No Ego in the Equation: Laurent Ponce, MullenLowe France

MullenLowe Global
Advertising/Full Service/Integrata
London, Regno Unito
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Laurent Ponce
Directeur Général - Stratégie et Planning
 

Tell us a bit about yourself and your current role?

I’m Laurent Ponce, head of strategies at MullenLowe France, based in Paris. I oversee the strategic planning for the agency and more globally, I’m involved in all strategic-level discussions with clients.

 

How did you get your start as a strategist? What led you to pursue it as a career?

My personal road has been a non-linear, and somewhat bumpy one. I’m a self-taught, hands-on kind of guy. I started as a musician (with all the weird side jobs you can imagine), then jumped in the early digital agencies boom, doing whatever was needed – from coding to account management. Then I spent some time in the luxury industry, created a start-up, then went back to agencies – from marketing to advertising to PR and social... It’s not that unusual in the grand scheme of our business, but it’s still been quite a journey.

 

What set of skills do you believe it takes for a strategist to thrive in the current advertising landscape?

I would say the first and foremost quality is an insatiable curiosity for everything. And by that I don’t mean just reading but living as much as possible. Advertising culture is an obvious plus, but I’d rather hire someone who has the ability to search for the unfound than someone who knows their Cannes Lions by heart. The ability to challenge, analyze, create connections, shift views, think fast, and re-think again. Then lay it all down as a clear, articulated plan. Be detail focused without losing the big picture. No ego in the equation. A passion for truth, but the flexibility to adapt to ever changing truths. Looks like quite a lot, but actually it all boils down to three main qualities more than ‘skills’: stay curious, think critically, and put your ego aside.

 

What’s the most challenging aspect of the job? What helps keep the work interesting for you?

To find the perfect balance between the ability to stand your ground, and the capacity to start it all over again if facts prove you wrong. Being bold, but open at the same time is very hard. But it’s vital. Again, ego is the enemy here. You’ve got to take it out of the equation very soon or it will drag you down. And of course, lack of time to do the work – but that’s the way things go nowadays so don’t complain about the rain falling, do something about it. Invent the umbrella. Or even better: think outside the box and invent the irrigation system! 

The work is always interesting, as long as your eye is fresh enough to look at it from an interesting standpoint. Do whatever you get your kicks from and take some time off whenever you can. I don’t believe in 24-hour workaholics in the long run. Chill. Life’s a trail run, not a flat ground sprint!

 

Is there a part of the role that you feel is often misunderstood?

I don’t know really. I think there are many ways to do this job. You’ve got to find the way that works best in the context of your agency. Some people are data obsessed, some are creative planners, some believe in stories, some rely solely on big qualitative surveys, some trust their guts and experience… it’s all good as long as it fits the team you work with. 

Take the creative brief: no two agencies work on the same model. And every six months, someone says “hey, let’s change the brief model, that’s our main issue!”. The truth is it all comes down to the people. If you work with open minded and intelligent people – internally, and client side – and your work is still misunderstood, then you are the problem and you need to do something about it. But let’s be humble, fellow planners. At the end of the day, clients buy houses, not architecture. They buy cars, not 3D plans. They buy campaigns, not the thinking behind it.

 

Do you have any advice for those looking to work in a similar role? 

I think you need to really question your motivation. If you want to shine on stage, get your name printed everywhere, rack up Lions or look smart in meetings, forget it. Most of the time planners won’t play in the spotlight. We are truth diggers and diggers work underground. On the flipside, if your motivation is a passion for hidden truths (and this will probably extend vastly outside your work) then go for it. Apply and be bold. Talk with planners - they are usually nice, smart people, not to mention handsome with a subtle humor.

 

How do you keep your finger on the pulse of culture? Where do you look for inspiration?

You have to constantly feed your hunger for knowledge. And it comes from everywhere. School, the street, the web, pop culture, the people, the places. Your ability to understand the world you live in, and reflect on it, is the only real skill you need to develop. Read every paper, website, blog, flyer. Listen to podcasts, talks, interviews. If you’re in your 30’s, listen to the lyrics of rap tunes even if you don’t like them. They will tell you things about the youth. If you’re in your 20’s, read books! Be aware of languages evolutions, and what they mean. Look at what people are wearing and try to understand it – tip: fashion is ALSO a language! Talk to people, invite them to tell you their stories. Get out of the office. Go try new things. And as you grow in age, beware of gentrification: once you’ll get there, it’s very easy to lose ground and forget how real people live in real life – mind you, they don’t live like advertisers. So go eat some kebabs, play street basketball, or work in NGO’s helping people in need. Get outside the comfort of the big cities and go to suburban areas too. Get out of the advertising bubble – it can be a small and rather un-inspiring world.