Ad Age cover story this week focuses on the demise of the account executive and the traditional client services function.
It's an interesting read, which goes back to the days of David Ogilvy and his analogy of cows and milkers compared to creatives and account people respectively. It also documents the trends within the business today, from the likes of the media services agencies focus on client service (hiring, training) to the experimentation from the Amalgamated's of the world to eliminate client service altogether as a separate and siloed function.
What caught my eye was the explanation giving for the volatility/flux and essentially was is currently lacking/required for the evolution and future of accout management:
1) AE's need to have business acumen, not just ad expertise
2) AE's need to be conversant in the rise of alternative disciplines (from direct and interactive to new marketing) and capable of coordinating many relationships
3) Extensive training is needed to make this possible
4) We suck at the first 3
I couldn't agree more, but I would only ask 2 questions on top of these 3 1/2:
1) When weren't all of these things part of the program? When wasn't the hiring and training of talent, the need to deeply understand the client's business and the ability to think, act and coordinate the disparate pieces of the puzzle into a cohesive (and even integrated) picture?
2) Why should these points only apply to account management. I would argue strongly that creative is just as in need of this kick in the pants and wake-up call. In today's advertising industry, it is only media that can truly claim to be ahead of the curve, as opposed to lurking behind the proverbial 8-ball
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