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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Truth, Lies and Advertising summary
Jon Steel
The Art of Account Planning
13 mins
Table of Contents
Truth, Lies and Advertising
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Key idea 1 of 5
Account planners bring together the client’s business interests, the agency’s creative team and consumer needs.
Ad people have a bad reputation for being untrustworthy and unethical, almost on par with snake oil salesmen. But not all ad agencies are trying to hoodwink you or overwhelm you with ads; some strive to connect with their audiences on a human level. And for this kind of next-level advertising, an account planner is crucial.
This role is all about researching consumer needs in order to solve client problems. An account planner conducts consumer interviews, develops information briefs or looks into various related factors (like sales figures) that might be contributing to the client’s problems.
Additionally, the account planner is responsible for keeping the creative team on track by sharing information about the target consumer and communicating the client’s needs. In other words, this job isn’t about making the decisions, but rather about making ideas happen.
For instance, when the author was working on a project for the auto company, Isuzu, he hosted focus groups at dealerships to understand the customer base for individual models. When he learned that the Rodeo model attracted adventurous types, he relayed that information to the creative team. Building on that insight, the creatives developed a commercial about a young father and his son visiting a toy store, where they find a Rodeo packaged like a toy car. And the campaign tagline read: “The Rodeo. Grow up. Not old.”
As you can see, the account planner’s job requires in-depth research. And that’s why a planner should ideally work with three clients at a time, max. That might not seem like much, but it’s important that the account planner doesn’t cut corners due to overwhelming workloads or time pressure.
After all, getting the job done right will help the agency create lasting relationships with clients and build an impressive portfolio, which makes it a more profitable strategy in the long-term.
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What is Truth, Lies and Advertising about?
In Truth, Lies and Advertising (1998), leading account planner Jon Steel shares an insider’s insight into the world of advertising. For Steel, the creation of great ads is all about understanding the consumer, and his compelling behind-the-scenes anecdotes illustrate the role account planners play in developing a successful campaign.
Best quote from Truth, Lies and Advertising
Ultimately I believe that any good planner has to be very strong both strategically and creatively.
—Jon Steel
Who should read Truth, Lies and Advertising?
- Anyone who’s starting out in advertising or planning
- Mad Men fans who want to understand how a real advertising agency works
- Business owners want to hire an advertising agency to develop a campaign
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