The Art of Account Management: The Importance of Showing Interest with Antoine Levasseur
A specialist in building, maintaining and refreshing brands across all categories, sizes and markets, Antoine Levasseur plies his trade at LG2 as the group account director, design. Although he didn’t always intend to end up in this niche, it’s something he’s fallen in love with over time, and the opportunity to focus on strategy, brand coherence, impact and results through design have granted him opportunities to work with top brands like MS Canada, Zellers, and many, many more.
A firm believer in the value of in-person communication and understanding not only what drives people, but what their day to day looks like, Antoine takes great pride in facilitating smooth relationships and connections between agency and client, contributing significantly to the overall success of the agency.
LBB> How did you first get involved in account management, and what appealed to you about it?
Antoine> To be fully transparent, my initial goal was to be a strategist. And at the time, in order to get there, you had to go through account management first - ‘Earn your stripes’. I thought I was going to be an account executive for a year or two and make the transition to strategist, but I ended up being much more stimulated by being in constant contact with the creative process and building relationships with clients than what strategy seemed to be about: a more solitary, research-oriented path. I learned that good account management is not just about project management; it’s about being a bit of a strategist, copywriter, art director, and producer at the same time. When I talk to people starting in account management, I make a point in telling them that they can (and should) also bring their inner strategist at the table. It’s really not just about managing timelines and budgets.
LBB> What is it about your personality, skills and experience that has made account management such a great fit?
Antoine> I should say things like ‘I’m organised’, ‘I’m friendly’, and ‘I get along well with people!’, but in the end, I would say that, fundamentally, it’s my curiosity and empathy. I’m curious about the world and about human behaviours - what makes us think, feel and act like we do. I have a natural ability to put myself in other people’s shoes and see things from their perspective. Seeing things from my designer’s point of view, from my client’s, from the consumer’s. Removing myself from the equation for a moment and taking the time to really understand what’s going on and what’s at play.
This discipline is about trying to amalgamate a large variety of different opinions, desires, personalities and contexts and create the best, most memorable result possible. So, approaching this from an anthropological perspective has worked very well for me.
LBB> What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in account management?
Antoine> Yes, you have to be buttoned down and organised and be quick to respond to emails and reliable and nice all around. But, my best piece of advice is to show interest in what others are doing in the agency. What’s your art director’s usual day like? What is it like to find ideas and how does it feel to present them to a bunch of bored clients? Why did your strategist decide to work in the industry?
And, I have to say, show your own creativity and your own strategic mind. Give your opinion, propose bad ads, and come to the table with ideas. Don’t be afraid to be more than a project manager… BUT, learn how to do it. Take it slow, test the receptivity of the team, and remember to choose your words and your timing carefully. Make sure you leave your ego at the meeting room door.
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?
Antoine> People don’t talk to each other in person enough. We’re scared to pick up the phone and call our clients. We hide behind emails to ask for more hours, to push back on weird feedback, and to say no. That’s what leads to misinterpretations and misunderstandings, which result in feelings getting hurt, tension, and soured relationships. Let’s have more conversations ‘in person’ (phone, video call, office meeting, etc.) and learn to listen and ask questions. For account managers, don’t just transfer information between the creative team and the clients - be sure to understand their underlying human desires and emotions. Respect isn’t acquired through emails.
LBB> And what are the keys to building a productive and healthy relationship?
Antoine> Pick up the phone, dress cute, and make the trek to your client’s office (even if it’s a 45-minute Uber ride away).
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?
Antoine> I’m so glad to have the opportunity to say: yes, it’s personal, and yes, it’s emotional. This is a discipline in which we pour out our heart and soul, and where we care a lot about what we do. There is obviously a limit, and everyone needs to work on managing their own feelings. But emotions and disagreements lead to finding the true insight and the true problem we’re trying to solve. It allows us to move past clichés and easy solutions. It’s like picking up the phone and calling your clients - it’s hard, but that’s where things really move forward.
A productive disagreement to me looks like:
- You say your piece
- I say that I don’t agree because of… (a good objective reason based on my knowledge of my clients, my experience with the account, or my life observations)
- You might counter or say you’ll think about it but acknowledge my POV is valid and why
- One or the both of us puts ego aside and we move on
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?
Antoine> First of all, if the client-creative relationship is adversarial, change teams, reset, do anything to not have to have a mediator.
That said, being a mediator is definitely an important part of account management. Things can get spicy when a client just won’t buy what the agency believes to be a great concept. We’ll feel misunderstood and unappreciated. But, the feeling of being misunderstood is there on both sides. And again, here comes the need for account management to be empathetic and curious and find the common human emotions that are underlying the situation. And pick up that phone!
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?
Antoine> The first project that comes to mind is our rebrand of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, now MS Canada. MS has been part of my family history for a long time, so this project was really personal for me. In Canada, we have the most cases of MS in the world, yet, somehow, the disease is still misunderstood and disproportionately kept out of the spotlight. Also, as a disease that affects the nervous system, it literally and figuratively disconnects people with MS from their professional and personal lives. Working on rebranding MS Canada, we felt we had a responsibility towards all Canadians affected by MS. It was challenging for me in account management to ensure that the whole agency understood the importance and urgency of this account and that we all rallied and gave it 110%. You can understand that it was also a challenge to keep my personal emotions from putting undue pressure on the team. So, I channelled this passion into giving inspiration in the forms of data, facts, and stories.
On the lighter side, I’m very proud of the work that we’ve done for the Zellers comeback. The creative output seems fun and simple, but it was a highly risky project. We had to hit all the right notes to respect the legacy of this beloved brand, but still push the envelope enough to make it relevant and exciting for today’s market and audiences. Zellers’ comeback was hotly anticipated by Canadians and together with our clients, it was a step-by-step collaboration to make sure we would exceed expectations. And finally, as the account team, we had to ensure a seamless process between the branding and the digital team. Anyone working in a large agency will recognise the challenges here.
I would say that the ultimate satisfaction for me is wrapping up these year-long projects, being able to call my clients friends, and having the whole agency excited and energised by the end result. The ultimate reward is knowing that I’ve helped create impactful brands and made a difference in people’s lives.
