Art of Account Management: Jana Foley on Navigating the Intricacies of Agency-Client Relationships
Jana Foley is a group account director at RPA where she currently leads the agency's retail and CPG accounts, serving as a trusted client partner and agency champion. She thrives on making the complex simple and finding unconventional approaches to be most efficient and still effective. With nearly 20 years of experience, Jana has also partnered with brands within the insurance, entertainment, tourism and spirits categories.
LBB> How did you first get involved in account management and what appealed to you about it?
Jana> I wish I could say that I had always dreamt of a job in advertising. But, in all honesty, I fell into my first job out of college in agency account management and didn’t totally know what it was about. A recruiter felt that I would be a good fit, and I’m so glad I trusted her. I was amazed with the whole creative process and how, being an account manager, I could be there from start to finish. And I found that I thrived on being a hub of communication and navigating the intricacies of agency-client relationships.
LBB> What is it about your personality, skills and experience that has made account management such a great fit?
Jana> My ability to step back and see situations from all sides. What is the perspective of the agency and why is that the case? What are the client needs and expectations? And then how is that translated into an approach or solution that results in work that will positively impact the client business.
LBB> What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in account management?
Jana> Soak it all in and get exposure to as much as you can. Take every opportunity to ask questions, learn how all the pieces fit together, and offer to help.
LBB> Thinking back to some of your most challenging experiences you’ve had in your career, what do you think tends to lie at the heart of the more tense or difficult client-agency relationships?
Jana> Lack of trust and unclear communication. When either side doesn’t fully believe that the other has their best interests in mind, doesn’t trust in the others’ expertise and knowledge, or doesn’t communicate openly and share information, the relationship and creating great work is going to be difficult.
LBB> And what are the keys to building a productive and healthy relationship?
Jana> Trust and maintaining an open dialogue. When a client can lay it all on the table and share their challenges, expectations, and goals, and then trust that the agency will use their expertise to bring forth the best work to solve their business challenges. When an agency is equally communicative and believes a client will make the best decisions for their business. And being able to have an open dialogue that is rooted in respect.
LBB> What’s your view on disagreement and emotion — is there a place for it and if not, why not? If so, why — and what does productive disagreement look like?
Jana> When developing creative ideas, emotion can often be the magic ingredient that turns a good idea into a great one. But emotions do need to be set aside when it comes to having disagreements. Bringing differing perspectives to the table and having an open dialogue is often what leads to the best work. It can challenge an agency or client to look at things differently.
And the dialogue that can come from a healthy disagreement is productive—as long as it is rooted in respect for the other, a trust that both parties want the best outcome, and you don’t let your emotions get in the way.
LBB> Historically, account management has been characterised as the mediator in an adversarial client and creative relationship — what do you make of that characterisation, is there any nugget of truth in that or is it wildly inaccurate?
Jana> First, I don’t think that client-agency relationships are inherently adversarial. But yes, I do think the role of mediator is quite accurate. We excel at ensuring everyone’s voices are brought to the table and are heard. And we pull all parties together to reach the most beneficial outcome for the work and, as a result, the client’s business.
These days, agencies do so much beyond traditional campaigns and as account management you’re pulling together creative, experience, data, e-commerce, social, and more — and that complexity can often be mirrored on the client stakeholder side too.
LBB> What’s the key to navigating (and helping the client navigate) that complexity?
Jana> Making things more understandable. I believe in bringing in the subject-matter experts and rely on their knowledge. But I am also realistic that not everyone has an extensive background in each area, and it’s necessary to find ways to simplify and make the complexity understood.
LBB> What recent projects are you proudest of and why? What was challenging about these projects from an account-management perspective and how did you address those challenges? What was so satisfying about working on these projects?
Jana> We have recently been working on a packaging design project. Being involved at the inception of a product versus advertising it once it exists presented many new challenges. It required locating sources of expertise that aren’t usually involved in our day-to-day workstreams, becoming a product specialist (of sorts) to help guide the creative design process, and learning the ways of working for a new client team.
But it has been extremely rewarding to see the finished product come to life and know that we had a hand in the actual product people will buy, not just helping them become aware of it.
