Rock 'n' Role: The PLB Supergroup

Greg Porter
Operations Manager

A thought occurred to me the other day. Once the initial alarm-bell-ringing, ear-steaming panic from such an unfamiliar and unexpected occurrence had subsided, another tentative suggestion reared its head – maybe, just maybe, that thought could be articulated for the PLB blog. And that thought, dear reader, was this – agency life is a lot like being in a band. Alas, not the throwing TVs out of windows and driving motorcycles into swimming pools part (2007 Christmas party aside, naturally), but rather the collaborative effort that goes on. From the charismatic front-and-centre guys in the limelight, to the manager behind the scenes who gets them there, via the supporting artists that stick to the shadows of the stage show, to the hired hands who ensure that the lights and pyro run without a hitch... and, naturally, to the captive audience whose attention we are trying to gain and then hold onto.

This blog is coming to you from the Operations Manager of Publicis Life Brands, taking a break from general administrative and financial duties to share these musings. I guess that makes me the bass player or the drummer (stop laughing at the back, accountants can rock out Animal-style too you know), trying to keep the rhythm of the agency without making too much of a splash. Then when I look around me I see the eternal collaboration between the dual frontmen of agency life: the account handling and creative teams – the ever-charismatic vocalists that represent the face of the band, and the achingly hip guitarists with mystique that trade off them. They might not always have the same idea at the inception of the songwriting stage, but with collaboration they always manage to pull together in the same direction to pen the best ditty possible for their public. And, of course, there are the heroic backroom team, the management groups that do not necessarily get to share in the immediate limelight, but make it all possible with their work behind the scenes to get their band on stage.

So here’s a query for you – which band or instrument would you say best represents your ideal working life? There’s no need to be embarrassed, taste is entirely subjective. Unless of course you say Coldplay, nobody’s day could possibly be that grey.

What do I actually do?

Beata Lewandowska
Senior Account Manager

For the whole of my professional career I have been an account handler. Six years ago I started out with the title Account Executive and recently, after progressing through the ranks, I was promoted to the heights of Senior Account Manager. To me, my job is very interesting. To me, my job is important. I feel as though people need me, people depend on me and without me nothing would get done properly. I also get to learn a lot and meet great (and sometimes not so great!) people along the way.

While I enjoy what I do, it has occurred to me that not many people know what my day actually involves, including my mother and even my boyfriend! I can sort of see why these people may not have the greatest idea as to what I do at PLB HQ for 8+ hours a day, but what about my clients? Do they know what my day-to-day activities are and what work I am doing on their account? What about my colleagues? Do the people whom I spend my day sitting next to and speaking to know what I am actually doing in order to try and meet our clients’ needs? What concerns me the most is whether or not they actually see any value in my role.

According to Career Cast, which is a major job research portal, the job of an advertising account executive is one of the most stressful out there. In 2010 it ranked 9th and in the previous year it ranked at 4th, beaten only by the roles of surgeon, commercial airline pilot and photojournalist. It was considered more stressful than roles such as real estate agent, physician (general practice), reporter and physician assistant. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself: http://www.careercast.com/jobs/content/JobsRated_StressfulJobs

Apparently “although not physically demanding, work in advertising is emotionally and mentally stressful. Competition and the pressure of acquiring and maintaining major accounts forces executives in this field to work long and irregular hours. The work requires a high level of creativity, meeting deadlines, close attention to detail and self-motivation.” This is a statement which I would whole-heartedly agree with.

Returning to the topic of me wondering whether my colleagues know what I do, I have decided to do a little research to find out. Tune in next week for the answers...

“I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about.” Oscar Wilde

Nick Bartlett
Digital Strategy Director

I live in a world that seems to be endlessly noisy. From six in the morning when the kids wake up until late at night I’m constantly surrounded by noise, news, opinion and chatter. How much I pay attention to is up for debate but it got me thinking about how, when I sit down to write this, my mind suddenly goes blank.

Today’s “social” environment allows media, brands and individuals to have the ability to publish and push their content to me through a multitude of channels, without pause for breath. Time to formulate my own opinions outside of this noise seems to be a scarce commodity. Even those that carve through the noise with a more selective approach to content (using bookmarking and RSS feeds) are finding it hard to keep their sources under control. Natural curiosity gets fat online, thinking time is squeezed to make way for more content to satisfy the increasing cultural attitude toward being the first to know and to not “miss out.”
This balance of being useful vs needed is a tricky conundrum when brands approach their social media content strategy. Frequency is often the dominant determining factor rather than target audience considerations or quality; and although you have the ability, it doesn’t necessary mean what you’re publishing is useful, entertaining or most importantly interesting.

Saying things for the sake of saying things can do as much damage as saying nothing at all. Dull communications that don’t resonate lead to content blindness so that when you eventually have a golden nugget that could change your customer’s life, too late, they’re bored, ignoring you or even worse listening to your competition.

Writing blogs gives me the chance to stop and think. Although I started with a blank canvas, I’ve thought about you and how I could honestly create something useful with an opinion that creates a debate. Next time you’re looking at your brand or company’s social media activities, have a think about Oscar’s quote and see if it resonates!