he recalls. Harder, now Managing Director at Publicis, still remembers the initial situation: "I put together a detailed briefing with all the market analyses and background information, but left enough freedom to develop a new advertising idea."
The new direction taken by companies as a result of the recession is partly to blame for the current briefing plight. Advertisers agree on this at any rate. "Many companies are currently fixated on short-term sales," says Dominique von Matt, co-owner of Jung von Matt/Limmat. Bold, new, unusual briefings are rare. Instead, more and more companies are being invited to briefings in which vague claims are made with meaningless buzzwords.
This is also confirmed by Markus Ruf, Creative Director and co-owner of Ruf Lanz. "The word 'salesy' or 'sales-oriented' appears remarkably often - usually with an exclamation mark."
The briefings of mass pitches are a thorn in the side of advertisers. With good reason, as Pascal Schaub, Head of Strategic Planning at Publicis, knows: "Mass pitches make the most important part of the briefing impossible - the serious de-briefing and thus the development of the best advertising idea."
The most recent and most prominent example of this is the case of Zurich Zoo. Eight agencies competed for the budget. Markus Ruf recalls: "In this pitch, in which we were not involved, one agency presented a campaign in which, among other things, a woman is casually lifting a car into the air, with the headline above it: The ant can do it." The advertising manager told a newspaper that although this idea was original, it did not conform to the briefing. If a briefing rules out an idea like this, Ruf argues, and instead favors an advertising campaign with irrelevant animal pictures, that says it all.
Conclusion: Those who can afford it do without such pitches. Everyone else tries to make the impossible possible. With the result - as Aebi knows - "that every briefing gets the solution it deserves."
A good briefing is the be-all and end-all of every campaign
No mass pitches, but careful briefings are at the top of SBB's agenda. Fritz Zimmermann, consultant and head of SBB's media department, says: "We attach great importance to serious briefings. Because they are the be-all and end-all of every campaign." The top priority in the SBB briefing is "the content and the dialog between the customer and the advertising agency".
Adolf Wirz already knew what was important
Adolf Wirz and Ralph E. Hartleben already preached the importance of time and dialog. Wirz states in his book "Marginalien zur Werbung": "At briefings, you communicate with each other, exchange insights and views. And have patience." Ralph E. Hartleben advises in "Werbekonzeption und Briefing": "The basic briefing must be supplemented by a detailed or additional briefing." Hartleben even indirectly warns against mass pitches in his book and appeals to the client: "Give the recipient of the briefing the feeling that it depends on them."
To enable advertisers to implement advertising ideas far away from any briefing constraints for once, the Portuguese creative director of the agency CP Proximity, Rubens Portella, and the editor of the advertising magazine Prisma, James Lanham, have now come up with something special: a festival at which prizes will only be awarded to submitted work that has never been published and whose clients must be purely fictitious. It's called Ghostfestival and will take place in Lisbon on October 31.
Trust and the right amount of freedom are important. Schaub also emphasizes this: "A good advertising idea can only be created if the client has trust in us and if the culture of dialogue allows it." Ruf immediately provides a fitting example: "I once received a briefing that called for a realization with a pet, one with a baby and one with a happy family - preferably frolicking in a meadow." If a company has such fixed ideas, it doesn't need an advertising agency, but an image bank book. A good briefing explains above all what you want to say to whom. And how much money is available for this. "But it doesn't tell you how to package the message so that it gets across."
Even if babies or happy families are a "must" in many briefings and briefings often hinder rather than inspire creatives, the advertising elite agree: a bad briefing cannot be an excuse for a failed campaign. "It's our job to ask the right questions and find out which aspect is the most important. We alone have to stand up for the advertising idea," says von Matt.
To achieve the best solution, every agency has one or more de-briefing forms. These include questions about the company's key data or the client's ideology. The tonality, media philosophy and advertising idea are also evaluated. "This form is one of our most important tools," says von Matt. Accordingly, the de-briefings are guarded like the apple of one's eye. Schaub answered the request to print such a form in WerbeWoche succinctly: "No agency gives away such a working tool."
For clients: The dos and don'ts
- Define the objectives of the briefing.
- Subject the briefing to an internal check before awarding it to an advertising agency.
- Use forms, checklists and communication matrices. This will shorten the procedure.
- Avoid "briefing conferences" - i.e. mass pitches. You cannot do justice to different agencies and their ideas at the same time.
- Try to familiarize the advertising agency with your company as well as the product and market. Inspire the advertisers not only for your goals and means, but also for the identity of your company.
- Do not use phrases such as "We make the best sweet cider" or "Our products are simply top". Instead, provide information about your company's special services or products.
- Remember: The briefing is not a wish list. Words like "sales-promoting" say nothing.
- Pay attention to the essentials: Deadlines, budget size, target group.
- Discuss the briefing in a "briefing meeting" with the agency representatives. Also conduct one-on-one meetings.
- Give agency staff the opportunity to discuss internal working papers with you. In this way, jointly agreed guidelines are created without misunderstandings.
- Make it clear in your briefing which services you expect from the agency and in what form. Schedule the individual service levels in agreement with the agency.
- Stand by the briefing. Don't suddenly change your attitude to the briefing before the presentation (af).
for agencies:
the dos and don'ts
- Find out more about the company. Write down what you think is special about this company.
- Summarize the most important points. Formulate common goals. Narrow down the target group. Describe the current situation. Think about the right media strategy.
- Use visual aids.
- Use logos, company and product brochures and other reference materials.
- Maintain a dialog with the client. Allow sufficient time for an exchange of ideas.
- Pay attention to the nuances of the client. Take them seriously.
- Put yourself in his and his (potential) customer's shoes.
- Involve the client in the maturing process. Give them the feeling that they are "co-decisive". (af)
