"No question of mistrust"
Florian Bausch on the crisis between clients and planning agency services
Florian Bausch on the crisis between clients and planning agenciesBy Luca Aloisi The Swiss planning culture is still young, but has been suffering from a lack of profile for some time now. In a study, Florian Bausch investigated the reasons for the low recognition of the
researched.
You introduce your qualitative study on strategic planning with Henry Ford's quote "Everything can be done better than it has been done so far". Has everything been done badly so far?
Florian Bausch: No, not at all. On the contrary, a planning culture is also developing more and more in the Swiss market. Basically, however, the whole environment has become much more complex. What's more, customers now know exactly what they want. Especially in the areas of marketing consulting, industry know-how, methods and analyses. The agency side still has to make a huge effort here.
What prompted you to conduct this qualitative study?
Bausch: Basically, I myself am an agency planner by background and have been doing this job for many years in a large network in Germany. I have also worked in the industry as a brand manager. With both perspectives, you know where the problem areas and opportunities lie. In addition, marketing simply has to have a fundamental effect. Today more than ever. With the often aggressive business plan specifications on the client side, every marketing franc must be precise and wastage must be avoided. It is essential that agencies provide the consulting services that clients need to achieve their goals.
Where is the customer's problem today in contact with the strategic planner?
Bausch: I don't think anyone should be feeling the pinch. Expectations and market conditions have changed too much since the early days. According to customers today, planning can and must no longer see itself solely as the consumer's brand detective who, to use football jargon, is able to play the deadly "USP pass" for the creation. Also. But not only.
Bartle Bogle Hegarty defined planning as "creative thinking based on information". What else must a good planner be able to offer the client today?
Bausch: Quite a lot. Nowadays, not only brand and communication knowledge and creativity are required, but also real industry and marketing know-how. Plus the ability and experience to think outside the box. It goes without saying that if a good and coherent brand/communication strategy is to be written, it must not end with marketing communication, but must also deal with marketing as a whole in an integrative manner. A holistic approach is the magic word here.
And what does all this mean for the agencies?
Bausch: A qualitative upgrade in the areas of marketing consulting, industry know-how as well as methods and analyses.
Although your study does not claim to be exhaustive, it does reveal that the relationship between industry and the communication side is more tense than ever. Can't this mistrust also be attributed to the economic crisis?
Bausch: I don't think the expression "tense" exactly hits the nail on the head. The fact is that, with a few exceptions, the best planners, i.e. product and brand managers, are on the customer side. They have all the essential information for successful brand management. It is therefore not surprising that the customer takes over the planning itself. There can be no question of mistrust due to the economic crisis.
Experts complain about the lack of a defined performance profile for the planner and often a
Label fraud. Is this the reason why customers no longer pass on their relevant information to agencies?
Bausch: Interesting thought. However, I think that one has little to do with the other. Basically, however, you only hand over documents if the information passed on has added value in some way - and we should continue to work on this added value.
Necessity is the mother of invention. You have noticed that people are currently resorting to me-too marketing and communication. Creatives and clients are passing the buck to each other. Is there a culprit for this lack of creativity?
Bausch: If I had a conclusive answer, I would immediately sell it to the highest bidder. (laughs) Seriously, it's clear that clients are taking less risk due to the often tough business plan requirements - but in return, the agencies don't fight hard enough.
Many local agencies say that they are not involved in strategic planning for network clients anyway. Have you taken this into account?
Bausch: Of course, this aspect was taken into account from the outset, but it turned out not to be relevant.
Customer advice also has to do with management responsibility. However, many clients do not want to integrate this third force in management because Swissair, Vontobel or Swiss Dairy Food have taught them otherwise. Under these circumstances, what are the chances for advertising agency planners?
Bausch: If the know-how is right and the agency people really understand their business and can add to it, very few clients will ignore it.
researched.
You introduce your qualitative study on strategic planning with Henry Ford's quote "Everything can be done better than it has been done so far". Has everything been done badly so far?
Florian Bausch: No, not at all. On the contrary, a planning culture is also developing more and more in the Swiss market. Basically, however, the whole environment has become much more complex. What's more, customers now know exactly what they want. Especially in the areas of marketing consulting, industry know-how, methods and analyses. The agency side still has to make a huge effort here.
What prompted you to conduct this qualitative study?
Bausch: Basically, I myself am an agency planner by background and have been doing this job for many years in a large network in Germany. I have also worked in the industry as a brand manager. With both perspectives, you know where the problem areas and opportunities lie. In addition, marketing simply has to have a fundamental effect. Today more than ever. With the often aggressive business plan specifications on the client side, every marketing franc must be precise and wastage must be avoided. It is essential that agencies provide the consulting services that clients need to achieve their goals.
Where is the customer's problem today in contact with the strategic planner?
Bausch: I don't think anyone should be feeling the pinch. Expectations and market conditions have changed too much since the early days. According to customers today, planning can and must no longer see itself solely as the consumer's brand detective who, to use football jargon, is able to play the deadly "USP pass" for the creation. Also. But not only.
Bartle Bogle Hegarty defined planning as "creative thinking based on information". What else must a good planner be able to offer the client today?
Bausch: Quite a lot. Nowadays, not only brand and communication knowledge and creativity are required, but also real industry and marketing know-how. Plus the ability and experience to think outside the box. It goes without saying that if a good and coherent brand/communication strategy is to be written, it must not end with marketing communication, but must also deal with marketing as a whole in an integrative manner. A holistic approach is the magic word here.
And what does all this mean for the agencies?
Bausch: A qualitative upgrade in the areas of marketing consulting, industry know-how as well as methods and analyses.
Although your study does not claim to be exhaustive, it does reveal that the relationship between industry and the communication side is more tense than ever. Can't this mistrust also be attributed to the economic crisis?
Bausch: I don't think the expression "tense" exactly hits the nail on the head. The fact is that, with a few exceptions, the best planners, i.e. product and brand managers, are on the customer side. They have all the essential information for successful brand management. It is therefore not surprising that the customer takes over the planning itself. There can be no question of mistrust due to the economic crisis.
Experts complain about the lack of a defined performance profile for the planner and often a
Label fraud. Is this the reason why customers no longer pass on their relevant information to agencies?
Bausch: Interesting thought. However, I think that one has little to do with the other. Basically, however, you only hand over documents if the information passed on has added value in some way - and we should continue to work on this added value.
Necessity is the mother of invention. You have noticed that people are currently resorting to me-too marketing and communication. Creatives and clients are passing the buck to each other. Is there a culprit for this lack of creativity?
Bausch: If I had a conclusive answer, I would immediately sell it to the highest bidder. (laughs) Seriously, it's clear that clients are taking less risk due to the often tough business plan requirements - but in return, the agencies don't fight hard enough.
Many local agencies say that they are not involved in strategic planning for network clients anyway. Have you taken this into account?
Bausch: Of course, this aspect was taken into account from the outset, but it turned out not to be relevant.
Customer advice also has to do with management responsibility. However, many clients do not want to integrate this third force in management because Swissair, Vontobel or Swiss Dairy Food have taught them otherwise. Under these circumstances, what are the chances for advertising agency planners?
Bausch: If the know-how is right and the agency people really understand their business and can add to it, very few clients will ignore it.
