One of the most important factors in an

        agency is communication. Agencies are

        compiled of different departments and 

        responsibilities and sometimes things end

        up getting lost or confused along the way.  

 

 

 

 

What Are the Differences? 

The accounts side of an agency works as the middlemen between the client and the agency. Accounts have a large amount of responsibilities including scheduling, relationship management, meeting with clients, and so on. Accounts are in charge of creating strategic plans, research requests, creative requests, content calendars, project tracking, and whatever else the client/project needs. This side of the agency focuses on client requests and the overall big picture.  

 

The creative side of an agency is in charge of content creation and brand design. Most of the time, clients are unaware of how much goes into creative’s work. At its most basic definition, creatives are responsible for developing customer content or promotional products. They create videos, websites, brand kits, images, etc. For their work, creatives are usually focused on the end results of the project.  

 

What Do They Have In Common? 

Although the account and creative side of an agency seem world’s apart, they actually have more in common than most would think, it’s just the details where the confusion begins.  

-Use research to help outcomes 

-Accounts and creatives each use research and analytics to better understand their client and target their primary audience. 

-Follow the same processes to reach final goal 

-Each side uses trial and error to figure out what the client likes best. 

-Aim to please the client 

-This is the overall goal for both sides of an agency, to have the final product fit the wants and needs of their client and have it be successful  

 

Example: Social Media Posts 

-Accounts place an emphasis on:  

-Audience: Accounts want their posts to attract their target audience 

-Message: Accounts are trying to further the message that the client wants to sell, so they focus on what is being sold through the caption. 

-Creatives place an emphasis on:  

-Platform: Content is formatted differently from platform to platform. Platform is an important choice in order to understand the constraints placed on the post. 

-Quality: No one wants their product or promotion to look sloppy or thrown together, making the product look appealing is important. 

-Both place an emphasis on: 

-Tone and stylistic choices: Being consistent in a client’s brand allows them to be memorable. 

-Making their client stand out from competition: In order for a client to be successful, they must appear as the most appealing option. 

 

Benefits of Effective Communication 

-Allows for a better flow of communication through the organization 

-Produces a better final outcome 

-Reduces the amount of confusion and revisions that needs to be done on both sides 

-Allows the client to understand the process and feel secure in their choice of agency 

 

Best Practices 

-Be specific with client wants and needs 

-Allows accounts to be aware of what needs to be done and allows creative to understand what the client is asking for. 

-Give descriptive, but brief, feedback when given options or examples 

-Stay away from words like ‘good’ or ‘bad’ 

-Specify exactly what a client thinks about an option or an example, this allows creative to understand specific likes and dislikes.  

-Give updates when things change with a project  

-Allows for a cohesive schedule. 

-Lessens the potential for issues down the road. 

-Allow creatives to take time with their design process  

-Design takes time and does not happen overnight. By allowing creatives to take their time with their process, a better end result occurs.