Account planning: current agency perspectives on an advertising enigma

The account planning 'philosophy' of creative advertising development has been hyped on both sides of the Atlantic for more than 30 years yet there is still little agreement on what exactly it is and what contribution it has made.

Account planning

Current agency perspectives on an advertising enigma

Christopher E. HackleyThe University of Birmingham

To nonadvertising people it may be hard to imagine why an arcane advertising management philosophy can generate heated and often angry disagreement more than 30 years after its inception. Yet the 'philosophy' of account planning does exactly this. The label 'account planning' normally refers to a strategic role within agency account teams and also, more broadly, to a 'philosophy' of advertising development. Put simply, the role involves distilling insights from research and integrating them into the creative development of advertising and brand communications strategies...

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