DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTIONS AMONGST KEY ADVERTISING AGENCY
DEPARTMENTS WITH REGARD TO THE RESPONSIBILITIES, ROLES AND
EFFECTIVENESS OF ACCOUNT PLANNERS
by
ARIJIT BASU, M.B.A.
A THESIS
IN
MASS COMMUNICATIONS
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty,
Texas Tech University in
Partial Fulfillment for
the Degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ……………………………………………………………………….. ii
LIST OF TABLES ………………………………………………………………………………...v
CHAPTER
I.
INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………1
Purpose of the study ………………………………………………………………….2
II.
LITERATURE REVIEW …………………………………………………………… 4
III.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS ………………………………………………………....33
Research Questions ………………………………………………………………....33
IV.
METHODOLOGY ………………………………………………………………….35
V.
RESULTS …………………………………………………………………………..38
Research Questions 1 …...………………………………………………………......38
Research Question 2 ………………………………………………………………..
Research Question 3 ………………………………………………………………..
VI.
DISCUSSION ………………………………………………………………………
REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………………..
APPENDIX ………………………………………………………………………………………
2
LIST OF TABLES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
3
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Account planning is the science of providing strategic insights to creative professionals in
advertising agencies who in turn use these insights to create compelling advertising
campaigns that appeal to the marketer’s target audience. Account planners use both
qualitative and quantitative analysis as a catalyst to arrive at their strategic plans and by
researching advertising and marketing consumer data. Marketing and advertising studies
have started to reveal the nature and responsibilities of account planners within the
Comment [M1]: Word choice
academic community and across the workplace. Account planning has been famously
called "the best new-business tool ever invented in advertising" by famous advertising
Comment [M2]: As before, avoid
direct quotes when possible.
Comment [M3]: Weak word choice
guru Jay Chiat of TBWA/Chiat and proclaimed dead by Jeff Goodby of GSP. According
to Ephron (2002), account planners are variously described as the consumer's
representative, the brand's champion, the communication plan's architect. They are said to
have broad knowledge of consumer behavior through research, and to know brand
marketing and marketing communications. The planner uses these skills to lead, shape
and finesse development of brand strategy to the point where the craftsmen-writers, art
directors and media planners-can take over and create the campaign.
Despite this perception, the advertising objective of account planners is to
improve current consumer research techniques in order to enhance consumer
understanding and insight and provide solutions which would prove to be vastly useful
for achieving the client’s marketing goals. Since this area of expertise came into
4
Comment [M4]: What is the cause of
these debates?
Comment [M5]: Punctuation
existence in 1964 (Haley & Morrison), when various efforts were made to understand it’s
contribution and deconstruct this function for both academicians and practitioners, as it is
still the newest division to be added to an advertising agency.
In order to understand what it takes to be an effective account planner, it is
Comment [M6]: For this intro
sentence, make a connection: how will
the first part of the sentence give you
what you’re seeking in the second part?
important to understand how other advertising agency key departments regard account
planning. This research will explore the attitudes of advertising professionals from two
key perspectives: creative services and account services/management concerning their
evaluations of the output of account planners. These two departments are the functions
that look into the servicing of the brand and the creation of the advertising campaign.
They work in tandem with account planners to formulate the advertising strategy, the
creative treatment of the campaign and the media budget for the campaign. The expertise
of these two departments leads to the success or failure of an advertising campaign. The
study will examine the perceptions of creative and account management professionals
about the roles and responsibilities of account planners to see if there exists a significant
difference in mindsets about account planners within these departments. Some account
management professionals in smaller agencies also function as account planners and feel
they do as commendable a job as a trained account planner. There is the feeling that some
account managers consider account planners expendable and feel it is a concept created
by senior management to impress the client with the array of services their agencies offer
Comment [M7]: How so? Who says?
their clients. Account planning is also the most hyped of all these services; including
creative, production and account management.
Purpose of the Study
5
Comment [M8]: delete
While past research such as Haley and Morrison’s study (2003) have attempted to
define and explain the responsibilities of account planners in the advertising industry, not
much attention has been paid to the differences in perceptions about account planners
among internal groups within an advertising agency. The findings of this research will
provide more information as to how crucial the role of an account planner is in an
advertising agency. Because of the client’s tightening purse strings and unwillingness to
spend extra money on another research function and because of many account managers’
contempt of account planners’ abilities, it is important to see why and how account
Comment [M9]: Haven’t you noted
support for them also?
Comment [M10]: Aren’t you
answering some of your research
questions already?
planners justify their existence in an advertising agency. Account managers typically
have the same qualifications as account planners as well as Master in Business
Comment [M11]: You need to
connect this sentence to rest of para.
Administration (M.B.A.) degrees which provide the fundamental research skills, in
addition to training in finance, used by account planners. Another goal of the study is to
develop recommendations and new strategies solutions based on the findings of this study
Comment [M12]: Won’t this depend
on situation?
which will help hiring managers learn from core teams of account services and creative
services what they look for in account planners. Through this knowledge, one will
understand what teams look for in account planners in terms of expertise, attitudes and
communication skills. The findings will help understand what is expected of account
Comment [M13]: Delete.
planners by the key departments. Hopefully, this will lead to an increase in overall
Comment [M14]: may
effectiveness and ultimately, the potential for more successful campaigns. If hiring
managers share the findings with account planners, creative directors and account
Comment [M15]: Punctuation
managers; it might lead to a better understanding of the soft and hard skills expected of
account planners. It is the expectation of this research that this in-depth probe will aid
agency heads in determining if account planning is necessary or not for their particular
6
Comment [M16]: Outside scope of
this study
agency. For example, smaller agencies might do a cost/benefit analysis to determine
Comment [M17]: Will this be a part
of your study as well?
whether it will be profitable to maintain an account planning department or whether to let
account managers handle that responsibility. Likewise, large agencies might be able to
determine if account planners can take sole charge of research leaving account managers
to steward the brand and focus on creating media opportunities for their clients. Also,
creative directors in different sized agencies will know who the definite source is for
research and strategic knowledge. Thus, in smaller agencies, it may well be the account
manager whereas in large agencies it is solely the account planner’s prerogative. This
research will help senior agency personnel and hiring managers make hiring decisions.
CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
History of Account Planning
Account planning originated in the United Kingdom in 1965, where it was
conceptualized as a need for agencies to provide strategic support to clients who set up
their own marketing research departments, devised their own research programs and
commissioned research themselves. (Baskin and Pickon, 2003, p.3) The concept of
account planning dates back to 1965 when Stanley Pollitt, a British advertising executive,
created account planning as a new discipline because he felt that British agencies were
not suitably tuned-in to British consumers (Barry, Peterson &Todd, 1987, p.16). He
argued that agencies were not keeping up-to-date with social and technological changes
sweeping the marketplace such as newer technological innovations and women’s
changing roles in society.
7
Comment [M18]: Repetitive. See first
line of your para.
During this time, studies were also commissioned by British universities to
understand current agency perceptions about account planning from London and New
Comment [M19]: Punctuation
York agencies such as Chiat/Day that pioneered the discipline. In 2003 Hackley, stated
Comment [M20]: Delete
that there is tremendous scope for improvement in the discipline. Furthermore, he stated
that this is evident because the advertising industry people participated in the studies to
contribute to the improvements in advertising agency practice.
Two years after the coining of the word “account planning”, J. Walter Thompson
Company Ltd. (JWT), an advertising agency in London established an account planning
department. The following year Pollitt also introduced the concept at Boise Massimi
Pollitt (BMP), an agency he helped co-found. Based on the strategic insights culled by
Comment [M21]: Grammar
account planners, advertisers found their right target audience and this led to increases
sales for them. Today, the concept of account planning has gained widespread acceptance
in Britain where account planning is being used by many of the larger (United Kingdom)
UK agencies and most of the progressive smaller agencies and boutique shops.
