People think a Producer is someone who has an idea and then focuses on finding financing. They think account people just relay information between Clients and the agency.
In practice there are many types. Look at the careers of some of the great producers like David O. Selznick (Gone with the Wind), Irving Thalberg(Ben-Hur) and Sam Spiegel (Lawrence of Arabia), you see distinct styles. A little game I like to play is to give Account Managers Hollywood names based on their style. Here I will do my best to tell you how to work with…well, at least these three.
Selznicks
They have a knack for understanding how to package the agency for different new business opportunities. To them, every person and piece of work the agency has is a potential lure for new business. He has a one on one lunch/drink/dinner with everyone at the agency-- the aim is to figure out what that person’s unique offering might be. He has absolutely no real interest in the actual person. If he is your boss, the best thing you can do is to be a new business information provider. Forward those articles you see on Adweek and Agency Spy. What you’re really doing is making yourself a player in the only game he is interested in.
Spiegels
They are rare, because they embody the phrase, “Don’t trust her as far as you can throw her.” Spiegels are larger than life, loud, unedited figures. To colleagues, they can be unscrupulous, petty, dismissive, and even downright mean. They survive through a savant-level ability to be crafty when it comes to sticky situations, and by being tremendously charming to Clients. You have to be a constant pulse-taker. Use her admin or others to figure out what mood she is in before you have any contact. And I don’t mean the mood “today.” I mean like 30 minutes before you meet. Because it can change that fast.
Thalbergs
In reality and in our business the life of a Thalberg is usually short. (He died at 37). A Thalberg is the type of Account Manager who is so fascinated with the PROCESS that every other aspect of the job runs a distant second. This person would love to personally know every single person in the agency; to understand every facet of their job; and figure out how to keep their careers engaging and moving forward. Unfortunately, at the senior level, the visionary nature of this management style often flies in the face of day-to-day profitability. These are people who are inspiring to work for. The best thing you can do is pick their brain while you have it because they are more than willing to share.
Understand, all account leaders have a style. Understand, it is not your job to BECOME them. The goal is to always learn FROM them. My hope for you is that one day you get to work with a Geffen. More on that later.
And…fade to black.
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