How to put reflection and innovation at the service of a brand? What methods to conceptualize communication strategies always more original and impactful? Finally, what does the daily life of these strategic communications professionals look like?
🎯 Géraldine Planche et Alexandre Van Eeckhout address, for you, the challenges of these professions, combining creativity and inventiveness. Don't miss it inspiring decryption of this captivating field of COM.
Géraldine Planche,
Director of Lemon & Synergies at ISOSKELE
Alexandre Van Eeckhout,
Chief Creative Strategy Officer at HOPSCOTCH
#Definition
What definition would you give to strategic planning?
Géraldine Planche: I would say that strategic planning is an inexact science. On the one hand, it is a science that relies on an analytical approach, that of data. On the other hand, it is inaccurate because this science aims to generate emotion, a feeling unique and specific to each person.
In other words, strategic planning aims to understand the behavior of individuals and brands, to better determine possible concrete levers of engagement. To evolve in this universe, you have to be serious, while having this little “twist”, which allows you to find the innovative idea, the original creative concept. Finally, the strategic planner must know how to juggle yin and yang.
Alexandre Van Eeckhout: Strategic planning, it is the art of starting from a blank sheet and finally managing to initiate a story, a story constructed and formulated in such a way as to simply get people on board.
The profession of strategic planning is a profession of boiling. We need, on a daily basis, to be able to absorb everything that surrounds us, to pick up the little signals that give life to any creative expression.
# Achievements
Can you tell us about your pride: projects and achievements that have marked you?
A.VE: I had the chance to work for the The Minister of Agriculture, on the promotion of French agricultural and agri-food products, a fascinating project both in terms of its international challenges and the strategy deployed.
What are the expectations of consumers, all over the world, regarding French food? We needed to take stock of the situation to be able to determine the levers to activate to most accurately reconcile French cuisine with all the cultures of the world.
To respond to this problem, we have chosen to develop a 360° media ecosystem, under the brand Taste France Magazine. It is through this atypical strategic angle that it seemed wise to us to democratize French products, too often perceived as premium and reserved for special occasions. Daily, content are shared on different channels, notably on Social Media from Taste France Magazine, whose communities are substantial.
And to conclude on this beautiful adventure, our project was awarded the Grand Prix Stratégies Editoriale.
G.P: In strategic planning, the subjects are varied, and it can be very challenging to move towards less obvious subjects. I am thinking in particular of our collaboration with Sphere Health, a brand specializing in products for senior incontinence, a subject that is not easy to discuss, and even downright taboo. However, we had to talk about it!
To begin, we analyzed our targets and discovered an astonishing figure: 73% of seniors believe they are poorly represented in advertisements. From this statement, it seemed essential to us to have a truthful, hyper-realistic discourse. We needed to normalize the secrecy of urinary leakage.
Indeed, everyone has secrets, at any age and that's normal. A secret is a subject that we do not share with everyone, but with a few trusted people, which provides a certain relief. Also, we offered seniors the opportunity to share their secret garden with Sphere Health, without shame and without taboo. This communication campaign received great feedback, it resonated as we wanted with our targets, and that’s a source of great pride!
#Time for debate
Why did you choose this sector of strategic planning? Tell us about your motivations and your background!
G.P: I like to understand! Since I was little, I have liked to get to the bottom of things and understand the why and the how.. Why is this individual adopting this behavior? Why does this company make this or that choice? Without knowing it, I was already doing strategic planning.
I would add that I also like stories, true stories. Behind every brand, there is a human story made up of individuals and collective projects. The role of the strategic planner, ultimately, is to tell this story.
A.VE: La curiosity is an essential driver for evolving in strategic planning. Like Geraldine, I always wanted to learn, understand and discover new things, and that's what pushed me towards this profession.
My career has essentially been focused on strategic planning, even if more recently, I have branched off a little towards creation. However, these two aspects of the profession go hand in hand. Creation is putting discovery at the service of an idea. Moreover, more generally, Isn't that the role of every communicator to succeed in dissecting everything that is hidden behind an idea in order to materialize it most accurately?
What is your typical day?
A.VE: A typical day is a busy day! 😊 I am convinced that there are as many strategic planners as there are strategic planners. Everyone really organizes themselves in their own way. Personally, I spend a lot of time deciphering target expectations with the marketing intelligence teams dedicated to the markets. To be able to correctly direct a narrative, it is essential to analyze and understand a certain amount of data.
Precisely, it is once this decryption has been carried out that the reflection phase begins. Our role then consists of developing a narrative and supporting it until its deployment, in particular by challenging the creatives. Strategic planning definitely puts itself at the service of creation.
G.P: Indeed, the days are busy and above all varied. VSWhat I find fascinating in our profession is the diversity of subjects. You have to know how to juggle between urinary protection, mentioned previously, and automobile shock absorbers. We must immerse ourselves, tame markets, most of which we are not initially experts in.
Concerning shock absorbers for example, I didn't even know that a car had four! 😊 But by being passionate about a brand and its history, we manage to reveal levers that make the difference.
What do you think the future of strategic planning will look like?
G.P: The future of communication will be AI-oriented. I don't believe in human obsolescence. On the contrary, I am convinced that with artificial intelligence, we will be able to achieve a perfect mix between humans and machines. Mastering these new technologies means having the opportunity to concentrate on tasks of greater value, and freeing up time to focus on more intellectual subjects.
A.VE: Yes, it is imperative, and even more so in the field of communication, to adapt to innovations. IWe should not see changes in the practices of our professions as a struggle between man and machine, but more as a new methodology to which we must acclimatize.
Moreover, regarding AI, we are developing practical guides, so that our employees stay up to date with these new technologies.
#Cultissime
A.VE: Recently, it was the SCNF's advertising campaign, aimed at combating incivility, which caught my attention. I find the posture of “All in the same train” interesting and creative, it allows certain disturbing issues to be highlighted, always with accessibility and lucidity.
I also appreciated the rather delicate rebranding of Deezer, which managed to very accurately decode the expectations of Gen Z. Remember.
And finally, reading: don't miss the superb work by Roland Barthes “Mythologies”! This timeless book marvelously deciphers brand mythologies.
G.P: Did you know that France had more fast food restaurants than traditional restaurants? I was particularly sensitive to the repositioning of Flunch. The catering brand has given itself a facelift, by reworking its customer experience in a more qualitative, more festive and more family-friendly way, particularly around welcoming children.
Countryside “Here, it’s allowed” is a communication that rings true, consistent with the restaurant concept historically implemented by Flunch, oriented towards sharing. When the communication is one with the concept, the job is simply well done!