In the United States, account planning made its debut at Chiat/Day in 1981.
Chiat/Day imported account planning because Chairman Jay Chiat felt British agencies
were producing advertising that was more innovative and more focused, partly due to
their use of account planning. (Rayner, 1984). Soon thereafter, many large American
agencies (agencies having annual client billings of $300 million plus) started their own
account planning departments. To make up for the lack of local expertise, many British
account planners were brought on board to fill in the slots. Soon thereafter, U.S trained
planners started finding their way into U.S agencies via direct recruitment by the
agencies. Account planning on both sides of the Atlantic become an integral part of the
8
advertising industry. TBWA/Chiat/Day was one of the first North American agencies to
bring the discipline of account planning from Europe to United States, which popularized
the industry (Cuneo, 2001).
The Role of Research in Advertising Agencies
The current highly fragmented business market scenario leads to the question, “Are
current consumer research practices in American advertising agencies effectively
identifying and reaching the client’s desired target audience?” Meyers (2002) indicates
that advertising research must fulfill two needs:
a.) It must understand the profile of the target audience by analyzing both
quantitative and qualitative data.
b.) After research information has been obtained, it must be communicated to the
creative team during the entire campaign’s development.
An imaginative creative staff can help produce effective advertising if research provides a
clear picture of the target market- not just a profile but an in-depth analysis of consumers
and their attitudes and behaviors. According to Meyers (2002) the main role of research
in making advertising more effective is:
(1) At the stage of strategy planning- research can help us to understand how our
particular market really works; what factors contribute toward the purchase of a
brand as opposed to other brands and the way a brand and its competitors are
perceived.
(2) At the stage of campaign development- research on experimental advertising
(copy testing, etc) can provide vital feedback mechanism. It helps creative people
9
Comment [M22]: Check your
reference list.
fine-tune and polish their ads. It helps advertising management to strengthen their
eventual decision making.
(3) At the stage of campaign exposure-research can tell us what happens in the
marketplace. This helps to show whether advertising is achieving its objectives, to
redirect advertising efforts if necessary and to provide input for the next cycle of
campaign planning by showing what remains to be done. At each of these three
stages, many different types of research can be used depending on the nature of
the market, the state of existing knowledge, the way in which the advertiser and
the agency work and in particular their approach to decision making.
Marketing Research versus Account Planning
Peterson and Todd (1987) argue that there are several differences between
Comment [M23]: Check your
reference list.
marketing research and account planning. The chief differences are:
a.) The market research firm hired to find consumer information merely acts as a
supplier. It provides the data needed by the agency but does not go into the
Comment [M24]: Such as?
advertising process.
b.) The account planner, on the other hand, brings in a more hands-on role. The
planner provides the value-added service that is missing in traditional marketing
research which is the thorough understanding of the target consumer.
c.) The account planner does not merely use research provided by third party
vendors, but also undertakes a more unified approach toward understanding the
consumer such as visiting the consumer, observing, learning the consumer’s little
10
known aspects and crystallizing the findings into potential innovative advertising
ideas.
d.) The account planner is the sole representative of the consumer within an
advertising agency. The planner is a keen interpreter of observations who
regularly communicates with consumers by conducting continuing focus groups
and one-on-one interviews. For example, leading focus groups with housewives
for a brand of detergent.
e.) Advertising executives feel that account planning is a continuing part of the
campaign development progress, whereas marketing research is used more often
to test the effectiveness of a campaign. (Barry, Peterson &Todd, 1987, p.17).
Niche Marketing and Account Planning
Because the media landscape is so fragmented today with so many publications
catering to specific target segments, niche marketing has emerged. As people gained
more disposable income, they started seeking out products that reflect their personality
Comment [M25]: Make an early
connection here to account planning and
then explain.
Comment [M26]: Grammar.
and values. Not everyone wants to be seen driving the most popular vehicle or drinking
Comment [M27]: No cap
the same brand of soda as others. Thus, Niche marketing was the logical route markets
Comment [M28]: Spelling.
chosen to start honing in on customers whose needs needed to be fulfill by adding a
Comment [M29]: Spelling.
personal touch. What is niche marketing? According to Dalgic and Leeuw (1994), niche
Comment [M30]: Provide an example
and how account planning helped.
marketing is considered to be a small market consisting of an individual customer or a
small group of customers with similar characteristics or needs. A niche market is thus a
small market whose needs have not been fulfilled. A niche focuses on individuals and
Comment [M31]: Grammar
thus requires a deep understanding those customer. In niche marketing, long-term
relationships are key. Thus, there is a need for account planners to be able to develop
11
Comment [M32]: How is this
different from other types of business?
specialized, tailor-made messages to the customers. New demands, changing customer
Comment [M33]: Couldn’t same case
be made for other types of targeted
advertising?
motivations and further individualization have created a multitude of diverse and
fractured markets in contrast to what was once a simple mass market. These new markets
Comment [M34]: Very generalized
statement; is it true?
need a new non-traditional approach of marketing from the larger companies in order to
keep and expand their currently held markets. Subsequently, global markets have broken
down into fragmented markets. Every country has specific needs and products that are
Comment [M35]: So is your
argument that global marketing has now
become niche marketing?
tailor-made to its own requirements. This has led to the profusion of smaller markets
Comment [M36]: Grammar
such as single-parent households, working women, families with double-income and no
kids and increasing minority markets. To fulfill the demands of these newly emerging
Comment [M37]: Delete
markets it requires flexibility and differentiation, among other things. Instead of pursuing
Comment [M38]: Avoid open-ended
statements.
the whole mass market, companies target segments within segments; in other words,
Comment [M39]: I don’t believe this
makes it niche marketing, though.
niches. The authors state that in a survey conducted among all Fortune 500 companies,
the results showed that most of these companies are abandoning traditional massmarketing techniques and are switching to niche marketing (Dalgic & Leeuw, 1994,
p.45). As clients such as these require specialized services, advertising agencies have
brought in the specific skills of account planners to offer strategic insights into the needs
Comment [M40]: Continue to build
on this—can you provide examples of
how they have helped?
of these niche customers.
Profile of the Account Planner
The account planner is described as the researcher who explains the marketplace
with value added interpretation and analysis. The planner will have a decided edge over
the researcher who is still describing general markets (Adams, 1986). Proponents of
account planning are suggesting that this approach provides a value added dimension to
producing effective advertising campaigns. The account planner has a myriad number of
12
Comment [M41]: Anything more
recent?
duties to fulfill. A planner is in-charge of conducting focus groups and personal
interviews with the consumer to mine insights. An account planner also analyzes
quantitative data provided by the marketing research firm and has to have a keen business
mind in order to find facts and numbers of relevance. Silver (1986) states that sometimes
Comment [M42]: Writing style
the planner does not rely on such quantitative reports completely, but peers into the future
for ideas. The planner evaluates the discrepancies between the qualitative and
quantitative findings and is a key interpreter who communicates with consumers and
makes judgments about their taste and preferences. Finally, and of key importance, the
account planner takes an active role in consistently contributing the specific consumer’s
perceptions with the account team throughout the entire advertising development process
(Barry, Peterson & Todd, 1987, p.17).
Benefits of Account Planning
According to Michell (1999), the proponents of account planning point to its
following benefits:
1.) Account planning helps an agency understand a consumer more effectively.
2.) Account planning starts with what a client wants to say and ends with what a
target audience wants to hear.
3.) Because account planning helps an agency know a client’s market so clearly, the
concept leads to attention grabbing campaigns that help sell more of the product.
4.) Account planning leads to more relevant advertising more often because account
planning is the consumer’s representative within an agency.
13
5.) Account planning makes it easier to sell a client on a campaign because the
agency can explain specifically why the advertising should be done a particular
way.
