"Crucial to the idea is the de-briefing".
Pascal Schaub, Head of Strategic Planning at Publicis, on briefing culture
Pascal Schaub, Head of Strategic Planning at Publicis, on briefing culturePascal Schaub, has a briefing ever put you in a bad mood?Pascal Schaub: On the contrary. Briefings always give me a new boost of motivation.
So only good briefings end up on your desk?
Schaub: (laughs) Unfortunately, that's not the case: All kinds of briefings end up with me.
Even the poorly worded ones?
Schaub: For me, there are no lousy briefings. For me, a briefing is paper on which the customer's concern is recorded.
Many of your colleagues complain that the quality of briefings has declined.
Schaub: I can agree with that: Briefings today have become more interchangeable. Many are written more professionally today, but that doesn't mean they are more inspiring.
Their standards don't seem to be very high....
Schaub: It's about being able to read between the lines and understand the customer's actual concerns. Facts and figures are crucial.
How detailed should a briefing be?
Schaub: The more open it is, the better I can work with it.
How much time do you spend evaluating the briefings?
Schaub: We often spend a week working on the de-briefing. We look for consumer insights, work out basic ideas, create visual platforms and make initial media considerations.
With every customer?
Schaub: For all major projects, product launches and, of course, pitches.
What conditions must a serious briefing meet for you?
Schaub: They must be based on openness, trust and good cooperation.
Do you have an example of a good brief?
Schaub: One of the best briefings I can remember was the one from Swisscom Mobile for Natel Skyline four years ago. I can still remember how annoyed I was because the briefing was imprecise, too short and not meaningful enough. It wasn't until weeks later that I realized that Simon Hofmann, who was responsible for the briefing at Swisscom Mobile at the time, was one of the first to recognize that telecom advertising works in a similar way to cigarette advertising - namely via emotions.
And the example of the worst briefing?
Schaub: The one on the occasion of our agency presentation. I received 120 briefings from all employees, and they were all bad. In order to make good advertising, you need someone to hold up a mirror - in other words, an agency.
How much impact do briefings have on advertising ideas and advertising?
Schaub: Decisive for the advertising idea is the de-briefing and the culture of dialog between the client and the agency.
"The advertising idea is bad because the briefing was bad" - that doesn't count as an excuse?
Schaub: No, absolutely not. I always have to develop the best possible advertising idea together with my colleagues.
Annelies Friedli
So only good briefings end up on your desk?
Schaub: (laughs) Unfortunately, that's not the case: All kinds of briefings end up with me.
Even the poorly worded ones?
Schaub: For me, there are no lousy briefings. For me, a briefing is paper on which the customer's concern is recorded.
Many of your colleagues complain that the quality of briefings has declined.
Schaub: I can agree with that: Briefings today have become more interchangeable. Many are written more professionally today, but that doesn't mean they are more inspiring.
Their standards don't seem to be very high....
Schaub: It's about being able to read between the lines and understand the customer's actual concerns. Facts and figures are crucial.
How detailed should a briefing be?
Schaub: The more open it is, the better I can work with it.
How much time do you spend evaluating the briefings?
Schaub: We often spend a week working on the de-briefing. We look for consumer insights, work out basic ideas, create visual platforms and make initial media considerations.
With every customer?
Schaub: For all major projects, product launches and, of course, pitches.
What conditions must a serious briefing meet for you?
Schaub: They must be based on openness, trust and good cooperation.
Do you have an example of a good brief?
Schaub: One of the best briefings I can remember was the one from Swisscom Mobile for Natel Skyline four years ago. I can still remember how annoyed I was because the briefing was imprecise, too short and not meaningful enough. It wasn't until weeks later that I realized that Simon Hofmann, who was responsible for the briefing at Swisscom Mobile at the time, was one of the first to recognize that telecom advertising works in a similar way to cigarette advertising - namely via emotions.
And the example of the worst briefing?
Schaub: The one on the occasion of our agency presentation. I received 120 briefings from all employees, and they were all bad. In order to make good advertising, you need someone to hold up a mirror - in other words, an agency.
How much impact do briefings have on advertising ideas and advertising?
Schaub: Decisive for the advertising idea is the de-briefing and the culture of dialog between the client and the agency.
"The advertising idea is bad because the briefing was bad" - that doesn't count as an excuse?
Schaub: No, absolutely not. I always have to develop the best possible advertising idea together with my colleagues.
Annelies Friedli
