A Brief History of Account Planning:How we came to include the customer

in the marketing and advertising process

What’s Account Planning?

"The account planner is that member of the agency's team who is the expert, through background, training, experience, and attitudes, at working with information and getting it used - not just marketing research, but all the information available to help solve a client's advertising problems.”

— Stanley Pollitt

”…we will never use research to the full unless we start from a carefully worked out theory of what the brand is, why it is successful or not, and what advertising can contribute.”

— Stephen King

• Get people to join the conversation

• Guide creative development

• Tool for new business

• Represent the consumer• Get people excited about

thinking in a new way• Ensure effectiveness• It’s where you start

Planners keep their fingers on the pulse of culture.

A consumer is more than just a numberAccount Planning adds consumer response,

rather than simply using consumer generated data,to the client and creative viewpoints.

The Account Planner:The Voice of the Consumer

Planners wear many hats.

“Makers”

Explorers

Sociologists

Storytellers

Researchers

Culturists

Getting to “A-ha!”

Planner as Explorer

Keep the Change Campaign

How do we regain trust when we are a

meme for bad?

Planner as Storyteller

Planner as Culturalist

Planner as Researcher

Planner as Sociologist

What makes a good planner?• Curiosity and common

sense intuition about people, brands and advertising

• Combination of logic/analytical skills and lateral thinking

• Accepts nothing at face value

• Ability to dive deep into an issue but not lose site of the bigger picture

• Open minded and optimistic

• Pragmatic approach to problem solving

• Empathy

“At the heart of an effective creative philosophy is the belief that nothing is so powerful as an

insight into human nature, what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his actions, even though his language so often camouflages what really motivates him. For if you know these things about a man you can touch him at the

core of his being.”

—Bill Bernbach(1911-1982, Founder, DDB)