There are specific examples from the advertising industry where account planning
Comment [M43]: What are your cites
for these examples?
helped create successful advertising campaigns. Case studies of account-planning
strategies used in a recruitment campaign for Google from Crispin Porter & Bogusky,
Miami, and a Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners' effort for AdoptUS Kids provide examples
Comment [M44]: Spell out.
of innovative and result- driven planning that's changing perceptions. Both campaigns
won top awards at the 4A's planning conference in May 2005. The Google effort yielded
more than 4,000 leads and 2,400 qualified applicants after planners took Google's
Comment [M45]: Employees, I
assume.
problem of not being able to attract the best and brightest and used target audience
insights, such as love of brain teasers. Outdoor media placed in cities including Boston
and San Francisco offered complex math problems to be solved. The answer formed a
Web address where another challenge awaited. The riddle ended at Google Labs where
the now-pre-qualified candidates were invited to send a resume. Direct, targeted print and
Comment [M46]: Insert paragraph to
break up your message.
event marketing supported the theme. Another U.S agency Kirshenbaum took its
planning challenge for AdoptUS Kids and applied similar thinking. Research of potential
adoptive parents showed the current messaging imploring them to save a child's life was
helping fuel the fear potential parents felt of failing the child. So Kirshenbaum planners
Comment [M47]: Spell out.
pitched the concept that you don't have to be a perfect parent to adopt. TV ads for the Ad
Council showed a dad snoring on the couch beside his amused adopted son and another
who plays the saxophone terribly while his drummer son smiles. Direct and print carried
the theme; phone inquiries tripled. These were a couple of examples to highlight how
14
advertising strategies for advertising campaigns work effectively using account planning
as a technique to produce better results. (Bulik, 2005)
When and Where to use Account Planning
Account planning is a specialized research-based discipline that is effective in
organizations where communication flow between departments needs to be smooth.
Severe departmentalization blocks the process. Large agencies typically have many
departments and often case there is a communication gap due to hoarding of key
Comment [M48]: Explain.
information by individual departments for vested interests. Account managers do not
share market information with account planners and vice-versa. This is not conducive to
the end goal which is to share useful knowledge amongst the teams so that a campaign
has the maximum chance of success. In order to maximize the benefits of account
planning, senior management must clearly endorse and support the functioning of the
Comment [M49]: Why would they
not do everything possible to help the
agency and its employees?
account planning department. Employees from other departments who may feel
threatened will only make account planning work if the concept has been endorsed by the
Comment [M50]: Cite?
agency’s top-ranking executives.
In terms of recruiting, if an agency does plan to hire an account planner, it does
not have to recruit planners with expertise in research. Some planners do possess such
expertise, but others do not. In fact, a planner should be more like an investigative
journalist. (Barry, Peterson &Todd , 1987, p.21). Given the competitive milieu, research
and creative must work together as a team even more so. There are more players in the
Comment [M51]: delete
market, the customer base has gotten more sophisticated and the spending power has
15
increased. As Stanley Pollitt, the founder of the account planning discipline argued,
agency staffers need to establish more contact with this dynamically changing consumer.
Pollitt indicated researchers need to come out in the forefront and be given more of an
opportunity to play a more active role in actually developing specific advertising strategy.
He thus recommended researchers be made the account managers’ equal partner in an
advertising agency and work with every account on a continuous basis; not just when a
problem arose. With account planning, this integrative, cooperative framework may very
well lead to more effective advertising campaigns. Zhao (2000) investigated a firm’s
optimal advertising and pricing strategies when introducing a new product. He compared
Comment [M52]: Punctuation
two variables time and cost to determine whether a firm should invest in advertising or
change pricing while introducing a new product. Account planners who are well-versed
with quantitative market research can be a valuable asset to the agency and the client by
using such research to guide the client into determining the optimum price for a new
product or to determine the advertising budget for a season.
The Current Trends of Account Planning
Planning today has evolved beyond the original British concept of planning.
According to Steel (1999, p.36), the British planners of the 1960’s and early 1970’s made
it their mission to challenge the methodology of the research industry they believed was
counter-productive to the development of great advertising. The author indicates that
planners are most useful when they go beyond advertising solutions and into broader
Comment [M53]: Interesting point
business solutions. Steel also states that planners should be telling a client how
demographic, cultural, economic, competitive and attitudinal change is affecting their
16
overall business, and how changes in fundamental business practices are required if they
are to succeed (1999, p.36). Structurally, planning has achieved status as an independent
Comment [M54]: Responsibility?
department in major U.S. and international advertising agencies. This has shifted the role
of research from the account manager to the account planner. Beckford and Philippe’s
Comment [M55]: Delete
study (2003) looked at how billings and account planning are linked together. They found
that the success of a campaign with account planning inputs led to clients increasing the
budget on advertising. They were open to looking at non-traditional media such as viral
and ambient media whereas before they would have preferred just traditional broadcast
and print media. The success of campaigns utilizing these new media led to increased
billings for the agency and better sales for the clients.
Expectations from Management
Along with the introduction of account planning in advertising, firms have
heightened expectations of planning from top agency management and clients. Though
many large U.S. agencies are under pressure from stakeholders, market analysts and
mega holding companies to show both profit and growth, people from the client side are
also under similar pressure to show bottom-line profitability. In light of all these
pressures, agencies and clients may see planning as a “cure-all” that may make up for
poor creative work, the inability to sell work to clients, unstable client relationships, or
poor new business performance (Steel, 1999).
The growing role of the account planner
17
Comment [M56]: I’m not familiar
with this.
Comment [M57]: Multiple?
The study of the multitude roles an account planner is expected to perform was
conducted by Baskin and Pickton (2003). They concluded that planners have taken on a
Comment [M58]: Punctuation
number of roles including having regular meetings with the client and budget allocation;
roles normally undertaken by account managers. The importance of these roles is either a
result of growing expectations from the fallout of a turbulent industry or due to a genuine
Comment [M59]: Use scholarly
writing
confidence in the ability of account planners. Now, there's a growing consensus that
account planning is not just about discovering consumer insights and shepherding
creative thought, but about developing solutions-becoming expert in segmentation and
targeting and driving consumer behavior. This was reported by Creamer and Sanders.
Comment [M60]: Use citation style
as required by APA.
(2006)
Thus it is necessary to understand what clients have to say about the kind of roles
they foresee an account planner fulfilling for their advertising needs. Some of the most
important items commonly mentioned by both high-propensity (large clients) and low-
Comment [M61]: Cite?
propensity clients (smaller clients) were:
(1) intelligent thinking
(2) challenging thinking
(3) feeling for brand values, brand context, brand provenance and tone of voice
(4) common culture, ethos and personalities
(5) predisposition to collaboration
(6) willingness to trust.
Grant, Gilmore and Crosier (2003), indicate that the type of business the client is in
also influences the way the services of the planner are used by them. They thus explain
Comment [M62]: spelling
that planning is utilized differently by both retail-type of clients (including utilities and
18
media) with a logistically correct, location driven focus and by consumer goods
Comment [M63]: Add connecting
hyphen
advertisers (particularly in the food and drink sector and financial services) with a
Comment [M64]: punctuation
strategic focus; which is consumer insight led. The former treats account planning as an
added cost, and prefer to work with a “doing” type of agency. A “doing” agency
concentrates more on putting in action projects dictated by the client for their fee and no
extra service. The latter agency regards itself as a brand consultant to the client and tries
to proactively find creative solutions for the client and thus provides deliverables of the
“thinking variety” which is account planning (Grant, Gilmore & Crosier, 2003, p.466).
