Truth, Lies, and Advertising: The Art of Account Planning ~ Jon Steel A Review by: Ryan White, PID:

710466730 July 18, 2006 JOMC 170 Principles of Advertising

1
About the Author: Jon Steel is a 1983 graduate of Nottingham University in England with a degree in Geography. He got into advertising after applying to several agencies and finally being hired to BMPs (London office) account management trainee program. He actually got the job by default because the person they originally hired took another job. After some training he was asked to attend a meeting on account planning. When he was at the conference he formed a friendship with Jeff Goodby, Rich Silverstein, and Andy Berlin which led to his eventual title as Director of Account Planning at Goodby, Berlin, & Silverstein. He started with the agency in 1989 and has worked for them ever since. Since his arrival he has turned the account planning division of Goodby, Silverstein, & Partners into the most powerful and influential in all of American advertising. Steel is in charge of account planning for great accounts such as: Hewlett-Packard, PepsiCo, Nike, Porsche of North America, and the infamous Got Milk? campaign, just to name a few. He was granted full-partnership to the firm in 1994 and has served as the ViceChairman since 1997. Some of his other involvements are academic ones such as serving as a frequent speaker at Stanford School of Business and serving as a board member to advertising program at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has earned numerous accolades such as West Coast Executive of the Year(Adweek), Agency Innovator(Advertising Age), and One of the 100 Smartest People in the Bay Area (San Francisco Focus). His greatest accomplishment was being inducted into the American Advertising Federations Hall of Achievement for executives under 40 years of age. Jon currently resides in Marin County, California, with his wife and two children. Abstract: Jon Steels, Truth, Lies, and Advertising: The Art of Account Planning, is focused primarily on what makes a good ad campaign good, and how it got to be that way

2
through strategic and creative account planning. Steel places a heavy emphasis on the role of the consumer throughout the book. Steel is a firm believer that the only opinion that should ultimately matter, in good advertising, is the opinion of the consumer. With his consumer-focused methodology accompanied by a wealth of hysterical anecdotes, Steel presents the key points to be considered in order to develop and implement a successful ad campaign. By taking an unbiased stance on both the creative and account planning side of the business, Steel presents the reader with a view that advertising should involve a fine balance between creatives and account planners. This perfect symbiosis, once achieved, will present both the best creative as well as the best business results for the client. Summary: In chapter one, No Room for the Mouse: The Failure to Involve Consumers in Advertising Communication, Steel spikes the readers interest with a quote from David Olgilvy which states, The Consumer isnt a moron. Shes your wife. (Steel, 1). Steel then refers to the concept of triangulation, often used in the wilderness, as a means of determining ones location with the use of a compass, pencil, and map. Steel then continues to make the logical comparison saying that the advertiser must use an alternate form of triangulation which utilizes three perspectives in order to effectively persuade a consumer. In order to present the very best of advertising, advertisers and the like should learn to embrace the clients perspective, the agencys creative perspective, and the target audiences perspective. Steel asserts that all must function in a sort of equilibrium so as to not jeopardize the overall effectiveness of the campaign. Chapter one continues with a statement by Jeff Goodby which stresses the utmost importance of getting into the consumers heads. If an agency can get into the heads of consumers they may better understand how to influence them, which is the ultimate goal. Developing communication is a process that advertisers utilize in order to

3
achieve this goal. By playing on the emotions of the consumer, or developing them; an advertiser can then artfully inject the value of a product into their minds, which will hopefully end in a positive response to the advertising (i.e. a sale). The second part of developing communication is the actual communication aspect. Allowing the consumer to communicate or participate by allowing them to make up their own mind is also very effective. Also, stepping into the shoes of the consumer is an invaluable technique that must be mastered if one is in advertising, according to Leo Burnett. Essentially, interaction, on part of the consumer, is key. The remainder of chapter one focuses on art and the scientific method. Steel introduces art as an entity that is supplementary to the main goal of advertising which is selling the product. An ad can be extremely creative, but it must have a focus on the product in order to sell. Steel claims that art is a vehicle that can essentially carry the ad, positively or negatively. However, in order for advertising to be ultimately effective, both commercial and artistic elements should exist symbiotically. Lastly, Steel points out the idea that advertising can be considered a very concrete science. Through use of the scientific method, mainly marketing strategy, advertisers can determine what targets to tap and what tactics of persuasion are necessary to influence those targets. Basically, advertising is boiled down to a series of predictions based on historical trends and theory. A noteworthy theory is the Quantum Theory of advertising which supports the idea that effective advertising is delivered from as many points of view as possible. At the conclusion of the chapter Steel uses comical variations of the Homeless, will work for food sign as a classic example of effective advertising that utilizes effective development of communication, creativity, scientific method (what works?), and the method of triangulation. Chapter two entitled, Silent Partners: Account Planning and the New Consumer Alliance, begins with the initial British shock with television advertising followed by the

