Account Management in 2021: Leaders Sum up the Challenges of the Last Year and Why They Remain Hopeful about their Role and their Industry

Just over a year ago, the 4A’s were kind enough to publish an article I’d written that featured some of the country’s top account people from some of the country’s best agencies talking about their role as we headed into what most already knew was going to be the oddest freaking year of their careers. Called “What it means to be an account leader in 2020,” the contributors each offered their perspective on how they were preparing for the year – with quite literally no concept of what the year ahead would hold.

Like sailors embarking from Europe centuries ago who headed west with no idea what they would find or if they would fall off the face of the earth, these account people led their agencies and clients through uncertain times and uncharted waters with little knowledge of what was to come, with one optimistic thought firmly in their minds – what’s next will unquestionably be greater than what’s now.

In that spirit, for this article, I posed two questions to the group:

1. How did you manage the day-to-day “now” that you lived pretty much every moment of last year? How much of your time was spent responding/reacting to the immediacy and urgency of the pandemic and social unrest vs. how much of your time was spent proactively preparing yourself, your team, your agency, and your clients for what happens when the pandemic is behind us?
2. At what point and in what ways were you able to start thinking about the “next”? What kinds of things did you do to prepare? What forces informed your thinking on “reentry” for your agency and your clients?

The collective wisdom of their answers is illuminating, heartfelt, and most of all, reveals what’s at the core of every great account person. Resilience. Tenacity. Emotional intelligence. Flexibility and adaptability. One foot firmly planted in the present but with head up and eyes looking toward the future, seeing what’s around the corner. An ability to step outside themselves to serve and lead. A firm commitment to help both their agency and client succeed, despite whatever challenges are placed in front of them.

Here are the key themes, and some of the most important, affirming, and eye-opening thoughts from each of the contributors:

 

ACCOUNT PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE PEOPLE

If the year did nothing else, it brought humanity back front and center to a business that has frequently (and fairly) been accused of leaning too hard into technology. Whether “big data” (my “Frau Blucher,” for those who get that reference), AI, or chasing the latest social media squirrel, we seem to have forgotten that at its core, ours is a human business, motivating and inspiring human beings. Great account people inherently and intuitively understand that, and since last March, have re-centered their worlds on their team, empathetically holding space and time for their staff to breathe in a year that breathing was essential to all but denied to so many.

Jen McDonald
Chief Client Officer, North America
VMLY&R, Kansas City KC
The most obvious thing we’re doing is trying to prepare for a time when we can collaborate in person again with clients and with one another – especially when teams are more dispersed than ever. We don’t want to lose the productivity, flexibility and connectivity of the past year, but we recognize what we’ve lost too, especially as we’ve added new talent to the agency. Our culture was a differentiator this past year, but that is hard to pass on through Teams meetings and without personal connections.

With that in mind, defining expectations for what the future of work and the future of teams has been top of mind, as well as how to re-think training – especially at the junior levels. There are many forces that are informing our thinking – what clients are doing, what our people want/need, and burgeoning research and data. Inevitably, we won’t please everyone, but the most important thing for us is creating a culture that allows great talent to thrive and great work to get into the world. 

Jordan Muse
Managing Partner
The Martin Agency, Richmond VA
I spent more time than ever making sure to connect with my people to understand the challenges they’re facing in their personal lives. Given the collision of our personal and professional lives, it was important to proactively check in on my people to ensure we’re doing everything in our power to support them.

Angela Johnson
Client Development Officer
Dentsu International, NYC
We saw clients having to be agile with their marketing and asking their agency partners to be the same. We all thought this was going to be a sprint and threw ourselves wholeheartedly into it but as the months rolled by, we realized it was a marathon and tried as best we could to catch our breath. One of my key roles has been finding ways to still deliver for clients while protecting the energy levels and mental well-being of the staff.

Laura Likos
Director of Brand Management
72andSunny, Los Angeles CA
Where I saw more of a shift was in how far forward in time you could imagine “what’s next.” And for me, what could not be shortened was individual human growth and progress in the team’s careers. Sure, the kinds of experiences available and training looked different than ever before, but people still needed to feel positive momentum forward. It is always important, but I’d say it became mission critical to keep consistent 1:1s with team members to assess how work is going but also how they are doing as humans, give real-time “high fives” for progress and wins as well as real-time guidance on things to work on. Especially now, people need to feel they aren’t alone and that we are invested in their growth. And if you have a team that feels valued and is growing, you are likely collectively better prepared for whatever comes your way. 

Lauren LaValle/Courtney Russell
Co-Heads of Account Management
Droga5, NYC
But what quickly became most important was paying attention to the human element of our role, giving our teams space and support as we absorbed the dual crises of a global pandemic and the ongoing impact of systemic racial injustice.  At Droga5, one of the fundamental tenets we hold true about ourselves is a belief in being “humanity obsessed.”  Account Leadership in this time means leading not only with clarity and confidence but also with respect and empathy. 