There is a significant difference between high propensity and low propensity clients when
it comes to bringing in the services of the planner in the campaign process. Highpropensity clients believe that the most important contribution to increasing the
effectiveness of advertising was at the planning stage, when planners’ intellectual inputs
could identify new creative possibilities and fresh strategic options, follow these up, and
convert them into a campaign plan. Also, high-propensity client recognized the fact that
Deleted:
strategic planners are not the people to execute the ideas and therefore bring =in the
Deleted:
creative team as early in the process as possible so that the creative teams understand the
rationale behind the strategy. In short, they see the planner as a third creative or creative
Comment [M65]: No cap.
catalyst (Grant, Gilmore & Crosier, 2003, p.468). By contrast, Low-propensity clients
preferred to maintain a position of power and strength in the relationship through overall
control of the strategy-development process. Low-propensity clients typically see little or
no need for direct contact with a planner at the creative development phase. Planning is
considered to belong behind the scenes in a secondary role, helping things along rather
than being a driving force. And then things began to change in agencies. Planners grew in
19
stature and power. According to Linnett (2002), account planners in the U.S., many of
whom were highly educated and expensive advertising people began to migrate to the
U.S. in the '80s from London, where the discipline was born in 1968. Others were
Comment [M66]: I thought you said
1965 earlier in your manuscript.
groomed within agencies. Suddenly, Madison Avenue was besieged by a new breed of
advertising professional who postulated gender theory, Marxology and phenomenology
into the ears of bewildered marketers of toilet paper and hamburgers. Conferences hosted
by APG (Account Planning Group), started as an informal organization of planners in the
U.S. in 1992, resembled university graduate programs. The author reported that “Planners
strutted on the beaches of locales such as Miami sporting designer towels like chips on
their shoulders” (Linnett, 2002, p.21). This led to the growing alienation planners faced
Comment [M67]: This type of
information is not needed in scholarly
writing and should be removed.
from their colleagues and the client who began to regard them as haughty.
According to Grant, Gilmore and Crosier (2003) when the agency did not have a
planner, that role could be filled in by its senior management, with whom low-propensity
clients could more readily identify (Grant, Gilmore & Crosier, 2003, p.469). Planning
will get more into new areas: media and content development and new-product
development.
Due to the growth of minorities in the U.S in recent years and the lucrative allure
of the market, many marketers have started customizing their products and locations to
appeal to the diverse tastes of such consumers. Grier and Thornston (2006) investigated
how a product’s characteristics, the product’s promotion and distribution decisions and
consumer’s propensity for diversity influence the product’s likelihood of crossing over
from the intended ethnic target markets to mainstream white consumers. Account
20
Comment [M68]: Transition sentence
needed here.
planners could make valuable use of such studies to learn and gather information about
how to target these growing ethnic markets.
On the whole, the account planner’s skills and mind-set are clearly valued as a
source of intellectual inspiration and a sounding board for ideas. On the other hand, in
some business sectors (notably retailing) and amongst certain types of clients (such as
those with long experience in marketing), the high value placed on control and quick
Comment [M69]: Define.
turnaround of products generate a culture of low-propensity clients, seeing account
planning as a hidden cost rather than as a worthwhile added value. This is of significant
importance in the modern age of tightening advertising budgets by clients due to a
sluggish economy and weaker sales. Evolving consumer trends indicated that planning
agencies won more creative awards than non-planning agencies and that planning
agencies had a greater increase in billings and number of accounts than non planning
agencies (Haley and Morrison, 2003, p.3). At Chiat/Day, for example, overall client
billings jumped from $80 million to $230 million two and a half years after account
planning was introduced in 1981. There appears to be a direct relationship between
Comment [M70]: How do we know?
There are many other factors that could
have influenced this increase.
increased agency billings and presence of account planning within the agency in the case
Comment [M71]: Tense change
of Chiat/Day. In 2006, Chiat/Day is the seventh largest advertising agency in the world,
has billings in excess of $ 200 million and a dedicated account planning team for each of
its 44 clients.
Competition for the account planner
Despite the account planners’ considerable success, there is competition. Southgate
(2003) says that clients and agencies outsource creativity by using the talents of media
futurists and coolhunters. Media futurists look for trends in new media that would be a
21
suitable platform for clients looking beyond traditional media. Coolhunters are media
enthusiasts who search out innovative and “under-the-radar” activities and fads that have
not yet been seen by the general public. Account planners might interpret the workings of
independent media futurists and coolhunters as a direct infringement into their territory
and some amount of insecurity in judging account planners by clients and agency
management. But there is hope for account planners as the author argues that these media
mavens cannot replace the contribution of good planning and the inevitable paucity of
Comment [M72]: Make sure to use
your own words in your manuscript;
don’t simply copy them from your
sources.
information provided through coolhunting demonstrates this fact (Southgate, 2003, p.10).
Also, many high-propensity clients (clients with substantial media budgets) expect
planners to take over the reins of running the program, once strategic direction has been
established, and to continue to work on a collaborative basis for the common good of
agency and the client. That may demand the challenging of assumptions, the streamlining
of client briefs, the motivation of creative, or simply the provision of a productive
environment in which all can make a contribution. As Grant, Gilmore and Crosier (2003)
Comment [M73]: punctuation
indicate that in some cases, this may not require the full-time services of an account
planner, but only a marketing-aware account manager. Account planners may find
themselves sidelined by a savvy account manager who feels that there is no reason to tap
into the planner’s skills and decides to tackle the client’s problems himself. Often there is
direct resentment from the account team for the planner, whom they feel only emerges
when necessary and for the most part remains a silent spectator in the proceedings. It is to
avoid these kinds of hostile feelings between members of what is essentially the same
team (the agency team) that appropriate protocol be adhered to in order for everyone to
understand each other’s roles, so that there is no cut-throat behavior within the same
22
team. Stewart (2004) contends that too much research directly or indirectly kills the
creative process and in doing so, has driven a wedge between creative, their account
Comment [M74]: Use among when
citing three or more subjects.
people, and the client.
Research and its relevance to account planners
There are a few goals that research can help advertisers accomplish fairly easily:
(a) planning Stage: According to Meyers (2001) at this stage, research helps the agency
determine what is known about the market, what sort of market it is, the competitive state
of play, what sort of company the client is and who the advertising is to be aimed at.
Once these goals are established, then one can move on to the next stage of advertising
research.
(b) Development stage: At this stage one needs to understand the consumer. In order to
do so, qualitative research such as focus groups, depth interviews and group discussions
are executed.
(c) Evaluation Stage: At this point in time, the client would like to test whether a new ad
is worth full exposure. Therefore, the main purpose of research at this stage is to find out
whether or not the ad is hitting the intended audience rather than what is good and bad
about it.
Despite all the effort and sophistication, there are pitfalls of advertising research.
Some of them are:
(1) Many times advertisers feel the goal is to switch the consumer from brand “x” to
brand "y”. In real life it is more likely to increase the frequency of buying the
brand that is really critical.
(2) Effectiveness of an ad will depend largely on the job at hand.
23
Comment [M75]: Capitalization is
inconsistent with b and c.
(3) Intervening variables like recall, advertising awareness, interest, and so on have
no necessary or constant relationships with sales effectiveness.
Account planners need to keep sharpening their skills and be knowledgeable of
current trends if they are to make advertising an effective tool. As Kumar and Pani (2002)
Comment [M76]: ?
note consumers mind mining is an essential step toward category expansion and
ethnography that is a description of individual cultures, to gain fresh insights.
