Why a Good Account Director Is Like a Good Conductor

An orchestra conductor faces the ultimate leadership challenge. Creating perfect harmony without saying a word; and that’s a very hard task. This mastery can only be achieved if the person who is conducting knows all the instruments and tunes being played by his or her orchestra. In addition, the orchestra must have total faith and respect in the conductor’s knowledge and leadership ability. So great account leaders should be talented maestros that understand the dynamics of all the different departments in their agency, understand the challenges, and ensure they create a floor where each competency can play their role in harmony and transparency.

They also know what capability needs to come into the mix, play “the note” and exit. This harmony management is what agency integration is all about. The analogy of the melody is our version of the integrated creative solution or integrated marketing solution; and we are all there to manage the brand. We don’t serve anything; we manage everything.

The best account leaders have an uncanny ability to know what each discipline will add to the process and make them work together in peace. If this role is fulfilled properly, and it starts with the quality of the account management person, it will lend itself to the most magical piece of music; and the opposite is also true. Today the latter is what some clients are hearing most and complaining about. Disintegration starts and ends with account management. Ensure as a maestro you understand many instruments (capabilities) so you can bring them to support the client and the business.

Strategy is the (orchestra reference)

Strategic planners are often the stars of the agency. They identify truth’s coming from all walks of life; pop culture, societal, business, political, artistic, historic, cinematic, scientific, academic, and eventually create a strategic way-in to solve a business, communication, and brand challenge. They help package the creative idea and ensure it stays honest to the challenge at hand. Planners are whole brain thinkers. They are constantly on the lookout, reading, watching and are curious about life. They are creative and marketing scientists and analysts, they are artists. They also tend to create beautifully designed and crafted communication frameworks.

Today’s account directors need to value more of the same traits as an account planner to be successful. Showing heart, ownership and owning the strategy will help account managers succeed in our age of innovation centricity, galvanising design thinking and agile marketing.

Account Management Should Carry a Creative Portfolio

The great Dame Anita Roddick speaks a lot about passion, she said, “we communicate with passion and passion persuades”.

Account management should carry a creative portfolio. As an account management person have you not had any involvement in that last campaign you did? I am 100% sure you have.  The proper account person has had to manage the client relationship throughout the marketing development process; manage expectations on timings; ensure a great brief is formulated and ultimately things move forward. These are very important tasks. Proudly show off your campaign. It shows your passion and love for what you do. And we so desperately need more people with passion and love for our business. We are in the business of creativity, and it’s good to remind ourselves of that constantly.

Hydrate your mind, be curious, and seek the righteous path of reading.

If you want to be interesting, be interested, were the words of the great David Ogilvy. This last point is about intellectual hydration. In order to stay inspired and to inspire our teams and clients, account management folks must hydrate their mind, read, pivot on their skills, and remain informed of business, pop culture, society and the future. That’s what a consultancy mindset is all about.

Good planners read all the time as it helps them with inspiration. Creative folks also look for inspiration from all walks of life. Account management can take these cues as they have the same thirst. Intellectual hydration is a choice to make to ensure you remain relevant and integral in this ever-evolving industry. Don’t get comfortable. Be curious. Read anything and everything in and outside of the advertising trade headlines. Dedicate time to delve into Effie, IPA and WARC strategy cases, innovation articles from HBR or Economist, long-form Atlantic pieces and tech and innovation stories in Fast Company, Wired and Mashable. Listen to podcasts.

When we correctly support our great talent and ensure we care for them, help them grow, so they can care for the brand and business. We have an obligation to ensure we nurture and educate our account management discipline more than ever.

We need to ensure that those original and timeless principles in account management that have contributed in building our industry today remain a vital training curriculum for our existing account folks and the future ones.