Behind the Work

When people think about an agency like Mearns & Gill, they tend to focus on the outputs: campaigns, websites, events and branding. That’s the exciting, creative part of what we do, and that’s exactly as it should be. It’s what our clients come to us for, what their audiences see, and it’s what we’re always excited to share with the world too.

But behind all that sits a role that doesn’t always get the same attention. One that is quietly involved with almost every part of the process, without necessarily being the brains behind any specific area. A role that we’ve more than once affectionately described as ‘jack of all trades, master of none”. 

For a while we thought that term was putting ourselves down, or putting baby in a corner, but then we realised we’re actually very proud of this role, and in reality, it’s exactly what our clients need.
 

More Than a Go Between

Account managers are often seen as the go-between, sitting somewhere in the middle and passing things back and forward. We’re cutely called the typers and talkers in comparison to the creatives, and it’s true, most of us do love a blether and a spreadsheet.

But in an integrated agency, where brand, digital, PR, events and media production all come together, our middleman role becomes super important.

We always have to be aware of the full picture. We understand how all client projects connect, how decisions in one area affect another, and how everything always comes back to what our clients are trying to achieve.

It can be a juggle for sure, but we work hard to do it in a way that feels planned and organised. Insert analogy of ducks frantically paddling under water right here…

Understanding People

A big part of what we do comes down to loving and understanding people. 

Being a ‘jack of all trades’ is less about knowing small amounts about lots of things, and more about knowing how to listen, how to ask the right questions, and having a genuine interest in our clients, to understand what they really need.

The Translators

We often joke that we’re translators, but not in the traditional sense.

We sit between our clients and our talented experts, and make sure goals and ideas are understood by everyone involved. We’re very used to asking silly or difficult questions, so that other people don’t have to.

We turn client challenges into something that our creative teams can get excited about, and then make sure the work that comes back is exactly what our clients need.

Often, being translators is the most important part of the whole journey, because if anyone feels in the dark, confusion can set in.

Creativity Comes in Different Forms

Whilst we know where the true creative talent sits in Mearns & Gill, there is for sure creativity in account management too.

We love the chance to be creative with how we approach problems, how we connect ideas, and how we help bring together different teams.

We’re working with super talented people, so we’re learning from the best, and we put that knowledge to good use whenever we can. We just don’t always tell them…

Bringing It All Together

At Mearns & Gill, our aim every time is to build lasting, meaningful, impactful relationships with our clients, and produce work that we are all proud of.

In an industry that quite rightly focuses on channels, platforms, projects and performance, account managers show that the journey to get there matters just as much.

We might not always be the most visible part of an agency, but we care very much about the role we play in bringing clients and creatives together in perfect harmony.