Why we need a bit more P&G in this world

I answered an email yesterday that was enquiring about our interest in working on a new TV commercial for a fairly well known product.

 This was the brief: “Here is a link to our previous commercial, please revert with your concept and quotation”.

 That was it. No background information, no target audience, no competitive review, no objectives or proposition. Just..give us an idea and a quote. From a marketing person.

 Just lately, it has become quite normal for us to receive requests like this from people in marketing roles. Usually they already know what kind of film they want it to be and have reference ready which is to be followed.

 The first thing we have to explain is that we are not a production company.

 Because I assume that these days there are enough people in Hong Kong production companies who would respond to a brief like that just as requested.

 You only have to look at the average stream of completely idea-less blandvertising we see every day to know that someone somewhere is directly answering briefs just like that, no questions asked.

 Which begs me to ask – what the hell is going on? Has it come to this? When briefing in a film, online or off, is the same as saying "Yeah gimme a cheeseburger with fries and a cola".

 I come from a world where every brand team goes through the proper professional procedures in order to commit to film or video.

 By having a prepared brief, complete with all of the information I have outlined above and more. Research materials, insights. Issues that need addressing.

 A brief, a proper brief.

 There are some cases where, in the absence of all that, we will help our clients prepare that brief. Why not? It’s great to start earlier in the process. By working closely together you can arrive at the right solution.

 And what is it with “give us a quote” up front? How can we quote on a production before we have an idea?

 I would usually answer that with “What is your budget?”

 If we know the budget in advance, then we can come up with ideas that are on-brief and on-budget, knowing that we can safely deliver.

 “Give us a quote” sounds ominously “How cheap can you go?”

 All of which has me wondering whether there is now a need for a training programme to help young people who are in, or entering into, marketing positions.

 So they can understand some of the basics such as brand positioning, briefing, and TV commercials production.

 Years ago, I was creative director on one of the P&G brands in Asia at my then agency. We did a lot of fairly high end TV work. And, although it was generally well-known that the creative work itself was less than adventurous or exciting (execution over idea I would say), the company’s procedures, and their training of young people, were professional, impeccable and detailed.

 Proper budgets, proper briefing, proper pre-production process.

 A little bit of that P&Gness wouldn’t go amiss today. I never thought I would one day hear myself saying that.