 

NEW NORMAL

As much as I hate that expression with a fiery passion, it does tend to sum up how a lot of account people I spoke with are facing the reality of what’s ahead. There were significant shifts in all aspects of marketing as communication channels expanded and distribution channels were upended, and the reality is that most marketers will continue to rely on audiences and vehicles that they used pre-pandemic but also – if they’re smart – continue to explore new ways to engage their existing and potential consumers. I say “New,” you say “Normal.” Best of both worlds. Which hopefully means we’re leaving the bad stuff behind and opening our eyes to way different possibilities.

Ashley Butturini
EVP, Director of Client Services
Tombras, Knoxville TN
We’re looking at all of our prior strategies with fresh eyes and consulting clients’ most recent business data to guide us. We’re finding that the people who are likely to try or return to a brand post-pandemic may look different than the people we were targeting pre-pandemic. There are different barriers to trial now, and therefore different communications tasks. Our approach is to acknowledge that “what has always worked” may not work for us now, and the data will give us clues to help define new strategies.

Brian Donovan
SVP, Group Account Director
Allen & Gerritsen, Boston MA
After the past year, there’s no “going back” to “normal” for agencies, clients, consumers. While the past year was extremely challenging for many, the shut down forced people to re-evaluate that previous “normal” and recalibrate. So there’s a bit more uncertainty with planning these days, but that’s also where creativity can step forward more. 

It’s about being an advisor, strategist, and analyst to my client partners. We need to keep bringing them modern perspectives and practices. This requires a combination of 1) being a bit more disciplined in getting to articles, podcasts, reports, and trends that come out re: audience and category, 2) being an active and empathetic listener to client challenges/concerns and 3) pausing at least quarterly with cross-capability teammates to assess opportunities for each client. 

Jeff Graham
President & CMO
Cactus, Boulder CO
The pandemic forced a lot of those changes initially, but going forward there’s a great opportunity for marketers to make those changes from COVID stick, and to capitalize on this unprecedented willingness to try new stuff.

Jordan Muse
Managing Partner
The Martin Agency, Richmond VA
We’re focusing on current consumer behaviors of the last year and tracking the behaviors we believe will sustain as we exit the pandemic. We’re reviewing the selected behaviors through the lens of our clients and determining where they can drive the most impact for their business and the lives of consumers. We’re also reevaluating the cultural calendar. Given the reentry of society, our cultural moments have shifted. How do we restructure the cultural calendar and select moments that are unique/authentic to our brands and will give us the opportunity to stand out and make a difference?

Eric Lombardi
Head of Client Services
Eleven, San Francisco
The most palpable force is acknowledging that we as a country and the world will continue on in a somewhat perpetual state of unrest. Climate change, social justice, global inequity, and yes, the next pandemic are quite simply our new normal. How best to prepare against the enormity of that reality will remain both our greatest challenge and opportunity.

Monica Saunders
Director, Client Service
Tandem Theory, Dallas
One way to prepare for “the next” from a client service perspective is to be strong thought leaders. My agency was constantly working toward “the next” even before all the changes last year. We did have to pivot to help our clients adjust amongst their upended plans, but our team has strong structures in place to approach looking forward. Our data analytics and strategic planning teams are constantly looking for ways to be taking advantage of our client’s potential strengths in any situation. They help us continuously support our clients with the juice to efficiently run their business but to also support their decisions that are best for the brand’s future development.

 

SILVER LINING

It’s very rare that you’ll find a great account person who wears rose-colored glasses and swears that no matter what, everything’s going to be alright. Nope, we’re far too practical and grounded for that, and we know that neither most clients nor most great creatives appreciate the smoke being blown up their backside. But we allow ourselves to find goodness in bad situations, and we do guide our agencies (and clients) toward better solutions than they might have otherwise discovered. Even in as devastating a year as 2020 was, there were silver linings – and let me tell you, when a Black account director working at The Richards Group can find a silver lining after what that company went through? Well, I’ll just say that if you can’t find one, you’re not looking hard enough.

Trent Walters
Brand Management/Principal
Richards Group, Dallas
Imagine driving down the Interstate at 70 or even 80 miles per hour and swerving to avoid the load of barrels suddenly falling off the truck in front of you. What sounds like an OG, retro video game is my description of what our industry (and let’s face it, everyone really) was forced to deal with in 2020. We handled the immediate barrels flying at us with little time or ability to look down the road. And as a rather large barrel hit our agency in particular near the end of 2020, it felt to me like it might destroy the car completely.

But in reality, it may have been one of the best things that’s ever happened to us. We’re seeing our talent now at the center of every decision we’re making. We’re seeing a commitment and progress to ensure everyone is valued, safe, and heard, while making business changes needed for continued growth like never before. Our creative, org structure, technology, hiring processes, training, ERG involvement in the business, positioning, vision, and even our own brand consciousness are all being reviewed and refined as we transform ourselves. It’s made us better and more nimble for our clients. We’re stronger, wiser and geared up for “business-as-unusual,” which in my estimation is what we all should be prepared for in a post-COVID world.

