After successfully graduating with a diploma in industrial engineering from the HDM in Stuttgart, Peter was drawn to the world of brands and communication at an early stage. After working for Jung v. Matt, Leo Burnett and Das Goldene Vlies, he joined KemperTrautmann in 2005 - at that time certainly the most exciting agency start-up in the industry - founded by renowned Michael Trautmann and André Kemper, now thjnk and part of the WPP network. Peter has stayed with the agency for nearly 15 years, where he was involved in the development and expansion of the design subsidiary loved, among other things. Meanwhile, he has sworn eternal loyalty to his chosen home of Hamburg.

Peter joined Strichpunkt in August 2019. In his role as Member of the Executive Board & Studio Lead, he manages the Berlin studio and is building up the Strichpunkt studio in Hamburg. Clients and colleagues appreciate his high level of perception, especially in the strategic area and his vast experience and vision in team and project development. In Talking to…, Peter gives some insights into why agencies won’t die, what courage means to him and what a good starter kit for the agency world looks like.

SP: Peter, what does a young professional in today's agency world need in order to be successful? What has changed in recent years from your perspective?
It has probably never been more exciting to start working in an agency than it is today, everything is in a state of flow. Working has also become much more fluid in recent years, solutions and ideas are at the centre, less and less the communication channels. Agencies are incubators, transitions between worlds and specialists at the same time. That's why a solid dose of curiosity, openness to change and a sense for innovation is a good starter kit.
 
SP: What do you see as the added value of an agency? Today and in the future? What role should an agency play in the future?
As long as there are brands, there will be agencies. They will not go out of fashion if they fulfil their role of driving communication topics of all kinds for brands. But agencies are becoming more diversified as both the topics and the channels become more complex. Those that stay in motion, set themselves up collaboratively and put creativity at the centre of what they do will be more in demand in the future.
 
SP: What does a brand need if it wants to be successful in the future?
Brands that understand how to be more than just a product will become more important. But in the end, it will remain decisive how much one trusts a brand. And to strengthen and consolidate this trust, the so-called "seamless experience", with the help of flexible and agile tools around communication and brand management, will become more important.
 
SP: Which developments from the Corona pandemic should we see as an opportunity?
Initially, we read and heard a lot about Covid-19 driving the digital transformation more than any other development, with a mocking undertone here and there. Without a doubt, it has indeed changed a lot for the better, but it has thrown timelines and time spans out of sync; although our industry probably works more or less from home, one has the impression that many things have become more fast-paced. But it is also true that in every crisis there is an opportunity. And we should all seize this opportunity and tackle all developments around new work, collaborative structures, working models and digital tools courageously and continue to drive them forward sustainably, even after the pandemic. Then the crisis will also have a positive aspect in the end.
 
SP: What does courage mean to you personally?
I think courage is a big word. There are many achievements in life that have required more courage than mine so far. But I am firmly convinced of the saying "everything happens for a reason", which is my personal view of courage: always looking ahead, even if you don't yet know what's coming.