U R THE BRAND from The IDM

Agency job roles

Account Executive

Account Executives administer and co-ordinate projects after delegation from either the Account Supervisor or Account Manager. They are responsible for creating briefing documents in conjunction with the Account Supervisor/Account Manager and monitoring and reporting on competitor activity.

Account Manager/Senior Account Manager

An Account Manager acts as a central coordinator and must ensure the smooth operation of all accounts under their control, implementing all necessary tasks and ensuring the efficient organisation of all projects. They are the first point of contact for all clients and are responsible for building rapport (and instilling confidence) between clients/agency/suppliers/other internal departments.

Account Director

The Account Directors role is to set the overall direction of accounts, responsible for the overall ownership, development, quality of work and campaign performance. The Account Director takes responsibility for delegating tasks on each account, motivating and leading the account team and being a complete advocate and ambassador for the company culture and structure.

Group Account Director

The Group Account Director is responsible for the overall successful management and development of client business. They are responsible for the strategic direction of client accounts, managing the financial performance and profitability of each clients business.

Planner

The overall role of the Planner is to provide market understanding and consumer insights to the account team and client. Conducting any necessary desk research or focus groups and leading idea-generation brainstorms and conducting competitor reviews for clients as required.

Art Director

Art Directors provide the art direction skills required for a given project. They work with a copywriter to generate ideas that meet the creative brief. They will produce written, photography and/or illustration briefs and ensure that these are approved by the Creative Director.

Creative Director

It is the Creative Director's job to ensure that the creative output of the agency is maintained at the highest standard and to champion the agency's creative philosophy to staff, clients, prospective clients and the industry at large. The Creative Director has overall responsibility for the Creative Department, reporting to the agency Managing Director.

Copywriter

Copywriters work under the relevant Brand Manager and Creative Director to generate copy ideas that meet the creative brief. They are responsible for presenting creative work to account handlers and clients as appropriate.

Traffic Controller

A Traffic Controller reports to the Head of Traffic to ensure the smooth day to day running of all allocated accounts. Issuing timing plans for all allocated live jobs and ensuring that these timing plans are adhered to by the agency at every step.

Production Manager

A Production Manager in an agency, just as their counterpart in a client company, is responsible for ensuring that the finished promotional item is produced as briefed: that its specification is correct in terms, for example, of colour, size, printing, packaging and number produced. They are also responsible for ensuring that items conform to any necessary regulations (e.g. postal), and, importantly, that each job is finished on (or before) deadline and within budget.

Production Controller

A Production Controller reports to the Production Manager and maintains responsibility for the day to day operation of the production department. Advising the account and creative teams on the viability of a creative solution, given the production techniques available.