Here's to you, Account Handlers...

Max Clifford: The ultimate account handler? Thanks to ijazphoto, usual rules apply.

Frankly, I'm a little tired of hearing/reading about how planners are the next rock Gods, saviours of the agency world and generally, would end world hunger if they just produced a big enough pie chart.

No, today, I want to focus on those who represent the agency, the account handlers.

In the digital landgrab that is blogging, twittering and other such mediums, they've been curiously silent, or so it would seem. Well, why's this a surprise?

And no, it's not what the more cynically minded would have it - 'they've got nothing to say'. Bollocks. Absolute toss, in fact. That sort of view makes me angry. Unlike we planners, with our occasional ivory tower world view - hell, we're paid to think, for the most part - account handlers have to ALWAYS be on the go, multi-tasking constantly. It's no surprise not many of them are blogging (barring the indefatigable Nicola Davies - her blog's great).

I know this, partly because I was a damnably awful account handler. My worrying nature meant that even when I got the job right, I'd still be concerned that it was wrong, and occasionally the opposite would happen - I'd not get the job right because I wasn't worried about precisely how it would look.

But I'm so glad I had that experience. Because it makes me realise just what a skill it is to be a good account handler, and makes me more empathetic when they've got to deal face to face with a very difficult client. Sure, planning has to meet clients - but not to the same degree as account management.

And the job is hard, hard work. Especially, it seems to me, at junior levels. At it's worst, you get shat on by all and sundry, and have little to no input into the strategic direction of the campaign. And God knows, I know enough bright account handlers who have become planners. But I'd like to try and stem the tide, at least slightly.

For the best account handlers (and believe me, the job gets more strategic as you become more senior) are the rocks on which new agencies are founded. CHI and DLKW both have been phenomenally successful, due in a large part to their account handling prowess (yes, the strategic and creative departments have had a lot to do with it as well). If you can sell, are charming (and know what's going on all over the place) there's always a place for you, at any agency.

And it's a fantastic job if you like meeting new people, challenging clients, representing the agency's interests, and generally being a bloody good salesman, able to paint pictures in clients' minds (hopefully without overpromising, the cardinal sin). You'll go very very far.

I just hope we as in industry don't paint a picture of account management as a glorious pipedream - surely, by being honest and saying 'yes, you do have to do a lot of photocopying in the beginning' is the way to approach matters; some naive stereotype is not the way to go about things.

NB: I've always preferred the term account handler - I don't quite subscribe to the belief that accounts can be fully managed; real life is always too chaotic for that. Heh.

Interview Thoughts 2: So Why & Where?

Well, in the second part of my interview thoughts, I'm going to begin by discussing something which seems to make up the mainstay of most interviews: WHY?

Namely, why you and why are you interested in the profession? (Please note, I'm going to use parts of my usual cover letter in answering this).

Well, I'm interested in the communications industry (and particularly in advertising, as it happens) because it relates to what makes me tick generally - I like finding out about people; what makes them tick, why they react the way they do to stimuli, be it a bold picture of marketing communications, a Rorschach test, a celebrity or a clever piece of writing.

And indeed, the download in my sidebar often helps when explaining to companies just why I think I'd be a good fit for the industry (or at least helps them realise just what makes me tick).

So anyway, people are the reason I want to work in this communications game. I like talking (as you will undoubtedly have noticed when you meet me - perhaps a little too much in the interview game, if I'm honest) and I like to write my thoughts down. It's why I enjoy keeping this blog.

I realise in terms of life experiences I'm never ever going to be one of those people who have mastered 6 languages and lived abroad for a massive amount of years before returning to take up the mantle of the communications biz. No, I'm a 22 year old from Worcestershire, someone who loves music, reading and writing (the very three things Russell mentioned in his podcast with Jon Steel that are things everyone says), as well as a host of other random interests. I'd also like to learn to play the guitar/piano at some point, if only to realise just how hard it is.

However, I think in terms of latent curiosity, enthusiasm and general appreciation of marketing communications, I can rival most candidates. Advertising plays to my strengths, and belief that the best communication messaging is always inherently simplistic, despite the rapidly changing communications mix.

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My thoughts should be fairly clear (if you read the blog even vaguely) of where I think good communications lies, but in terms of the industry, I think the era of ‘Web 2.0’ has created a culture where any consumer can quickly publish their thoughts about a brand, putting them on a far greater platform to air their views. Indeed, as the Coke/Mentos YouTube videos demonstrate, brand owners cannot easily control just how their products are utilised.

The power of conversation, of a dialogue with a consumer rather than a ‘top down’, dictatorial and enforced message is something which I feel strongly about. In this new communications era, I believe that the ability to generate conversations in order to engage with your consumer will be incredibly important. Indeed, what will continue to endure will be authenticity and storytelling; if you can't do this, you are liable to be found out, as Sony found out here.

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So, I think the why has been adequately explained. So WHERE do I see myself fitting into this new mix of communications?

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Well, I'll be quite honest with you; much as I dislike the term 'creative generalist', I do think there are elements of all of the 3 main agency outposts which I could do and would enjoy.

