Death of the account handler?

But then, anyone who has ensured a campaign goes live on time, got all the agency ducks in a row, or picked up the delicate pieces after the creatives have managed to upset the client would argue that account management is an art in itself. Establishing the kind of relationship that engenders trust and encourages honesty, organising the logistics of a complex brief and freeing the planners and creatives to do what they do best in order to meet a client brief is no mean feat. The 60s legend goes that the first thing new account execs at JWT were taught was how to mix the perfect Gin and Tonic. Admittedly, maybe today that equates to knowing the best sushi restaurant or having a gift for talking to procurement people -- but surely the premise remains. Client relationships are as important as ever -- and surely this relationship should fall under one person's remit?

Mike Gower, client services director at brand equity agency Playgroup, has the following view: "We consider integration to be key to the structure of our account teams. Project management and creative staff will typically attend meetings together to ensure clarity of understanding of the project requirement at all stages. And when they get back to the office; each person is clear about theirs and each others actions and responsibilities. We believe that clients prefer to interact with the team that bring their diverse skills to the successful delivery of each project."

So where does this leave the role of account handler? Will they fade into a dynamic where the whole team owns the relationship?

Paul Alexander, client partner at Rapier, counters, "account management is more important than ever as the media landscape continues to fragment and evolve. Account people are the client's representative in the agency and are responsible for pulling the best mix of resources together to deliver to the client's goals, ensuring that the agency is always delivering best advice and implementing the activity seamlessly and effortlessly, not to mention profitably."

Perhaps the problem is that client services has not been recognised by any formal kind of qualification or training? Alexander knows exactly what he wants in an account handler "an exceptional business person -- always learning, planning, anticipating, mediating and negotiating. Able to work under extreme pressure, deal with incredibly bright, talented and tempestuous people without losing sight of business priorities (those of the client and those of the agency)."

Perhaps a recognised qualification would help fine-tune these skill sets?

The IPA Summer School is poised to commence once again, giving students a chance to experience a unique internship with the industry's top DM agencies. The scheme provides access to all aspects of agency life, including planning, creative and account handling. In fact, one of the reasons I helped to start the summer school was because I felt that young undergraduates did not have a true picture of what life in a direct marketing agency was like. Having taken part in many guest lectures at colleges and universities, I found that most students seeking a job in the creative sector solely wanted to work in 'advertising' or 'do something on the internet'.

At last year's selection day, it was surprising how few undergraduates wanted to be account handlers, as most only wanted to work in creative or planning. This was very interesting as planning is a relatively new role in the agency sector and there were certainly no planners in the days of ‘Mad Men'.

At HS&P a third of our people are planners. Our planners have strong relationships with clients, often working on their own projects independent of account handlers, but why have we seen a marked lack of interest in client services this year? What does this mean for the future of the role? Will the industry phase it out in favour of a new account team that cuts out the middle man? Or will the hype around the beauty of planning settle to a dynamic where account handlers will once again own the relationship? Perhaps agencies are guilty of not marketing the role to young, hungry graduates?

The IPA Summer School gives students the chance to find out for themselves, get an insight into the various roles while also getting some genuine industry experience. With not a G&T in sight....

Deadline for entry to the IPA Summer School is Monday June 16 2008. For more information go to the IPA Summer School website.