Ethnography is the genre of writing that presents varying degrees of qualitative and
quantitative descriptions of human social phenomena, based on fieldwork. Thus the
question arises, how well versed are modern planners with qualitative research tools and
which research tools are they currently using. In a particular study conducted by Singh
and Gupta (2005), the authors devised a multi-category model to elicit information about
household preferences for new product categories- that is, categories in which no
purchase information for the household is available. For account planners working on fast
moving consumer goods, knowledge of such marketing models is essential. In another
study conducted on sales managers by account planners using a tool called the opinion
leader model planners were able to measure how a small percentage of sales managers
Comment [M77]: punctuation
are responsible for making quick, key decisions. An opinion leader according to Philip
Kotler (2005) is a person who is responsible for a product seeding into the majority of the
populace based upon their using the product much before anyone else does. The authors
stated that the construction of a profile of opinion leaders might lead to a more judicious
selection of mass media and the ability to guide sales representatives so that they contact
first those potential customers who are opinion leaders (Schiffman & Gaccione, 1999).
24
Some of the most favored tools used by market analysts, in the field are narrative
theory, short term observation, grounded theory, phenomenology and kinesics. Do
planners use any of these and if so, in what measures to gain consumer insights? Schmidt
and Schulz (1995) conducted a study that was to provide evidence for the influence of
situational variables on consumer preferences toward the image product of men’s
fragrances, and to illustrate how these situational variables can be used to create
positioning strategies. They concluded by saying that their study found that the
situational variable purchasing target influences people’s judgments for some colognes.
Account planners with knowledge of such research providing information on key
situational variables would hold a competitive edge and help improve sales of impulsebased products for their clients.
A commonly used method to gather much of the ‘insights’ by planners is
qualitative research and focus groups. In a modern age where mass marketing is slowly
going out of fashion and one-on-one marketing is gaining prominence, are these tools
hopelessly outdated? The author Mark Earls (2003) suggests one approach is to just
observe more and measure what people do. Weilbacher (2003) argues that behaviorist
theory was the dominant brand information source in the first half of the 20th century. But
it seems that marketers and account planners have not stayed abreast with changes in
consumer psychology and behavior. Cognitive psychology is the driving new theory by
which psychologists conceptualize the ways in which human beings acquire and process
information (Weilbacher, 2003, p.2). It appears to be that there is no standardized reliable
advertising quality control procedure to which proposed advertisements can be submitted
with a view to filtering out the weaker ads and passing only the winners. Account
25
Comment [A78]: Not quite. There is
eye-tracking software, focus groups, skin
response testing, etc.
planners must make their own conclusions from the reams of data they read. Common
sense will still guide the best decisions. In a study on product managers (Lysonski, 1995)
the author investigated the product manager’s role in consumer industries. The author
examined the relationships of several key behavioral variables (role autonomy, need for
Comment [A79]: Briefly, what did
the author find?
affiliation and ambiguity tolerance) to the product manager’s boundary role. Such
information would be very useful to the planner who has to deal with product managers
frequently to mine consumer insights.
Agency support, effective time management and colleagues’ cooperation
Effective account planning rests on the efficient management of resources, time
Comment [A80]: One word.
management and co-operation of colleagues. But one needs to investigate whether
account planners manage the requisite amount of time to be up-to-date on the latest
Comment [A81]: Change writing
style.
research work. During a busy workday, agency managers would be hard-pressed to
provide account planners with the necessary time or the resources to upgrade their skills.
These are some questions that need to be tackled by the key decision makers in agencies
which have an account planning department. Also, one needs to see if there is any
justification to the thought that many account planners are also being used as reserve
account servicing people, thereby decreasing their own productivity. As Tasgal (2003)
points out, the constant barrage of audit presentations, strategic conflabs, client sales
presentations, research briefings, research debriefs, creative briefings, take to market
meetings, not to mention internal and external brainstorms of various hues, have all
undermined the notion of the vacuum for planners to actually think about the issues that
vex them. Hackley (2003) also supports this argument and goes on to state that the quick
26
Comment [A82]: Again, make sure
you’re using YOUR OWN writing.
fix solution has been to move the problem down, so much of this now becomes loaded on
the shoulders of a junior planner and the issue is pushed further down the agency food
chain. In such a scenario, it might come as no surprise that the creative and account
services teams do not think highly of the planners or their work. Also, agencies that
hadn't heard of planning a year ago now want to invest in it, and they're paying big
Comment [A83]: Writing style.
money for planners to come in and 'transform' them. The bigger the bucks, the bigger the
expectations -- and the greater the likelihood of failure. According to Steel (1999), this
failure, in turn, will prejudice agencies, individual staff members and clients against the
planning discipline; prejudices they will carry with them into new jobs and relationships.
And planning's light will begin to fade. As Jon Steel notes, that if planners are stretched
between too many accounts the depth of their involvement will suffer, and with it their
ability to contribute in a substantive way (Steel, 1998, p.46).
Account teams in the US are controlled by the account executive who is the
“gatekeeper”. Account planners feel that account executives tend to “wield power” and
“lead the process” and it is not difficult for the planner not to feel “disenfranchised”
(Hackley, 2003, p.5).
This brings us to another practical problem faced by today’s account planners.
Many planners are too involved with the day to day duties of routine work to actually
manage time to refresh their skills. Some kind of a program needs to be worked out by
agency management to reduce some of the planners’ workload so that planners can
update themselves and get to interact and observe consumers more often. With this
thought in mind, this study proposes to find out the evaluations of account planners by
their peers and how best to find effective and enduring solutions to making planners more
27
Comment [A84]: Who is Jon Steel?
Why are you citing him?
effective in the current agency environment and well accepted by the teams in the
Comment [A85]: Again, who is Jon
Steel?
agency. Interestingly, Jon Steel (1999) notes that in order for account planning to gain
acceptance and be successful within an agency; there needs to be tension between
planners and creative people. He believes that there has to be tension between planners
and account people, even between planners and clients. If they all commend each other
and accept each other's thinking, the work will only be mediocre. This study will aim to
see if this is indeed the case by addressing this issue in the survey questionnaire.
How Account Planners feel their work should be evaluated
Recent studies have tried to understand the views of account planners themselves
about their profession and how their work should be evaluated. It comes as no surprise
that planners felt that feedback from the key departments such as creative and account
services were most important in evaluating their work. Feedback from the creative team
was said to be the single most important item used in evaluating account planners’
performance (Haley and Morrison, 2003, p. 7). The planners argue saying that awards
and industry press is the least important factor in evaluating their work (Haley and
Morrison, 2003, p.8). Jon Steel (1998) observed that if they are not working with agency
creatives, providing useful information and insight, then they might as well not be
working in an advertising agency at all. The evaluation of planners can be grouped into
two stages of evaluation according to Haley and Morrison (2003). They are: (1)
evaluation of the process (i.e., feedback during the process, and (2) evaluation of
outcomes (i.e., traditional campaign measures and attention from media, ad industry, and
other planners via awards or press coverage). The importance assigned by planners to
28
Comment [A86]: Grammar
each of these types of evaluations reflect the philosophy of planning in the United States.
According to the literature, it is agreed that planners are the point people in the process of
developing message strategy, and serve as the agency’s primary contact with the outside
world. Planners are also charged with bringing in a strong consumer focus to all
advertising decisions (White, 1995). Similarly, the APG (Account Planning Group) states
that the unique benefits of engaging in planning include better team work, more
integration within the agency, added dimension to understanding the process of
developing advertising, and stimulating more productive contact between the creative
department and the consumer. But just behind feedback from the creative team comes
feedback from the client. Communication between the agency and the client has been
documented as an extremely important aspect of a good client-agency relationship. This
finding supports the importance of agency-client communication and reflects the
evolution of planning in the United States. Additionally, planners feel that standard
campaign measures should be used more often to evaluate their work (Morrison & Haley,
2003, p. 14). Awards and press are the least important factors for planners in evaluating
their work. However, planners feel that planning awards need to be given more weight in
evaluating their work than the more established creative awards like the One show or the
Clio.
