"The Swiss consumer is easy to fob off"
Franck Belaich on the challenges of professional planning in Switzerland
Franck Belaich on the problems of professional planning in Switzerland / By Anita Vaucher
There is no room for strategic planning in this country. The man who claims this is Franck Belaich, Director of Publicis Cashmere-Bohème, Lyon. At the Sawi/FRP seminar on strategic planning, he explained the requirements for professional planning - and incidentally noted a "certain ossification" in Switzerland.
The seminar title "Y a-t-il autant de plannings stratégiques que de planners?" suggests that the term "strategic planning" is difficult to define.
Franck Belaich: Not really. There are just different ways of interpreting the term, because strategic planning can also be practiced differently and depends on the respective culture of a country and a society. The decisive factor is the importance that is attached to a strategic planner in the company.
Traditionally, a distinction is made between the Francophone and the Anglo-Saxon approach to strategic planning. What is the difference?
Belaich: The Anglo-American model rationalizes the irrational. It cannot do without systematization. Everything is analyzed down to the last detail. This approach is strictly growth-oriented and has a strong commercial focus. However, the material that strategic planners work with is alive and changing. It is about relationships, psychology and emotions. In terms of their culture, the French have little trouble dealing with these fleeting aspects. Francophone strategic planning is more subtle and nuanced.
Can you also imagine the strategic planner as a trendsetter?
Belaich: Definitely.
What is the difference between the classic trendsetter and the strategic planner?
Belaich: If a change in social values is perceived by a so-called trendsetter, it means to me that this trend already exists and is already on the wane again. The trendsetter sits on the crest of the wave and judges from there what is in and what is out. The strategic planner, on the other hand, sets the wave in motion based on his or her findings and is the driving force behind a trend.
You did your doctorate on French literature. What fascinates you about strategic planning?
Belaich: I belong to the post-68 generation and therefore question everything. I wanted to analyze and critically question texts. I wanted to know how literature works, what codes it has, what it really wants to tell us. And I actually still do that in my job today.
In Switzerland, strategic planning is still in its infancy. What advice do you have for advertisers who work in a small market and are not professional planners themselves?
Belaich: I want to stimulate interest in planning, even though there is no place for strategic planning in this country, at least at the moment. My aim is to show course participants how to proceed systematically and what considerations should be made when approaching a brand. I want to give them a different perspective on reality. That's what it's all about.
Is the Swiss market too small for professional strategic planning?
Belaich: I don't think it's a question of the size of a country or a market. On the contrary, there are some really great brands in Switzerland for which professional planning would be worthwhile. But you can sense a certain ossification in this country. The companies have a very peculiar
their customers. Swiss managers think they know exactly what is good for consumers - and that's that. They are generally not very interested in what the consumer really wants. It is obviously not the Swiss mentality to express their wishes loudly.
Can planning improve this situation in our country?
Belaich: Before planning can be successful, the Swiss must learn to be more critical and companies must finally understand that consumers can consume differently. To put it somewhat exaggeratedly: strategic planning will only be successful in Switzerland when the consumer society in Switzerland changes.
Is the Swiss consumer still immature?
Belaich: He is not critical enough and too undemanding when it comes to brand communication. He is easy to fob off.
Medium-sized and small agencies in Switzerland cannot afford planning departments. What alternatives do you see for these agencies?
Belaich: You have to start planning strategically without telling the customer - and above all without charging them for it. What drives me up the wall every time is this return-on-investment thinking. Why isn't strategic planning seen as an investment for the agency?
If strategic planning becomes an increasingly important part of the communication package, you would have to consider in the long term whether it could be sold as added value.
Belaich: For the reasons mentioned, this is not possible in Switzerland at the moment. However, the agency can make it clear to the client that it enables a different approach with strategic planning.
In recent years, creation has become less important, while media planning, for example, has gained in importance. Shouldn't the priorities be reassessed?
