Running a Successful Creative Agency: The Account Executive

At Function Point we’ve worked with creative firms, advertising agencies and digital agencies for the past 20 years. We help define internal processes and workflow, and in doing this we have come up with 6 personas that interact within the typical creative agency.

The 6 Personas:

1. New Business
2. Creative
3. Account Executive
4. Traffic Manager
5. Accountant
6. Owner

Account Executive

Job Description

An advertising agency Account Executive (AE) is key to maintaining the relationship between the agency and the client. Account executives are the liaison between the client and the creative team to ensure the client’s needs and goals are being met on every project. The agency account executive also manages pitches to the client, the client’s ad budget and generally handles around four non-competing client accounts at a time.

A Typical Day

• Check the status of each client’s job(s) in the creative department and verify the jobs will be complete on time
• Contact each client at least once a day to discuss current and upcoming projects
• Initiate new jobs for the client
• Review and present concepts/layouts/copy to the client for approval
• Communicate the client’s feedback to the creative department and discuss the next steps in the campaign

A Typical Interaction With Function Point

• FP is used to check, verify, confirm and report on the status of tasks and jobs that the creative agency account executive is accountable for
• FP is used to keep notes of e-mails and discussions with the client
• FP is used to look up and keep track of client phone numbers, addresses and e-mails
• FP is used to initiate new briefs and estimates, and enter new jobs
• Function Point’s Client Portal is used to present concepts/layouts/copy to the client for approval

A Perfect Day

• Clients are happy, and tasks and jobs for every client are on or ahead of schedule and on budget.

Top of Mind Issues

• Making clients happy
• Creative department is happy and focused on work
• Workflow is efficient and the right stuff is getting done

We love working with people to help with both the software requirements to make working together easier, as well as developing efficient workflows. Function Point is here to help creatives run a profitable business! Find out how we can help you.

This article was contributed by former Function Point employee, Tate Lillies.