Expert: Peter Gabany - 11/6/2009

Question
Hi Peter!

I am currently in my final year of Advertising at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. We are in preparing for our 4-week long internships that are arranged through our faculty. We can choose where in Canada (or the world) we would like to go, and they set up interviews with their contacts to land us an internship to get our feet wet in the business. I have somewhat of a two-part question:

1) I am interested in account planning. I know people. I get them, I understand them, and I feel like I would do a good job at connecting with them. I have always felt like I can relate to any type of person. One of my best skills is strategic and innovative thinking. All that being said, what are your thoughts on breaking into the industry as a young (some might say very young, I’m 22) account planner? Is it possible to get an internship as an account planner? Or is there another position that would be more feasible, and eventually work towards being an account planner?

2)Part two concerns location. I very much would like to go to Vancouver for my internship and possible employment. My only concern with that is not being familiar with the type of people there. I’ve heard the West Coast is a whole other lifestyle, and if I’m not familiar with that, how would it affect my ability to be an effective account planner. Basically what I’m asking is if researching a type of consumer is just as good as living amongst them and being one of them. I was born and raised in Toronto, so I feel like I know Torontonians like they are my own family, and I feel like I could be a very effective account planner, but I guess I am looking for a change of scenery.

Any thoughts/advice you may have is very much appreciated!  

Answer
Jennifer,

Great questions. Account planning is a great carer path and frankly bravo for setting your sites in this direction. An account executive in BIG agency is the equivalent of slave. Oh yes, you learn so much and BIG agency has a secret motto - if you don't show up to work on Saturday, don't even bother to show up on Sunday. The position is a grind and it is a hard one and you have GOT to have thick skin to endure the work, the scrutiny and the criticism. But it will be necessary for any and all account people to do their time there.

You have GOT to create a career target to be a planner and to stick to the plan. As you know account planner is a strategic role that was born in UK agencies and the novelty has only marginally become a desired position in NA. So I would imagine that you need to find an agency that has account planners so that you can work under one to learn the business. To start at any agency though might be a great stepping stone so that you can get some experience.

The situation with agencies is that they want people to work for them with the ability to know what to do. St Clair is a good school, but there isn't a school around that prepares one for the realities of BIG agency. So it will be tough.

As for Vancouver - it is all small agency land, the largest being DDB-PJ and Rethink. Neither to my knowledge have account planners. But either would be fantastic to have on a resume. Chris at Rethink is supposed to be awesome, someone you can learn from and the client base is one that has something for everyone.

Vancouver is different, but only in that it is smaller than Toronto and the people are all living on the other side of the yogurt curtain. You might consider Minneapolis - there are great agencies there and the competition may not be as difficult. Also San Fran, Austin and Cupertino. And you might even consider the UK - where ad planning was born.

Also, before I sign off, don't discount PR or graphic design agencies. Like Duffy or VSA Partners. The companies have an account planning model but they don't seem to call it that.

I hope that this helps. Please let me know if it is helpful and let me know what you do.

Pete