Account Planners and the Client-Agency relationship
Advertising is all about human relationships. It follows that the prime relationship is that
between the client and the agency, and everything follows from this. Mitchell (1984) says
that clients rated the actual flow of the creative process from campaign start to campaign
29
finish as more important than the creative environment or creative personalities. Agencies
on the other hand clearly regarded the creative environment as a much more important
determinant of creative success compared with client perceptions (Peters, 2001). Clientagency relationships appear to suffer from three areas of particular discord:
(1) the agency’s commercial approach to creativity
(2) effective use of time
(3) allocation of monies
Importantly, large agencies were perceived by clients as having full-service departments
and account planners were brought on board to help aid this crucial interfacing activity
(Mitchell, 1984, p. 18). Thus, larger agencies have been adapting to evolving client needs
by improved specialization, and the constituent parts of “full service” have also been
developing. Both client and agency have been successful in developing, in the more
successful relationships, increasing proficiency, respectively, in clear marketing and
creative strategy development, and increased client professionalism matched on the
Comment [A87]: Make sure to use
your own words.
agency side by adaptive restructuring into specialist account planning. Mitchell (1984)
states that account planning appears to have been welcomed enthusiastically by clients
and creative departments alike, since their skills in creating the right strategic framework
for creativity have been outside the normal expertise and experience of product and
account managers. Successful client-agency relationships treat such differences in
creativity perceptions as a matter of positive action, and the emergence of the account
planning function appears to have been welcomed by both client and creative
departments as a means of overcoming a potentially difficult area of discord (Peters,
2001).
30
Future challenges for Account Planners
The test for account planners is to devise new means to make the brand more
Comment [A88]: Opinion?
meaningful and more connected with the consumer in this age of advertising domination
and media overkill. How well do account planners know the various facets of a brand is
another question. There is a pressing need to study how to advertise such brands because
Comment [A89]: When? Provide
more detail about this example.
of the social and commercial implications. The successful marketing of the Hennessey
brand to different segments was a good account of how to sell fragmented brands. A
fragmented brand does not mean a broken brand but a brand whose positioning and
imagery can lack cohesion. (Whiting and McClure, 2002, p.2).
Account planners need to be current with the latest research tools and consumer
trends. Various research firms have detailed studies on every possible demographic, from
homemakers to yuppies, to tweens and the working professional. Account planners need
to be well versed with these studies. Crosier (2003) suggested adopting two types of
models depending upon the type of client: the high propensity model and the low
propensity model. Depending upon whether they are your regular ‘fast moving consumer
Comment [A90]: What do you mean
by this? What are their characteristics?
Write in your own words.
goods’(FMCG’s) kind of clients or whether they are retail clients, they will entrust
account planners with the required level of responsibility. Meyers (1986) suggests that
one of the key premises of planning is the concept of integration within the brand team
(Meyers, 1986, p. 26). More than a researcher, a planner must not only claim to
understand advertising and its role in the marketing mix, but also to understand the
consumer dynamic. Researchers, on the other hand, are perceived to be number crunchers
and conducting all types of arcane statistical analysis, whose import is lost on the creative
effort and whose relevance is little understood. However, Meyers (1986) suggests that the
31
fact remains that planning is a group effort, not the purview of a single individual with a
title. In the end, one might conclude that a planner is just a repackaging job, done to
command a higher price in the marketplace. Or one may assume that a planner’s role in
the modern advertising context is one of prime necessity and critically relevant.
Account Planning and Mass Communication Theory
It is imperative that the current mass communication system will change, perhaps
radically, in response to the possibilities and challenges of new technologies for
communication in all its phases, from conception to ‘delivery’. Even the most developed
economies have not yet experienced any great discontinuity as a result of new
technologies and, for the most part, these have been used to make existing ways of
working and disseminating more efficient and more extensive.
According to Berger and Smith (1997) the main themes of current mass media theory
are:
(1) Media as either socially fragmenting or unifying- Unifying can denote ‘nationbuilding’, modernization, political strength, social integration, group solidarity
and a capacity for mobilization for common ends. Or it can be associated with
homogenization, manipulation and oppression.
(2) The non-centrality and dependence of the media- The distinction implied here is
between a view of media as an independent driving force or initiator in society,
either through their technology or dominant messages and one which sees them as
essentially dependent, reactive to primary forces and subordinate to power
exercised elsewhere in society.
32
(3) The media as an object of social and cultural definition- Media acquire
‘definitions’ which are composed of a mixture of observed fact, ‘image’,
valuation and the results of inbuilt communicative properties.
(4) Media freedom and independence- This holds the thought that media is
independent and do not have a right to operate as free and legitimate agents within
a sphere defined as belonging to their professional competence is very much
alive. Media organizations can and do define their own purposes, but often
purpose is given from outside and such outside forces are more likely to be found
in other powerful institutions than in the public or community which the media
are ostensibly supposed to serve (Berger & Smith, 1997).
(5) Media and power- Two main questions are at issue: (1) the effectiveness of media
as instruments for achieving given power ends- persuasion, mobilization,
information, etc; (2) that concerning whose power the media exercise- is it that of
society as a whole, of a particular class or interest group, or of individual
communicators? To be effective, the media requires legitimacy, authority, and
social support which cannot be sufficiently generated by their own resources.
In the critical choice between the mass media for the interests of the
senders (society, advocates, communicators, advertisers, the media themselves) or
those of receivers (audiences, publics, or sub-groups in society), the balance is
somewhat tilted towards the former. In effect, this means more likelihood of
‘manipulation’ than of real ‘communication’. Now, the question that remains is:
will the entry of the account planner, who is regarded as the representative of the
consumer in the advertising arm of mass communications, really be able to impact
33
a strong enough change in this widely accepted theory? Nevertheless, it is
necessary for the purpose of this study to take a brief look into the future, to
assess what implications for theoretical development are discernible.
New technology as ideology
The authors Berger and Smith (1997) go on to argue that New media and new and
extended uses of communication technology are being widely advocated on the basis of
Comment [A91]: Define
an implied theory of media technology determinism, which is also often a normative
theory, giving positive weighting to the maximization of communication possibilities,
especially in interactive forms. Social progress is assumed to follow and be caused by the
expansion of communication of all kinds and to take the form of greater individual
freedom and satisfaction.
Freedom and control
Mass communication theory already has to deal with an institution which varies very
much in terms of the degree of regulation and control which is either exerted in practice
or justified by a reigning social and political theory. But this trend is declining: the desire
to stimulate the use of new technology for industrial economic reasons has become more
widespread and has outweighed the fear of subversion; and it is simply becoming harder
to police the radio stations, cable and satellite channels.
Social-cultural problems versus economic-commercial goals
In the past, the major priorities have been to secure universal distribution and maximum
potential to receive; to establish a sphere of public communication in the service of both
34
democratic and capitalistic institutions; the preservation of good order and the security of
the state. In the future, problems are likely to be posed by growing ‘gaps’ in society and
globally in terms of access to information and cultural goods. There will also be a
relatively greater demand for access to the new channels as ‘senders’ or ‘suppliers’ of
information, in the widest sense.
Cui Bono
Accompanying the search for new criteria for establishing priorities, will be fresh
attention to the question of who should benefit from intervention or regulation of
communication provision (hardware or software). It may, for instance, seem desirable to
shift subsidies away from producers and senders (as with public broadcasting) and to
receivers (the consumer), to increase their potential to use information and cultural
services made available in the information market as a whole. Thus Berger and Smith
(1997) state that the trend of handing over more power to the consumer may lead to the
growing stature of the account planner. As the voice of the consumer, the planner will be
amidst all the flurry of activities as can be concluded from the above paragraphs.
