The Art of Account Management: Building Success Upon Strong Relationships with Shelly-Ann Scott
A heavyweight name within the Canadian industry, Shelly-Ann Scott has spent over 25 years becoming an expert in building and creating opportunities for strong brands. Now serving as a partner and VP client services at LG2 – working out of the Toronto office – she leads the client services team in the aim of cultivating productive relationships with Canadian and international brands alike.
Of course, this pursuit is well enabled by Shelly-Ann’s incredible depth of experience. Having worked at the likes of Leo Burnett, J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, Grey Canada and Juniper Park\TBWA while representing the accounts of brands in everything from financial services and beauty to CPG and retail, she brings this all together to get to the heart of consumers’ attitudes and enable effective results. Presently, this can be seen in her work for the likes of the LCBO, Under Armour, The Bay, Danone, The Source, Catelli Foods, Partake Brewing and Women’s Shelters Canada, among others.
LBB> How did you first get involved in account management, and what appealed to you about it?
Shelly-Ann> I was in between my third and fourth years at the University of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School, and had a summer job working in the marketing communications department at Xerox. My manager suggested that I go spend a week at its advertising agencies, and while I’m not sure they had really planned for my arrival, I loved what I saw. The environments were dynamic, they were filled with different types of people who all brought different skill sets to problem-solving, and I saw that creativity could be used to problem-solve. I also saw that account management was the area where I could put what I was learning at business school to practice, so I went back into my final year focused on marketing and specifically going into advertising. To this day, I still really enjoy the creative process – how you can go from a brand problem to developing a strategy and giving these to creative people who bring them to life in such surprising ways.
LBB> What is it about your personality, skills and experience that has made account management such a great fit?
Shelly-Ann> I’m innately curious, I love to learn, and I believe that curiosity is a key trait of a great account person. I’ve always enjoyed understanding consumers, their needs, and why they behave the way they do, and then using that knowledge to help solve a brand problem or opportunity. This, combined with my strong communication and interpersonal skills, allows me to build rapport and trust with clients. Account management offers me the perfect blend – using my strategic skills to become a trusted partner for clients, fostering long-term relationships, and using creativity to drive business results.
LBB> What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in account management?
Shelly-Ann> Actively listen and truly understand your client's business and needs. Learn from experienced colleagues, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Be curious! Proactive communication is key – whether with clients, or your strategy and creative colleagues – anticipate challenges, manage expectations, and keep everyone informed. Remember, strong relationships are the foundation for success.
LBB> Thinking back to some of the 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?
Shelly-Ann> Miscommunication and unclear expectations often cause friction. I also think not getting the basics right, like a lack of responsiveness, under preparation, or not following through on promises made can also get in the way of forging a strong client-agency relationship.
LBB> And what are the keys to building a productive and healthy relationship?
Shelly-Ann> Transparency, clear communication, and mutual respect are essential. Regular check-ins build trust, and celebrating successes together strengthens the bond. We should aspire to client relationships where we can have difficult discussions and celebrate our successes. Ultimately, a collaborative environment where clients and agencies work as a team fosters the best results. For example, our relationship with Chicken Farmers of Canada has been built on a foundation of trust created over time by really getting to know each other and understanding its goals and motivations.
LBB> What’s your view on disagreement and emotion – is there a place for it, and if not, why not? If so, why – what does productive disagreement look like?
Shelly-Ann> Disagreement is healthy when it's constructive. Creativity is subjective. We’re not always going to agree. And there is a place for emotion, but it should be about the work. We should be passionate about the work that we are presenting. We should be proud of it. I remember once making a Boots client cry. We had presented a rough cut of a spot that we had all worked so hard on together, in such close collaboration, that when she saw it, she was so proud of the work and what it said about the brand that she was moved to tears.
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?
Shelly-Ann> Yes, account management is the intermediary between the client and the rest of the agency. But I don’t think ‘mediator’ is the role. The account person needs to be both the voice of the client and the ambassador for the agency. While they need to understand their clients’ business, they also have a passion for the agency’s work. It is a bit of a balancing act, but I believe fostering a shared vision and having open communication between clients and creatives drives success. And, when issues arise, as they will do, it’s important for the account person to have an opinion – to not just take the client’s side, but also to recognise when to give in and accept the client’s decision with grace. Having a strong collaborative client-agency relationship will help get through the challenging times.
LBB> 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. What’s the key to navigating (and helping the client navigate) that complexity?
Shelly-Ann> It’s really about establishing and bringing to the table the fundamentals. Strong project management and clear communication are crucial. A shared vision for the project and a well-defined communication plan to ensure everyone is aligned is critical, especially when there are a variety of players on both sides. It's important to break down complex ideas into actionable steps with clear expectations for everyone – clients and agencies alike.
We did this for the ‘Builtboard’ project we created with Chicken Farmers of Canada, which involved a PR agency, media agency, and multiple production studios to fabricate a custom, weighted billboard along with the campaign assets.
LBB> Finally, 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?
Shelly-Ann> A recent project that I’m particularly proud of is the work we did for the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS): the ‘Buzzkill’ campaign to promote buying legal. The timeline was challenging – it’s a government organisation and the campaign included traditional and non-traditional elements including a pop-up store where everything from the products to the space itself needed to be designed. But it was such a success because of our partnership with OCS. From the initial presentation of the creative idea the client was on board, and so together, we worked through internal socialisation, partnered with the different agencies and companies needed to bring the idea to fruition, and supported each other through the process.
