Account Planning For Freshmen & Rookies…The Soccer Connection

Image Source: www.iberiasoccer.net/images/body-bg.jpg

Ok, my name… Damola Bamgboyean Account Planner withWith some really cool work for brands like

And I actually smile. A lot!

Advertising and the two leading ball sports clearly enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship.Ad Agencies enjoy the profits from both sports. Both sports patronise the ingenious, magical and empirical solutions Admen conjure. Marketers oil the sport business with attractive advertising Dollars and sponsorship deals.

Pretty great relationship… Obviously!

To the interesting notion I thought to share…

But a closer look into this craft brought a few more connections to light…Especially when compared with soccer.

We share similar team and operational formations… My exposure to Account Planning & Soccer helped me figure that out!

So the Goal Keeper (the King on the Chess board) protects the Teams’ goal-post from defeat! He coordinates the Defenders to make sure he is properly covered…

The Defenders protect the Goalkeeper from being engaged by the opponent. They also supply the midfielders the much needed possession to initiate attack.

The Midfielders action on their possession and incite the forwards (Strikers) to score. They also repossess the ball from the opponents when it gets lost. They determine the rhythm of the game.

The forwards (Strikers) unleash their arsenals (no pun intended), score goals and ‘lead’ the team to victory!

The Interesting Notion // Deconstructing Soccer Formations

Did you notice something about the midfielders job?• They take possession of the ball from the defenders and goal

kicks from the goalie…• Incite the strikers with intelligent and clinical passes…Lets add some more.• Repossess the game from the enemy when the strikers loose the

ball.• Re-orchestrate attack with those intelligent and clinical passes.• Return the ball to base when necessary• Score the ball when opportune• Actually lead and coordinate attack!

The Midfielder’s Role …

• They have to be the fittest players on the field.

• They have to be intelligent in defence and provide effective + creative passes.

• Demonstrate thorough understanding of the game and their teammates’ roles.

• Have great technical skill and creative in initiating attack.

The Midfielder’s Role …

Provide defensive support to the actual defenders // Account Team and Clients

Analyse the game // the market, consumers, media space…

Initiate effective attack // rich & inspiring briefing sessions

Repossess the ball, reinitiate and sustain attack when the team is dispossessed // the creative/content developer, tech guy veers off-brief? You speak up! You manage the flow & tide of thoughts.

Lets add one more.

Score goals // you’re exposed to the trade. Right? you can bring winning big ideas

Provide operational leadership and drive the team!

The Connections // Planners & Midfielders have similar functions!

The similarities in detail!DISCLAIMER: Functions and methods may vary as different markets and Agencies have different methodologies.

Image Source: www.iberiasoccer.net/images/body-bg.jpg

PROVIDE DEFENSIVE SUPPORT TO THE ACTUAL DEFENDERS // ACCOUNT TEAM AND CLIENTS

Usually happens at the Clients’ boardroom or the Agency.

The brief/problem is received along with the Account Management team (almost always called Client Service).

The brief is developed and ambiguities are clarified with the Clients and Account team. When necessary, the Planner must ensure the Client have an aligned + plausible perspective of the problem and possible angles the Agency will be deploying/investing its resources to resolve.

Why, the Planner trades consumer needs in the Client’s market place, so he has to see from a consumer-centric and objective perspective. The Client may have his paradigms set by the quantum of time spent with his product, so his biases and notions may follow suit. And the Accounts guy. He/She wants to make his/her Client happy.

Your job is to make sure the unseen boss (The Consumer), the Real boss (the Client) and the Team’s boss (the Account Managers) are aligned and hopefully, happy.

Image Source: http://plannersdilemma.misentropy.com/2015/02/disruptive-imitation-innovation.html

ANALYSE THE GAME // THE MARKET, CONSUMERS, MEDIA SPACE…

Remember your first boss? The unseen boss? The Consumer?

This is where you master your boss. But think of your boss like a beautiful lady that every right thinking man will want to date or even marry. As its almost always the case, your Client will not be the only trying to win her heart or patronage.

They have needs (often ignored by brands and admen that desperately and sometimes unintelligently just want to sell). They also have credible motivations and hot buttons that they helplessly intuitively respond to. They consume media digital and traditional, and you need to know what, when, how, why (bla, bla, bla, bla…)

Your job is to provide the services of a hitch (the Will Smith movie? Remember) and ensure the Client and Agency are not just putting their best foot forward, but the right one.

