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is what defines greatness in organizations. At Hewlett-Packard, Bill Hewlett had the strategy skill set, complimented by David Packards strong management skills. In the film world, consider the necessity of having a skilled producer who can bring together the needed talents and resources to make a great film. Thats a very different skill set from the director, who is concerned with how to tell the story.
two separate but equal career paths. The necessary mindset from management is that brand management is not a stepping stone to brand strategy, and that one job is in no way better than the other. These are two different functions within the agency, and you can be just as successful in one as the other. Both career paths should offer the same opportunities in terms of title and salary advancement.
In your firm, you undoubtedly already have most of the people you need to fill both of these roles. In Ignitions experience of helping agencies transform to this new model, we find that the majority of account people (all the way up to management supervisor) selfidentify as strategists. Thats because when asked the question, they assume that brand strategist is the senior job and that brand manager is the junior job. This attitude is a relic of the way they were raised in the business, where account executive trainees started in the traffic department and then graduated through the ranks of account management. Each promotion and title change would take them closer to the role of strategic thinker. An account supervisor was assumed to be more strategically talented than an account executive. This sequence of events is as illogical as it is ineffective. Its like saying to a talented art director that if you work really hard, someday well make you a copywriter. Brand strategy and brand management are two different skill sets, and they now deserve to be considered as
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Brand Management
P P P P P P
P
P P P P S P S S S P P P S S P S P P P P
Brand Management
Distribution
Tracking and monitoring client deliverables Monitoring media channel placements and schedules
Reporting
Issuing and updating status reports Organizing and conducting status meetings
Development
Initiating new assignments and creating jobs in the system Developing strategic plans and recommendations Developing creative and connection briefs for major campaigns Developing creative and connection briefs for projects Compiling job specifications Setting up briefings Briefing teams about strategy Briefing teams about logistics Presenting major programs and recommendations Presenting finished work for approval Developing project schedules Prioritizing client work Developing client business and growth opportunities Generating business-building ideas Facilitating integrated, cross-functional solutions Maintaining regular contact with clients
Developing a stronger project management discipline, staffed with skilled and dedicated people, is absolutely essential to the future success of the marketing communications industry. Weve moved well beyond the simplistic world of print ad production. And way too much agency profit slips through the cracks of the current account management systems and structures. On the strategic planning side, clients are clamoring for more thought leadership from their agencies. In fact, they are virtually up in arms over the fact their agencies are only reactive, not proactive.
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So if you like the idea of higher margins and more satisfied clients, implementing the brand strategy/brand management structure will help get you there as fast as anything else you can do right now.
RedPapers are edited for senior professionals in the marketing communications business. All content is copyrighted by Ignition Consulting Group, Inc. and may not be reproduced or retransmitted without express permission. RedPapers are published by Ignition Consulting Group, Inc., a consultancy devoted to helping marketing organizations create and capture more value. For more information about Ignition, visit www.ignitiongroup.com, e-mail info@ignitiongroup.com, or call + 1 (801) 582-7297.
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