Jeff Graham
President & CMO
Cactus, Boulder CO
What I’ve been thinking about more broadly is we’re in a moment of ‘radical reconsideration’ – we saw a decade of change compressed into mere months last year, and there’s no going back. More people are more willing than ever before to change just about everything. How we work, go to school, travel, watch a movie, eat out, and of course – how we buy stuff. 75 percent of consumers reported trying a new store, brand or a different way of shopping, and 60 percent expect to integrate these new behaviors into their lives post-COVID. Show them a better way, and people are more open to trying it than ever. The pandemic forced a lot of those changes initially, but going forward there’s a great opportunity for marketers to make those changes from COVID stick, and to capitalize on this unprecedented willingness to try new stuff.

Chris Witherspoon
President + Chief Growth Officer
DNA, Seattle
I think this was a year of client relationships growing stronger. More than ever before clients counted on their agencies to be empathetic business partners. To understand their problems, be solution-oriented, and as nimble as possible. In the end, this was some of the greatest value brought by agencies.

To the point of “reentry,” one thing I think we’ve done an excellent job of as an agency and for our clients is we never exited. As an agency, we worked hard to improve, grow, and stay visible in the market. The same is true for our clients. Though some had to pause to collect themselves, most used 2020 as a year to connect with their audiences genuinely — staying relevant and addressing their needs as much as possible.

Lisa Graves
SVP, Account Management
MMGY, Kansas City
Kicking support into crisis management mode, we increased the frequency of our industry research to inform, educate and guide our recovery strategies. We developed a phased approach looking at both short- and long-term strategies centered around key micro and macro indicators to determine next steps. This became our playbook to guide, reassure and stabilize clients – many who experienced extreme change in their business.

We have truly developed stronger than ever client relationships through more frequently shared insights, pivoted plans and creative solutions, all with a laser focus on recovery

Anthony DelVecchio
Management Supervisor
Marcus Thomas, North Royalton OH
If anything, it was a year chock-full of reminders. The importance of a sharp focus and full immersion into the lives of our audiences, regardless of category, B2C or B2B, has never been clearer. We are reminded that people’s lives, beliefs, and behaviors aren’t static, whether we’re in a pandemic or not. This is nothing new, but 2020 was a sharp reminder of its central role, for all disciplines. Business leaders/account managers should seek new audience insights, and strive for their own depth of understanding, in addition to being experts in our clients’ business, category and competitive sets. We shouldn’t leave audience insights solely to our research and strategy teams. We can be our own source of observations and inspiration as we look ahead.

 

SOCIAL UNREST

Eyes are (finally) wide open, including my own. Actions are (finally) being taken, and so many are participating that weren’t before, including myself. The test, however, isn’t in the starting, the test is in the finishing. If you hear a sprinter at a track meet talk about how she started, you’re probably listening to someone who didn’t finish well. And although the question I asked didn’t specifically direct them to talk about what they’re doing in this area, many felt compelled to do so – kudos to them. Shine a light on it, make it accountable. Keep it up.

Chris Witherspoon
President + Chief Growth Officer
DNA, Seattle
Coming out of the pandemic, people’s attitudes and priorities may have shifted, and as marketers, this will directly impact our clients. Couple this with the divided political climate and social injustice, brands will need to be careful on how they authentically navigate the following year

Angela Johnson
Client Development Officer
Dentsu International, NYC
The summer (of 2020) highlighted our industry’s lack of inclusion and we did a lot of work with our BIPOC employees in helping create a better, safer and more inclusive place to work. This work is continuing and has center stage in every town hall and all senior leaders are rightly charged with putting more effort in here against KPIs and continuing to make us all better.

Lisa Graves
SVP, Account Management
MMGY, Kansas City
As we look ahead, we are committed to promoting diversity in travel through the development of a series of research studies to be informed by diverse travel advocacy organizations to better identify the needs, behaviors and sentiment of underrepresented travel communities. MMGY Travel Intelligence, our research and insights division, recently launched the first report The Black Traveler: Insights, Opportunities & Priorities that features the most extensive travel research conducted of the Black traveling community. These studies will inform and guide us as we move forward to ensure a deeper understanding of travelers across all communities.

Eric Lombardi
Head of Client Services
Eleven, San Francisco
The social unrest of the summer and fall brought with it an additional layer of messaging nuance and, importantly, an opportunity for our clients to speak up in a new context. While not all of our clients took the opportunity to stake a position, those that did found a new way to use their social channels to develop a new sort of voice and articulate a point of view that customers by and large welcomed.

 

To sum up? Account leaders don’t just lead their accounts – they lead their agencies, and despite the overwhelming amount of trade press ink garnered by big shot creative director moves, the great account people are on the forefront of re-shaping this industry, navigating through the most challenging of years and emerging with invigorated staff, strengthened client partnerships, and a different view of the world in which the brands they oversee are landing. What’s next will be greater than what’s now for many reasons, but chief among those reasons is account leaders like these.

Matt Stiker is Managing Director of Destination Think, contributor (and past representative) to the 4A’s Business Leadership Committee and a passionate believer in the critical role account leaders play in the agency of tomorrow. He’s just received his second vaccine shot and is ready to travel again, ready to get out and meet people face to face. Contact him by email or on LinkedIn.