Belaich: Today, creativity is not only required in creation, but also in marketing or media planning. And this is where the work of the strategic planner comes in. They can use their insights to create the conditions for more creativity.
There is no room for strategic planning in this country. The man who claims this is Franck Belaich, Director of Publicis Cashmere-Bohème, Lyon. At the Sawi/FRP seminar on strategic planning, he explained the requirements for professional planning - and incidentally noted a "certain ossification" in Switzerland.
The seminar title "Y a-t-il autant de plannings stratégiques que de planners?" suggests that the term "strategic planning" is difficult to define.
Franck Belaich: Not really. There are just different ways of interpreting the term, because strategic planning can also be practiced differently and depends on the respective culture of a country and a society. The decisive factor is the importance that is attached to a strategic planner in the company.
Traditionally, a distinction is made between the Francophone and the Anglo-Saxon approach to strategic planning. What is the difference?
Belaich: The Anglo-American model rationalizes the irrational. It cannot do without systematization. Everything is analyzed down to the last detail. This approach is strictly growth-oriented and has a strong commercial focus. However, the material that strategic planners work with is alive and changing. It is about relationships, psychology and emotions. In terms of their culture, the French have little trouble dealing with these fleeting aspects. Francophone strategic planning is more subtle and nuanced.
Can you also imagine the strategic planner as a trendsetter?
Belaich: Definitely.
What is the difference between the classic trendsetter and the strategic planner?
Belaich: If a change in social values is perceived by a so-called trendsetter, it means to me that this trend already exists and is already on the wane again. The trendsetter sits on the crest of the wave and judges from there what is in and what is out. The strategic planner, on the other hand, sets the wave in motion based on his or her findings and is the driving force behind a trend.
You did your doctorate on French literature. What fascinates you about strategic planning?
Belaich: I belong to the post-68 generation and therefore question everything. I wanted to analyze and critically question texts. I wanted to know how literature works, what codes it has, what it really wants to tell us. And I actually still do that in my job today.
In Switzerland, strategic planning is still in its infancy. What advice do you have for advertisers who work in a small market and are not professional planners themselves?
Belaich: I want to stimulate interest in planning, even though there is no place for strategic planning in this country, at least at the moment. My aim is to show course participants how to proceed systematically and what considerations should be made when approaching a brand. I want to give them a different perspective on reality. That's what it's all about.
Is the Swiss market too small for professional strategic planning?
Belaich: I don't think it's a question of the size of a country or a market. On the contrary, there are some really great brands in Switzerland for which professional planning would be worthwhile. But you can sense a certain ossification in this country. The companies have a very peculiar
their customers. Swiss managers think they know exactly what is good for consumers - and that's that. They are generally not very interested in what the consumer really wants. It is obviously not the Swiss mentality to express their wishes loudly.
Can planning improve this situation in our country?
Belaich: Before planning can be successful, the Swiss must learn to be more critical and companies must finally understand that consumers can consume differently. To put it somewhat exaggeratedly: strategic planning will only be successful in Switzerland when the consumer society in Switzerland changes.
Is the Swiss consumer still immature?
Belaich: He is not critical enough and too undemanding when it comes to brand communication. He is easy to fob off.
Medium-sized and small agencies in Switzerland cannot afford planning departments. What alternatives do you see for these agencies?
Belaich: You have to start planning strategically without telling the customer - and above all without charging them for it. What drives me up the wall every time is this return-on-investment thinking. Why isn't strategic planning seen as an investment for the agency?
If strategic planning becomes an increasingly important part of the communication package, you would have to consider in the long term whether it could be sold as added value.
Belaich: For the reasons mentioned, this is not possible in Switzerland at the moment. However, the agency can make it clear to the client that it enables a different approach with strategic planning.
In recent years, creation has become less important, while media planning, for example, has gained in importance. Shouldn't the priorities be reassessed?
Belaich: Today, creativity is not only required in creation, but also in marketing or media planning. And this is where the work of the strategic planner comes in. They can use their insights to create the conditions for more creativity.
