How to Succeed in the Advertising Business

By

Ron Owens

Let’s begin by admitting that there are no secrets to success in moving ahead at an agency. Hard work, common sense, and a positive attitude are very important attributes. Ad agencies exist to serve the needs of clients. Companies hire agencies with specific goals – primarily to increase profits. Advertising campaigns that contribute to increased profit usually are the fundamental underpinnings of a successful client/agency relationship. Therefore, agency people who make this happen for clients move ahead within the agency. Unfortunately, many ad people spend time on projects that do not contribute to the client’s profits. The best agency people in any department or discipline keep the client’s bottom line profit margins in mind at all times.

Agency/client review systems exist to provide a sophisticated review to ensure smooth relationships. These systems are no more than a “common sense” checklist to keep everyone involved in the advertising process focused on projects that efficiently fulfill the client’s communication objectives. At the core of these objectives is selling more product or service – short and long term – at a profit.

Now what is it that really makes an agency person a success? The simple answer is that great ads sell products. People who help an agency create / produce great ads for clients move ahead.

A research person moves ahead if she or he develops a means of providing information about the most likely consumer and aspects of the product that will make the consumer purchase and repurchase the product. That exceptional research person probes through masses of information and various techniques on how to motivate the consumer, then gets that information to the right agency people quickly.

A creative person will rise to the top, if he or she absorbs data from many sources, executes client-approved strategy, resists obvious solutions, and develops a simple, unique, motivating idea that sells the product. Even after the idea is born, there are people who can kill it. Great creative people are tough and resist threats to their ideas. However, they are flexible enough to accept the ideas of others without “settling” or compromising their sales pitch.

The agency producer who melds his or her talents with an art director and copywriter to provide added value will move ahead. That agency producer who correctly chooses the production house to use to communicate the idea will rise even faster. His client may not know of his contribution to the final commercials, yet the correct choice of a production house can be crucial to the success of a new campaign.

The media person who excels will learn about her or his own area of expertise and come to grips with client’s marketing objectives. Only then will she or he have the tools to contribute to profit in a meaningful way. The best media departments take the marketing point of view and go beyond media planning. There is tremendous value-added by a creative media person…that person who, in fact, knows all media, including social media, in terms of cost-efficiency, cost-effectiveness, reach and frequency. These values can be added when that media person works towards the marketing goal(s) of the client.

The agency account person should be the hub of the wheel of a smooth running, efficient, effective agency team. The spokes of the wheel are research, media, creative, production, design, traffic, broadcast, and every one of the myriad of details that contribute to an efficient agency-client relationship. Small details, such as, actual gaps can trip up an account person and embarrass an agency team. To contribute to a smooth-running team, the account person must have a very solid knowledge of all parts of the machine.

The account person must pay attention to detail, such as, budget, post-buy media analysis, market business evaluation, competitive spending, research into the consumer, the product and potential media variations. These fundamentals must be mastered before major long-range planning issues can be addressed. The account person who rises rapidly learns as much about the client’s business goals, desires, expectations and how to use advertising to move products.

The sophisticated account person leads the client towards profit-making marketing plans and advertising campaigns with the client as a fully participating member to the team. The account person who excels has the ability to contribute to the creative product. This may come from interpreting research with the creative group or contributing a fresh look at how the product works, or simply defending a great creative idea. It is easy to criticize a fresh, new creative idea when it is in its inception. It is difficult to recognize a genuinely fresh idea and build on it. The account people who add value to the agency’s creative product are attentive, meticulous to detail and deadline conscious will surely rise.

The agency account person who grows rapidly must have presence. In order to become an agency leader, one must inspire confidence in clients. Clients are a diverse group with varying needs and expectations. It becomes critical that clients have trust in their agency. Trust comes from seeing that you know what you are talking about. How you present your ideas is as important as the content of your ideas. Advertising really is like show business and it’s very tough to succeed if you don’t inspire confidence.

Among critical attributes agency management looks at when establishing its rising stars:

• Interpersonal skills: Getting along with various types of people. Getting diverse people to work together to produce a solid, high quality end product.
• Verbal skills: The ability to talk, make presentations, express a point of view. This is important in terms of speaking at large meetings or persuading a client in a one-on-one situation.
• Written skills: The ability to write crisply and in an organized manner. Three operative words should be adhered to – clear, concise, complete.
• Analytical ability: The person who can look at a set of numbers and extract a conclusion from them will be ahead of the person who fears those numbers.
• Objectivity: The ability to recognize a good creative idea that is proper in its strategic thrust and effective in its concept. The ability to recognize if creative concepts are in synch with the approved creative strategy.

As a seasoned veteran of the advertising business having worked at and with many fine ad agencies including NW Ayer, WB Doner, DDB Needham Worldwide, Mingo Jones Guilmenot, McCann-Erickson, Della Femina Travisano & Partners, UniWorld, JWT, BBDO, Bozell Worldwide, Equals Three, TMP Worldwide and LMO Advertising, I have learned that there is an aura of mystery surrounding great agency work. The creative process is a magical experience and should not be inhibited or constrained in any way.

Now for some “street sense” or business maturity that applies to any ad person:

• Don’t be an “empty suit”. Understand and contribute to the product / service.
• Avoid office politics. Work on business and be a problem solver.
• Positive attitudes are critical. There are no problems, only opportunities.
• Stretch your mind to the nth degree and forget the proverbial “box”.
• Embrace diversity and inclusiveness. Talent comes in all flavors and persuasions.
• People are the agency’s assets. Know your value to your account team.
• Ego is a waste of time. Let your accomplishments speak for themselves.
• Don’t take yourself too seriously and lose sight of the objective.
• Enjoy yourself. Advertising is a fun business. It’s too much hard work if it isn’t.

I find the best-managed agencies can spot the people who make exceptional contributions and move ahead. Good media and creative departments find ways of keeping their people motivated, happy and growing. There is, however, a premium on hard work and ingenuity in our service-oriented business that simple rules for success will suffice. Common sense, hard work, and a true understanding of the client and the client’s needs will enable the agency person to succeed. The most successful agency account person knows he or she is an agent for their client, and thus, has the responsibility to lead, keep all informed and innovate in all areas to increase the client’s profitability.

Should you require assistance in increasing your profitability, and building a stronger account team, one in which each member can “leap tall buildings in a single bound”, please feel to contact me. Perhaps I can help.

Ron Owens is President, Ron Owens & Associates, a marketing consultancy specializing in market development, diversity & inclusion and recruiting & retention; Past President of the Ad Club of Metropolitan Washington; former Governor, 4A’s Mid-Atlantic Region; Vice Chair, American Advertising Federation (AAF); member, Association of National Advertisers(ANA); VP, Bozell Worldwide; VP, Diversity & Inclusion, TMP Worldwide and Co-founder/ Principal, LMO Advertising. Ron is also a frequent guest lecturer and speaker at many of the region’s colleges & universities. He can be reached via [email protected]