Are this guy's days numbered? Is it game over for the agency suit?
Are this guy's days numbered? Is it game over for the agency suit?Evolving agency structures are increasingly seeing more and more creative businesses operating without account management teams. MiNetwork is to debate whether the industry really needs 'suits' anymore. If you're a 'suit' come and defend yourself.
It's a debate that raged on The Drum's pages earlier this year when Chester advertising agency The Other Agency billed itself as "the agency without suits".
The Other Agency's director Saul Peake, who said at the time that "most account team members are little more than message carriers", will share his experiences of a business that operates account handlers and client service staff at the Manchester event.
It will take place on 28 September at The Hive in Manchester and Peake will be joined on the panel by Unsuitable's Jon Harrison and Adrian Bentley of And Partners to weigh up the pros and cons of a suitless agency.
For more details visit the MiNetwork website.
If you would like to come along and join the debate contact Caroline Lotinga by email or telephone her on 0141 559 6066.
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Comments
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A PLEA ON BEHALF OF THE SUITS FROM THE CREATIVE FLOOR
Perhaps the debate would be best served if we grew up to the fact that Account Handlers are indeed a vital part of any agency that wants to grow and maintain business.
BUT the description of the role and the variety of ranks definitely need addressing.
First of all, some are really project managers who make sure the wheels don't come off. This is a million miles from those that add intellectual value to a clients business and add insight to the creative process, but they all sit under the Account Handler title.
Little wonder that clients never quite know what they are going to get.
Why not change the debate from 'is this the end' to 'is their a new beginning'
As a fully paid up member of the creative department I can honestly say that I have never seen a great piece of creative work get through without an account handler that has the trust of the client ( as much as we'd like to think it was just the pure genius of the creative product)
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Some good debate to be had here - hope you are all going to come along on 28th to share your opinions and have a drink or two with us.
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I guess it depends on the agency and the individuals. Some creatives have good strategic and client handling skills. Many don't. Most couldn't (and shouldn't) project manage to save themselves.
The best definition of good account handlers I have seen is that of 'impresario' - someone who organises, finances, and manages the production of a creative event, by pulling together the best talent, judging what the public will like, and selling the idea to the client.
Getting good ideas through/made takes time and hard work. Someone has to create the conditions to make that happen. That's what account people can add.
Nothing wrong with 'invoicers' - thank god there are people out there who are happy to call in the cash.
Specialisation/division of labour are pretty basic economics and have been since the beginning of civilization. Productivity increases and costs decrease accordingly, up until the point where the law of diminishing returns kicks in. But then I'm a 'suit', so what do I know...
Oh god! Here we go again!!
There will always be need for 'good' suits, unfortunately they are hard to come by. I've recently had the displeasure of working with an ex production person who now calls himself an Account Director..what a nightmare! Good suits should be well rewarded, they are the face of the agency.
I've worked with a few great suits and with lots of mediocre and bad ones, but every one has done a necessary job that I really don't want to do. I'm a creative, and I really think my time is best spent having ideas instead of exercising my frankly appalling people skills.
I agree with 15.07. I've seen many great creatives & CD's presenting, and most of them suffer terribly. They go bright red, stutter, and take criticism / feedback personally. Also, most creatives can't spell and are mathematically challenged. They just need to stick at what they are good at..
From a working "Suit" that hasn't ever worn a suit..
"judging what the public will like" - That is exactly what a suit should NOT be doing.
Suits that are empoyed by the agency need to start working for the agency. Sell the best ideas and inspire confidence in the client. Instead, what far too many of them do is deflect pressure onto the rest of the agency by pandering to their client.
As far as i'm concerned if clients want 'yes-men' then they should employ them themselves.
More accounts/plannery types should be client side. I'm always amazed when creative agencies employ dozens and dozens of account execs, managers, directors and planners. And then have a handful of creatives, designers and digi designers.
It's like a kitchen employing a couple of cooks and fifty dishwashers.
Clients do their own briefs. Creatives do their own strategy.
"They just need to stick at what they are good at..."
If only suits did this too, maybe creative work would see the light of day.
From a working 'creative' that doesn't ever get to be creative.
"Good suits should be well rewarded, they are the face of the agency."
Unfortunately bad suits run most agencies and end up rewarding bad suits.
A good suit is the glue that bonds the creative output with the functional requirements of delivering campaigns on time, on budget and on brief. We have all come across poor suits, as we have come across egotistical, emotional creative’s, sometimes the suit doesn't have the gravitas or skill to help the client make that leap of faith but ultimately it's a model that that works in most cases and is a definite requirement as the agency gets to a certain size or you start working on 'big' accounts where it is expected.
In a team are many roles. Sometimes you need Darren Fletcher- doing a great job, slipping into different postions as and when needed (project manager). Then there is your Lionel Messi, the skill, the flair (you can guess who this is) but without the manager/captain there would be no control or direction (the account team). Finally there is the striker (he also works in creative?) that when the going gets tough and you need it out the door to get paid, slams it home - even its a bit scrappy (Lineker?).
The problem is too many people believe they are Lionel Messi, but instead of playing for Barca, they play for Bradford.
21:18, what about Robbie Savage???
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For a long time I've felt that Up North, creatives are regarded as expendable and suits more important. After all, the latter drive around in flash cars and look like they run the business. I'm just the scruff who comes in on a bike.
That said, having a good account handler who has written a coherent brief makes my job so much easier. It's also good to have that buffer because - as somebody has already mentioned - when I'm in my creative reverie, my people skills are awful. I can just about manage a dismissive wave.
And to whoever said that creatives can't spell, presumably you're one of this new breed that doesn't count copywriters as creative. Unless your copywriter can't spell, in which case, you're really in trouble.
anon 15.25...
'Also, most creatives can't spell and are mathematically challenged. They just need to stick at what they are good at..'
I don't understand why you would post such a childish comment. It's people like you who cause these creative/suit divides in agencies.
08:18 Anon,
Robbie Savage? Well you always need a cleaner. :)
I thought the Creative's days were numbered. And the photographer's. Are everyone's days numbered?
Ok thought for a 2 man agency - but really Saul get yourself out a bit more. It's an old arguement touted by rather tired and frustrated creatives.
Maybe it is an old argument Anon 11:40, but one that is certainly very relevant in today's industry where every penny counts. I am a frustrated creative - frustrated at having to pass every piece of creative work through an account manager who then does a half arsed job of presenting my ideas to the client. Why can't I go and talk to the client?
The debate dodn't really rage did it? It's a stupid and pointless question, Saul's looking for cheap PR. No agency needs bad suits, every agency needs good ones - the bad ones bag carry and invoice, the good ones think, co-ordinate, inspire. I'm thinking Saul's encountered a load of the former and few of the latter.
Whatever - clearly this guy has dream clients that give perfect briefs, adhere to timelines, give their POs and don't phone at all times of the day with bizarre requests for 'That press ad for insurance you did 2 years ago'. Account handlers allow creatives to bin the stress of client demands in favour of coming up with excellent creative, not excellent ideas on how to make the client happy. Account handlers assist on the strategy on how to retain clients, develop their business, assessing the effectiveness of campaigns, and so on. Maybe in a smaller agency they feel the don't require account handlers to perform this role but in larger creative agencies they add value and don't retract from the creative process. I'd be put off as a client if there wasn't someone to work with in an account handling capacity.
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