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I like account handling in so much as the idea of being able to maintain a relationship with a client and helping to present the creative work greatly appeals to me. The administrative nature of this doesn't massively appeal - but I'm willing to do it; hell, every modern day job has an element of this, right from a temp job to being the MD. I'd like a hand in the strategy though, and worry that the role of an account man has massively changed since the days of Frank Lowe, the Saatchi brothers and others, to simply not allow for much strategic thought.

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Planning then; and seeing how I've been told by all and sundry in the industry that I'm a planner, I should be most inclined towards this. It is true, I like to think I'm a reasonable strategic thinker, and I love the idea of helping to write the creative brief, as well as mining insights from people and research. Yet, the prospect of being told to 'justify the idea' as I feel some planners are, doesn't appeal in some ways. However, of all of the suggestions, it's the one I lean the most strongly towards (especially given the fact that Russell, Richard and many others seem to think so).

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I'll be honest, I've even thought about Copywriting. I think this crosses every English grad's mind, and I like to think I can write well. It's more of a pipe dream to be honest - I don't think I could come up with enough original ideas; sure would be fun to try and crack the odd creative brief.

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So yes, out of all of those, I'd be a Planner, first and foremost. Where in the world? Well, I'd like to learn my trade in this country, then move further afield when I know what I'm doing.

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What would you do readers, and what are your thoughts?

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No fear. Or, a plea for old school Account Handlers..

As the new world order of agencies jostles for position, I think there's a real danger of overlooking those incredibly underated folk. Yes, that's right, account handers/managers/people.

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I'm not about to suggest that the Account man has somehow died, or there's no need for him/her. I think it's a bit dangerous to think like that. Nor do I believe that the new world order of agencies can afford to overlook the suit, and that somehow the planner or creative could and should have more power than the suit.

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Each discipline lacks skills the others possess; the best suits are far more charming and better with people than the average planner or creative, and likewise, planners and creatives can usually think along far different lines than the average suit. HOWEVER... too much thinking like this leads to:

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So, to avoid this... I'm not going to propose disbanding departments, allowing the most snot nosed account person to create creative work, nor saying to the most socially awkward planner to present an hour presentation to the most important client. That'd just be silly. Structures of this sort exist for a reason, and searching for new ones is liking asking 'What came first, the chicken or the egg?' (Yes, one of the presentations in the sidebar really was on a hiding to nothing).

No, instead, we've got to move away from both notions, and dare I say, back to some of the old attitudes. As Morris Hite states in his 80's book, "No agency is better than its account executives."

Damn right. These plucky youngsters are the faces of the agency. They've got to be ballsy, unafraid to have an opinion, not just cast aside as the photocopying monkey for the first year.

It's rather telling that what people held as the account man's job (having an opinion on the strategy, overseeing parts of the creative brief) back in the day, the planner has now subsumed. But surely, if the agency is being presented by these people, the AE has to be able to think strategically, and to a lesser extent, creatively?

I say this in this order because without the nous to understand just where the brand is heading, account services will become overly seduced by creativity without substance. It's all very well to admire the bright lights and flash graphics of the latest block busting TV ad, but if you don't understand WHY and can't think creatively, it's for naught.

So - Give back some responsibility to Account Handlers. Get them thinking strategically. Don't just employ those who have to 'think creatively'. One man's creativity is another man's total arse. If it's not understood, it's rather pointless. Perhaps some form of internal strategic training by the senior planners, or a required reading list? (You think I'm joking...)

Perhaps most importantly, get young Account Handlers to get the bit between their teeth. Not to be wankers, but being unfraid to interject. After all, most of these people have had the same training as the forensically minded planning department, so it's unlikely they just 'won't get it'.

And for God's sake, heed Leo Burnett's words: "Fun without sell gets nowhere but sell without fun tends to become obnoxious." No arseholes OR faceless drones, who only do administration, 10 second pack shots and colour co-ordinated dressing.

(NB: First picture stolen from Adweek)

The Duck Hunt. Or how Graduate Ad Interviews Work..

Graduate interviews. Strange things, really.
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As you might expect, I've done the lot. Filmed a 5 minute DVD about myself, gone to a party, taken part in an online account management test and even just talked for thirty minutes about myself and ads (the standard format).

I've behaved like a gigantic muppet in some interviews, (probably) acted like a legend in others. On any given day, I can look like a pillock:

Or a complete hero:

Before you ask, yes, alcohol was involved in the former photo. Rather like Lebowski's dancing, I think.

As a result of this, I've gained some pretty interesting work experience. But damnit, enough of this. I want a job now. Preferably in an agency with some interesting clients/one where I don't have to imbibe or live and breathe some peculiar agency philosophy which I don't agree with.

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The clichéd truisms are right though; there are different agency 'feels'; ones which you instantly feel comfortable in, and others.. well, others where you couldn't imagine spending more time in it than simply lingering in reception.

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That said, as far as my experiences have taught me, it's often the latter which leads to the better creative work...though this kind of working environment may not be what you want, as a junior planner/account man.

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My thoughts are so fragmented on this that I'm going to publish a squidoo on different agencies and some of their thinking. This was prompted by a kind email from David Walden (another wannabe ad man) - check out his blog.

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But yes, it really depends on whether I'm making sense in the morning, whether the sun and stars have aligned, or what I've had for breakfast (it was just a cup of tea that morning).

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As you may have guessed, I'm in the middle of interview season.

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