Socialization and Theories of Indirect Influence
The nature of Socialization- In modern societies mass media have become inescapable,
omnipresent and compelling sources of definitions as to how people should behave. For
that reason, it is essential that their long term influences on the socialization process be
studied. The term ‘socialization’ is a label for a complex, long-term, and multidimensional set of communicative exchanges between individuals and various agents of
35
society that result in the individual’s preparation for life in a sociocultural environment
(DeFluer & Ball-Rokeach,1993). From an individual perspective, socialization equips us
to communicate, to think, to solve problems using techniques acceptable to society, and
generally to make our own unique adaptations to our personal environment. For present
purposes, the question is, what is the role of the mass media as agents of socialization in
achieving these critical goals? Does exposure to their content help individuals control
fundamental urges and drives, or encourage them to seek gratification? Sociologists stress
that socialization prepares individuals for participation in group life. People also need to
gain insights into themselves. They change from children to young adults to middle age,
and each stage requires a new conception of self. What does it mean in a particular
society to be young, middle-aged or elderly? Mass communications in modern societies
present numerous lessons daily on all these topics. The images of the young, the elderly,
of men and women- whether factual or false, distorted or realistic, right or wrong- are
presented repeatedly in media content to which people are exposed over and over, day
after day. The long-range implications of such experiences for the individual need to be
understood.
The Knowledge Gap Model
A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota (Tichenor & Donahue, 1970)
developed a quasi-systems model of society in which mass media and the use of media
messages play a central role. The researchers studied the role played by news media
within the subsystems and the larger systems. The team began by empirically establishing
that news media systematically inform some segments of the population, specifically
36
those in higher socioeconomic groups better than others. Over periods of several weeks
or months the differences between the better informed and the lesser informed segments
tend to grow- the knowledge gap between them got larger and larger (Tichenor &
Donahue, 1970, p.114). The findings of the knowledge-gap theory imply that all
segments of a community will become better informed when increased news coverage
provides better access to information. Closing the knowledge gap should also increase the
likelihood that a solution will be negotiated based on the best information available. The
findings also indicated that news media can help to close knowledge gaps.
Information Processing Model
Information processing theory uses mechanistic analogies to describe and interpret how
each of us takes in and makes senses of the flood of information that we receive from our
senses every moment of the each day. It envisions individuals as complex computers with
certain built-in information handling capacities and strategies. According to information
processing theory, what we need is an ability to routinely scan our environment, taking
in, identifying and routinely structuring the most useful stimuli and screening out
irrelevant stimuli. Then we must be able to process the structured stimuli that we take in,
hold these structures in our memory long enough so that we can sort out the most useful
ones, put the useful ones into the right categories (schemas), and then store them in our
long-term memory. Information processing theory offers fresh insight into our routine
handling of information. According to this theory, we can never be conscious of more
than a very small fraction of the information present in our environment. As we absorb
large quantities of information, we are consciously aware of only a fraction of it.
37
All these theories seem to indicate that advertising and in particular, account
Comment [A92]: Add punctuation.
planning aid consumers to assimilate data, research and analyze advertising messages in a
way that would prove to be of most benefit to the consumer. Precisely how these
messages are created is where the skills lie. The manner in which advertising messages
are structured will either lead to purchase or elimination. Therefore, it is all the more
critical that account planners follow the guidelines laid out by the above theories when
Comment [A93]: Rewrite as
“Nicholls & Dubash (1999)
investigated…”
crafting strategic advertising campaigns to ensure success. In a recent study, the
researchers investigated the demographics, brand recall and brand preference of
spectators at the Ryder golf and Lipton tennis tournaments. Using account planning
knowledge based on the above model, the authors predicted that sponsorship would
continue to be a major promotional tool for corporate marketers (Nicholls & Dubash,
1999, p. 57). Account planning requires a strong understanding of the cognitive, social
and psychological traits of the consumer. The deeper the account planner’s knowledge of
these crucial areas, the better is the chance of developing a strong advertising campaign.
38
Chapter III
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Previous research in this area has found that account planning is a new and exciting
extention of an advertising agency’s intellectual offering to address a client’s advertising
needs. But no study has focused on whether the addition of the account planning arm has
really benefited the agency or the client. The account planning function is being
employed by agencies to tackle the growing needs of specialized markets and niche
businesses. In this study, the perception of account planners in an advertising agency will
be determined. Additionally, the study will try and analyze how effective account
planning has proven to be in offering constructive insights into highly fragmented
markets and potentially lucrative niche segments.
Research Questions
Baskin and Pickton (2003) posited that account planners play a myriad number of roles in
an agency. This study addresses this by trying to ask what is the single most important
job function of an account planner.
RQ1: What is the most important job function of an account planner according to you?
Haley and Morrison (2003) tried to understand how account planners felt their work
should be evaluated. They found that feedback from the creative department was the
single most important item used to evaluate their work. In this study, one would ask the
39
Comment [A94]: Whose perceptions?
Who will you be asking?
account management what their main expectations are from the account planning
department.
RQ 2: What is the most important mode of communication you primarily use with
account planners to get and share information?
RQ3: How do you rate account planners’ frequency of interaction with internal and
external clients?
The answers to these questions will show if account planning has grown as a function in
an agency setting since its inception in 1965 and whether the planners’ colleagues and
clients consider them to be an equal partner who releases useful information that aids
teamwork and facilitates the smooth running of projects.
40
CHAPTER IV
METHODOLOGY
Account services and creative people were chosen from employee listings in the
Comment [A95]: Will this be
updated?
December 2005 Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies. An equal number of
account services and creative personnel were selected from each agency. The sample was
divided by agency-size strata and job classification (i.e., account services and creative
personnel). Two independent sub samples of creative directors and account managers
were asked to rate other account managers and creative personnel on a series of
statements about working relationships in agencies. Another set of independent sub
samples of creative people were asked to rate other creatives and account managers using
the same statements. The resulting design allowed account managers to rate account
planners and creative personnel to rate account planners. The study was then able to
investigate working relationships within departments as well as between departments.
The type of questions asked attempted to determine the perceptions of account and
creative agency personnel. According to Haley and Morrison’s study (2003) on how
planners feel their work would like to be evaluated, the relative feedback from their peers
in a more holistic manner might suggest some trends in national population of advertising
professionals.
41
To analyze the research questions, a questionnaire was developed to be
administered to advertising professionals based nationwide in the United States. The email survey was designed to find out if there was a difference in the perceptions of
creative and account managers with respect to their roles, responsibilities and
effectiveness of account planners. The survey was mailed online to the desired target
audience. The sample was generated from an online database of advertising professionals
who qualified to fit the profile. The respondents were asked to indicate the intensity of
their agreement or disagreement with each statement on a Likert-type rating scale. The
attributes were chosen in part from the study conducted by Haley and Morrison (2003)
and in part from the author’s research. This type of question was asked to both groupsaccount management and the creative staff.
Independent variables: There are two independent variables in the study. One variable in
the study is the level of equality amongst the key departments. The other independent
variable are the perceptions of creative and account managers.
Dependent variables: There are two dependent variables in this study. One is level of
understanding amongst key departments. The other D.V is perceptions of creative
directors and account managers.
This type of method, survey analysis, has been used in past account planning
research studies. It was decided thus, that this method was the best method for
determining perceptions of account planners and finding correlations between what
agency people including all three groups (account management, creative and account
planning) thought were the roles and responsibilities of account planners and what they
actually were.
42
Statistical Method for Analysis
1.) Spearman’s Rank Correlation will be used to check for statistical significances in the
study. Especially to determine significant differences between lower and upper
management with respect to their views on planners’ campaign contributions.
2.) Also cross tabs and Chi Squares will be used to see which management cadre (upper,
middle or lower) best find the account planners’ campaign contributions to be substantial.
3.) T test will also be used to compare the means of skill sets required for account
planners’ to be most effective during a campaign. It will also be used to check the means
of contrasting management genre (creative vs. account services) when it comes to
evaluating planners’ skills.
CHAPTER V
RESULTS
43
CHAPTER VI
DISCUSSION
Benefits of this study
The study will provide a snapshot of the current state of mind of the three key functions
in a traditional advertising agency with respect to account planners and their work.
