WHAT’S NEXT TORSTEN?
What drives you? What are you good at?
I’m driven by the urge to make things brutally clear. For brands. For organizations. For structures.
For people. And yes – by a certain rage at how interchangeable communication has become.
I’m good at taming complexity. Forcing decisions. Positioning brands so they can act – and stand apart with spine. First I create clarity. Then I give brands volume through difference. I don’t make things visible. I make them hit. My result? Work that works.
What makes your consulting approach different from other CDs or Senior ADs?
My work starts where it gets uncomfortable:
With truth.
With clarity.
With decision.
I don’t create options. I eliminate them. Relevance doesn’t come from variety. It comes from exclusion. In real life that means: One direction. Clear consequences. And sometimes a clean: We don’t do that anymore. Economic success rarely comes from consensus. It comes from edge. If you try to please everyone, you disappear.
Your approach to brand work in one sentence. No buzzwords.
I make brands unmistakable so they don’t contradict themselves in behavior, and their drive becomes obvious to everyone. I help brands say clearly who they are, what they promise –
and I make sure people believe it. Everywhere.
Was there a moment when you realized: The old way doesn’t work anymore?
Yes. And honestly – that moment never leaves. The world shifts constantly. The difference today? Contradictions don’t stay hidden. They go live. In real time.
What are you observing right now?
An industry maximizing output – while diluting identity. There’s no shortage of ideas. No shortage of execution. There’s a shortage of originality. And clarity about what brands actually want to stand for long term. AI makes production cheaper. But clarity, taste, and responsibility? Still expensive.
“Long-term relevance is built on radical consistency and clarity: Fewer promises, decisive action, and recognizability over years – not quarters.”
What strategic principles do brands need today to stay relevant long term?
Long-term relevance is built on radical coherence: fewer promises, consistent action, and recognizability over years – not quarters. You can’t question yourself or fold at every opportunity. You need nerve. And deep confidence in what you’re doing.
Are there principles you stick to, even if they seem impractical or uneconomical?
Yes. I don’t stop working until I’ve found the best possible solution to a problem. And I don’t sell strategies I don’t believe in myself. Short term, that can be uncomfortable. Long term, it’s extremely smart business.
What does collaboration at eye level mean to you – with teams, clients, partners?
Being able to tell each other the truth. For me, eye level doesn’t mean equal roles. It means equal responsibility for the outcome.
“Now that AI delivers content in abundance, the winner isn’t the one who produces the most – it’s the one who knows most clearly what they stand for.”
How do you use AI without losing your stance?
Very clearly: AI accelerates processes. Stance accelerates decisions. Without a clear position, technology only makes you replaceable – faster. Now that AI delivers content in abundance, the winner isn’t the one who produces the most. It’s the one who knows most clearly what they stand for.
Society & Ecology. What role do they really play?
They’re not a communication category. They’re a reality check. If responsibility doesn’t lead to operational consequences, it’s just rhetoric.
What inspires or irritates you in marketing right now?
Inspiring: Reduction. Clarity. The courage to stand behind one clear message.
Irritating: Insecurity. Sameness. More and more content. Less and less substance.
My response? Create messages that give orientation.
„MAKE IT CLEAR.
OR DON’T MAKE IT.“
How do you measure success. Beyond reach or revenue?
When a brand no longer needs to be explained internally. When decisions are made faster. When strategy becomes second nature.
And when teams are proud of what they’ve built together.
When you look back in five years . What do you hope you’ve done better?
I hope I’ve helped brands commit – and stay committed. And I hope Torsten isn’t simply better.
But unexpectedly different.
Many thanks to the CCA for the challenging questions.