The world of advertising has a long and interesting past; 3000s BC.
Volney B. Palmer first set up shop as an advertising agent in Philadelphia, PA, in 1841. I imagine, in that year and well before, account executives and creatives disagreed on matters at hand.
Today is no different.
As in any work environment, an ad agency is filled with different personalities, no one type being better than another. Wouldn’t you agree this melding of the minds is what makes the creative process so fascinating?
“Ok, so the outcome may be great, but how do I get them to work together along the way?”
If you have a designated Traffic Manager, you have a definite advantage. He/she often serves as a “mediator” between departments (and individuals) — Account service and creative, creative and media, media and bookkeeping, and so on.
I’ve said it more than once, “Being a Traffic Manger is much like being a psychologist.” You have to understand which personality types you’re dealing with and how best to communicate with each. You have to be impartial to people issues; to set aside emotions (both yours and theirs) and focus on the workflow.
You also need to understand the overall creative process. How much time does he really need to write the copy? Is the deadline all that unreasonable? Why the resistance? What can I do to help move things along?
We’re all in this together. That’s the bottom line, egos and idiosyncracies aside. The work we produce is a direct reflection of the cohesiveness of our team. That’s true, regardless of who you ask.