This is like playing the defensive midfield position!

Image Source: Abacus Integrated Marketing Limited

INITIATE EFFECTIVE ATTACK // RICH & INSPIRING BRIEFING SESSIONS

“Words are little bombs: the right ones can explode inside us, demanding an original and exciting solution instead of a mediocre, pedestrian one.”

From: The Brief for the Sistine Chapel, Written by Damian O'Malley // Interpreted by Steven Stark

REMEMBER THIS!

Whether your writing creative brief, initiating or leading a creative briefing. REMEMBER THAT QUOTE!

Always work very, very hard to find the right proposition and then even harder to find the words which express it in the least ambiguous and most exciting way.

From: Written by Damian O'Malley // Interpreted by Steven Stark

A midfielder will call this an intelligent, well weighted and defence-splitting pass! His metrics are assists. His performance is measured by Clear Chances created.

So be calm and play like Andrés Iniesta or Andrea Pirlo!

Image Source: Companzees Creative Co.

REPOSSESS THE BALL, REINITIATE AND SUSTAIN ATTACK WHEN THE TEAM IS DISPOSSESSED // THE CREATIVE/CONTENT DEVELOPER, TECH GUY VEERS OFF-BRIEF? YOU SPEAK UP! YOU MANAGE THE FLOW & TIDE OF THOUGHTS

The best brief can sometimes over excite the creative team… And please don’t climb your high horse already! You may do same in their position! So in the event that the creative team unintentionally losses direction, be on hand to provide thought leadership and realign them.

Sometimes, it takes a while to master this art. But strive to be the thought leader the the creative team can rely on for guidance. Nurture ego-less working relationships with them. Earn their respect and trust with compelling and consistent thought leadership!

You’re the captain of the ship. Whether or not its official. If you don’t do it, someone else will and if the campaign goes wrong…

ITS ON YOU!

A great midfielder is always on hand to recover the ball, relaunch and sustain attack!

Image Source: Letters in Ink

SCORE GOALS // YOU’RE EXPOSED TO THE TRADE. RIGHT? YOU CAN BRING WINNING BIG IDEAS

Yes you provide great thought leadership, the most irresistible creative briefs + session… Why not score a goals when you can.

No one stops you from bring raw creative thoughts or even market ready ideas. You should consolidate on your rich repertoire of creative outputs (print materials, TV spots, engagement ideas, events that you enjoyed, life, everything!).

Your mind can be limitless in its output. Ensure you give it enough room to. So read all you can. See all you can. Deliberately stay exposed to rich life experiences! Enjoy life!

The great midfielders also scored goals. Great goals!

Image Source: Letters in Ink

With enough practice and experience, you should become more like this…

Image Source: ALREADY CAPTURED IN THE IMAGE

The Soccer formation from an Account Planners perspective…

They are not necessarily 11 on the field.

Image Source: ClipArt Best

Account Mgt.

Account Mgt.

Account Mgt.

Account Mgt.

Market Research

Consumer Research

Media Planner

Lead Planner

Lead Planner

Creative Team

Art & CopyContent

Developer

Web Developer &

The Tech guys

Media Buyer

Client//Consumer…

LAST WORDS

KEEP AN OPEN MIND. STOP SECOND GUESSING YOURSELF LIKE YOU’RE MOST LIKELY TO BE WRONG THAN RIGHT! PLANNERS AND ADMEN THAT DO THIS WAIVE THEIR MIND’S RIGHT TO GO AFTER LATERAL AND GROUND BREAKING

IDEAS!

A CREATIVE DIRECTOR I WORKED WITH ONCE COUNSELED…

TRUST YOUR THOUGHTS

BE THE HARDEST WORKING PERSON IN THE ROOM!

THIS DOCUMENT WILL BE A LIVING, BREATHING AND EVOLVING ONE. YOU CAN FOLLOW AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS EVOLUTION IN THE LINK BELOW…

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Mg5YoXERzMkuZes88U6Zzn3aoU9jIdN6ejyuiFa4PWU/edit?usp=sharing

THANK YOU!

Image Source: http://amostpeculiarmademoiselle.blogspot.com.ng/2013/12/a-minion-for-little-b.html