When Is All Said & Done II - Account

When All Is Said & Done

Part II - Servicing the Account

A New Account is Like a New Relationship

No matter how fresh the client claims to want things, they bring "baggage" with them and long standing tendencies that cannot be ignored. In our campaign proposal there were pieces that we nailed by recognizing what made up the client, and there were things we did not anticipate that bit us in the end. At the end of the day, you need to be "authentic" to the brand that exists and fit within it. Even when rebranding, you are not working with a tabla rasa. Do your homework in terms of culture, operations, aspirations, past successes, and past failures. Understand the client better than they understand themselves, and you'll be better set up for success.

Be Able to Explain "Why"

There are plenty of agencies that claim to be "creatively led". Power to them. The world needs more creatively led institutions. However it's important to recognize that creative alone is subjective. The client may or may not like it regardless of how ingenious the idea is simply because they're in a bad mood that day (or a number of other unfair and trivial reasons that are largely bullshit). If you're dedicated to seeing that work reach the world, you better be able to justify it and explain why it will do what your client needs it to do.

Creative is Subjective 

Creative built on sound strategy is Bulletproof

and stands out, and wins pitches, and wins awards, and moves the lever, and makes everyone happy

The creative-led agencies that thrive understand this. W+K, GS&P, and TBWA\Chiat\Day all make phenomenal work that blows us away, but they also have crazy-smart strategic thinking supporting everything they do. Every campaign has reason why it will work. That reason is stronger in some cases than others. Either way, knowing that reason why and being able to articulate it well may be the clincher in the final round. Now that I've pissed some of you off with my creative-blasphemy let me say that yes, I believe the work can be wildly creative and still move the lever. Really, should we aim for anything less? I think not.

Strategy Has a Different Definition Depending on Who You Ask

It's on me to figure out what that means where I work and for my clients, and help elevate all of our understanding of it. I also found in this internship that lots of folks fresh out of school have a small grasp of the necessity (or meaning) of strategy. I need to be prepared for this particularly when working with young art directors, writers, and inexperienced or small clients.

Tell People What They Need to Hear. Tell Them in a Way They'll Listen

Different agencies have different approaches to being honest with their clients. Part of my job is to match that approach that makes them successful. Not every agency has a creative reputation that allows them to be brutally (and successfully) honest. Still, I feel that honesty piece is too important to ignore for the sake of smiling brand managers. If you do it right, the results will speak for themselves. Coming out of this internship, I feel comfortable saying in most circumstances deliver what the client says they want, then give them more. It shows that you’re thinking ahead, that you’ve got their best interest in mind - not just deliverables, and that you’re willing to play ball, but that you see more potential than the client may realize. On a tactical level, repeating what your counterpart says goes a long way.

Recognize When to Bet the Farm

If you don’t have something you believe in strongly enough to bet your job on it then you’re probably not all that necessary. Every now and then something comes up that's worth its weight in gold and those moments ought to be seized. No major name in this world got to the top by playing it safe all the time. When you have the chance to successfully go big, 
go big.

But Know How to Pick Your Battles

A good deal of pride-swallowing will probably be needed to earn enough trust for that big idea you’re willing to wager your career and agency on. A great analogy described to me during the internship sums this up: throw away the pawns, but fight for the kings, queens, and bishops. Remember, at its best a relationship between agency and brand is a partnership, not a dictatorship - that goes both ways.

Always Keep the Objective in Mind 
When devising strategy and tactics remember the purpose you were given. If what you're making doesn’t contribute to the objective then you’re off target and only wasting time and money - mostly yours I add. If what you've got is powerful enough to warrant a revision to the scope, then sell it to the client, but until then remember what you're getting paid to do.

After You Make the Campaign, Break the Campaign

Come up with every possible question that the client may ask of the pitch. Some things you’ll be able to address and adjust, and others you won’t. At the very least you’ll be prepared for those questions and can lead the conversation in your favor. Our team did this and it was a huge benefit and significantly added to our victory. Half of the questions the client asked were nearly exactly ones we predicted, and the others we were far more prepared to answer. Do not walk into the pitch blindly confident or you run the risk of getting buried.

Write a Strong Scope of Work

If you don't, then your agency is in dangerous water of being forced into more work than your compensation provides for. That conversation with the client is a lot harder to have than getting it right up front.

Read Up Every Morning on What’s Going On in the World
A great mentor during my time at The New Group, George Vakoutis, told me a story about how one of his past bosses in client services would get up at 4 AM every morning to read the New York Times front to back. He did this because, working in account management, his job is to be a trusted advisor for his clients. In a role about relationship and communicating with a purpose, this story rung clear for me. That's why for the last month I have started every day reading RSS feeds on the major U.S. industries, economic conditions, political landscape, technological advances, social movements and more. Right now it's mainly helping me be better versed on the world, but I do it for that opportunity I will face at some point when a client asks for my point of view on a topic. When that day comes I'll be prepared to answer intelligently with detail and relevance, and in doing so support them to look good internally and strengthen the relationship.


Make sure to check out my other posts on working with teams, shaping career, and life takeaways!