Reasons behind varying perceptions about planners by the three hierarchies (top tier,
middle management and entry level) will be understood. Additionally, how account
planners can be more effective and possible solutions towards reducing the antagonistic
nature towards account planners by the other two functions. A clear understanding of the
expectations from the different hierarchies of the three functions from an account planner
and the levels of competence is expected.
Deliverables
There will be several deliverables at the end of this research including:
1. A report providing answers to the questions raised above.
2. A set of “ best practices” that can be implemented in agencies that can
44
a. help account planners become more comfortable in their role and place in
the agency structure.
b. distribute work among the functions that will help free up planners to
gather new skills and interact more often with consumers.
c. Significantly find solutions to reduce the perceived hostility towards
account planners by the other functions.
d. utilize the understanding of differing perceptions towards planners
according to hierarchies and devise a model to help make planners aware
of the different expectations from other functions.
e. prepare training manuals for planners to aid them to be prepared to face
these expectations and deliver accordingly.
45
REFERENCES
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Journal of Marketing, 38, 49-53.
Singh, V. P., Hansen, K. T., & Gupta, S. (2005). Modeling preferences for common
attributes in multicategory brand choice. Journal of Marketing Research, 22(4),
195-209.
Zhao, H. (2000). Raising awareness and signaling quality to uninformed consumers: A
price advertising model. Marketing Science, 19(4), 390-396.
Nicholls, J. F., Roslow, S., & Dubash, S. (1999). Brand recall and brand preference at
sponsored golf and tennis tournaments. Journal of Marketing, 33(4), 365-386.
Schimdt, B. H., & Schultz, C. J. (1995). Situational effects on brand preferences for
image products. Psychology & Marketing, 12(5), 433-446.
Lysonski, S. (1985). A boundary theory investigation of the product manager’s role.
Journal of Marketing, 49, 26-40.
Grier, S., Brumbaugh, A. M., & Thornton, C. G. (2006). Crossover dreams: Consumer
responses to ethnic oriented products. Journal of Marketing, 70, 35-51.
APG-U.K. (1987), “What Is Account Planning?” Account Planning Group-U.K Website,
www.apg.org.uk/whatis.html (accessed February 19, 2003).
Baskin, Merry and Pickton, David (2003), “Account Planning-From Genesis to
Revelation,” Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 21, 3-10.
Bulick, Beth (2005), “Changes In Pitch,” Advertising Age, 76, 23.
Cohen, Andrew (2003), “Closing The Brand Response Gap,” Admap, 7.
Cuneo, Alice (2001), “Bewitched By Ad Business, TBWA’S Monturo Finds Niche,”
Advertising Age, 72, 31, 17.
Creamer, Mathew & Sanders, Lisa (2006), “Bring Out The Planners,” Advertising Age,
77, 1-16.
Earls, Mark (2003), “Advertising To The Herd: How Understanding Our True Nature
Challenges The Ways We Think About Advertising And Market Research,”
Market Research, 13.
Ephron, Erwin (2002), “Planning’s Next Step,” Advertising Age, 73, 36.
46
Crosier, Keith, Gilmore, Charlotte and Grant, Ian (2003), “ Account Planning: Whose
Role Is It Anyway?” Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 0263-4503.
Hackley, Christopher (2003), “Account Planning: Current Agency Perspectives on an
Advertising Enigma,” Journal of Advertising Research,43, 3-5.
Haley, Eric and Morrison, Margaret (2003), “Account Planners’ Views On How Their
Work Should Be Evaluated,” Journal of Advertising, 32, 3,7-8.
Kumar, Poonam and Pani, Malini (2002), “ Exploring The Consumers’ Life And Mind,”
The World Association Of Research Professionals, 13.
Linnett, Richard (2002), “The Humbled Persuaders,” Advertising Age, 73, 32, 1-21.
Southgate, Nick (2003), “Coolhunting, account planning and the ancient art of Aristotle,”
Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 21, 10.
Steel, Jon. (1998). Truth, Lies & Advertising. New York: John Wiley &Sons, Inc.
Steel, Jon (1999), “Tests Ahead For Account Planning,” Advertising Age, 70, 36.
Stewart, Ian (2004), “Truth, Lies & Advertising,” Media Asia, 40.
Tasgal,Anthony (2003), “ The Science of The Brands: Alchemy, Advertising and
Accountancy,” International Journal of Market Research, 45, 9.
Weilbacher, M. William (2003), “ How Advertising Affects Consumers,” Journal of
Advertising Research, 42, 1-2.
Whiting, Mark and McClure-Monnier, Sandrienne (2002), “Qualitative Research: The
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advertising efforts. Marketing Science, 22(4), 520-541.
47
APPENDIX
College of Mass Communications
Summer 2006
Account Planner Perception Survey
Dear Sir/Ma’am,
You have been selected to participate in a survey about the perceptions of account planners in advertising
agencies. Please take a few minutes to fill out this questionnaire. This is an academic survey and your
answers will be confidential. Your participation is voluntary; but your opinion will be valuable to help us
understand current issues facing the advertising industry. If you have any questions, do feel free to contact
Arijit Basu at arijit.basu@ttu.edu or Dr. Alex Ortiz at alex.ortiz@ttu.edu. Thank you.
SA= Strongly Agree, SD= Strongly Disagree
SECTION 1
1. How many account planners are employed at your agency? _______ (If none, please skip to the final
section on demographics).
SECTION 2
Maintaining Equality:
Please rate account planners on the following
2. How strongly do you feel an account planner in your team:
SA Agree Neutral
a. tries to run the show
1
2
3
4
b. produces too much work compared to the team
1
2
3
4
c. doesn’t understand we are team equals
1
2
3
4
d. takes a lot of credit for team projects
1
2
3
4
e. is promoted frequently compared to others
1
2
3
4
f. is underpaid compared to other departments
1
2
3
4
Disgaree
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
6
6
SD
7
7
7
7
7
7
SECTION 3
48
Understanding:
Please rate account planners on the following
3. How strongly do you feel an account planner in your team:
SA Agree Neutral
a. doesn’t accept constructive criticism compared
to other employees
1
2
3
4
b. doesn’t understand your job
1
2
3
4
c. doesn’t understand job stresses of colleagues
1
2
3
4
d. interferes with workers in your department
1
2
3
4
e. never co-operates with employees in your dept.
1
2
3
4
Disgaree
5
5
5
5
5
SD
6
6
6
6
6
7
7
7
7
7
6
6
6
6
6
6
SD
7
7
7
7
7
7
SECTION 4
Communication:
Please rate account planners on the following
4. How strongly do you feel an account planner in your team:
SA Agree Neutral
a. doesn’t meet deadlines
1
2
3
4
b. doesn’t share client information
1
2
3
4
c. is not trustworthy
1
2
3
4
d. doesn’t have confidence in me
1
2
3
4
e. doesn’t share client information
1
2
3
4
f. doesn’t insure I understand what the client wants 1
2
3
4
Disgaree
5
5
5
5
5
5
SECTION 5:
Skills
Please rate account planners on the following
5. How strongly do you feel does is an account planner in your team adept at:
SA
Agree
Neutral
Disgaree
SD
a. media buying knowledge
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
b. creative techniques (copy and art)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
c. market research (quantitative and qualitative)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
d. software skills (Office,Mac,SPSS)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SECTION 5:
Demographics:
6. What is your current designation?
_____________________________
49
7. What is your gender?
Male ____
Female ______
8. What is your agency size? (Employees in your office) _______________
9. What is your academic qualification?
High school_____ Bachelor’s ____ Master’s ____ Doctorate _____Other _____
Thank you for your participation. If you have any questions, please contact Arijit Basu at
arijit.basu@ttu.edu
50
51