4
eventual British love for it. The passage of time gave birth to overwhelming interest which was spearheaded by the creative revolution of Bill Bernbach. Bill Bernbachs humanistic approach to advertising attempted at establishing a brand relationship with the target audience through the use of creative articulation and intelligence. Simplicity, honesty, intelligence, consumer involvement, and humor are just a few of the successful elements present in Bernbachs work. The approach Bernbach took eventually gave birth to, what is known today as, account planning. The pioneering London agency which utilized account planning was BMP. Steel speaks of the founder of BMP, Stanley Pollitt, as the father of account planning who began implementing the technique in 1968. Account planning is introduced as a discipline that must be both distinctive and relevant. Essentially, make the plan both relevant and the ideas generated even better (i.e. distinctive). Effective account planners are described as imaginative as well as research oriented, conducting consumer research from group discussion to depth (one on one) interviews. As research is gathered it is injected periodically throughout the entire planning process. The chapter continues by stressing the fact that Stephen King of J.W. Thompson (London) was the one who actually coined the term account planning and that it is actually a very frustrating term to fully wrap ones head around. The original definition was, literally, the reaction to a very specific problem and that data (qualitative and quantitative) was essential to developing effective advertising. The ultimate view was reached that a good planner must be strong both creatively and strategically and that honest interpretation of consumer response is extremely important. Also, an agency or ad team must work cohesively as a team (creatives and planners) and with the client (the account) so as to maximize results. If an advertiser can do these things, they are Getting it Right!

5
The chapter concludes with an analogy of two bombs on the same plane. This analogy stresses the ongoing controversy regarding planning and creative agencies, and the perceived weight of each of their roles in a given ad campaign. Steel claims that planners make ideas happen, not necessarily create them. What Steel is trying to convey is that both creatives and planners are essential to the ultimate goal of advertising which is selling a product, and without each, the campaign will suffer. Chapter three, The Blind Leading the Bland: Advertising Follows Researchin the Wrong Direction, begins with the phrase, flying in the dark. In the introduction Steel comically describes a clients interpretation/life philosophy of advertising without research being similar to flying blindly. His description of the Nielsen-loving client was an appropriate seg-way into the value of research in advertising. Steel says that sometimes, guess work, can yield desirable results and that not all decisions should be based solely on research alone. Steel even mentions that too much research or information may make the advertiser blind to subtle changes in audience structure and lead to loss of persuasion. All in all, research is helpful but should not be the sole factor involved in making an advertising decision. The chapter then addresses quality of information (research) gathered. Steel expresses that quality of information gathered is often times directly proportional to the consideration taken with the research. Poor information usually reflects poor research tactics. It is imperative that one establishes a context for the questions being asked. A broad perspective of how a product can fit within the context of consumers lives is integral to the success of research techniques. Once a context has been established, the researcher should avoid self-fulfilling questions or questions that evoke answers the researcher wants to hear. Steel also stresses that there really is no such thing as scientific objectivity. One must also consider the environment in which the research is being conducted. Also, in Steels comparison of researching chimps in a zoo and

6
comparing them to chimps in the wild, one must consider the representative-ness of their sample before performing research. Are chimps in the zoo like chimps in the wild? The chapter concludes with discussion regarding assumptions about the consumer and the way consumers react to research being conducted. It is crucial that researchers within a firm do not assume that the consumers share the same views as the firm (them-r-us marketing). Also, it is very important that subjects are given time to think, are not made to answer a certain way, and that the researcher can determine the difference between half-truths and truth. Lastly, Steel points out Americas obsession with numbers being indicative of true accurate data. Numbers are not as infallible as they may seem, and Steel makes that very clear. In conclusion, Steel summarizes the chapter by saying, Research provides some guidance, but in my view seldom provides the answer. (Steel, 95). Chapter four, Peeling the Onion: Uncovering the Truth and Stimulating Creative Ideas through Research, Steel introduces the phrase, Guts is cheaper than research! This was read on a sign above the President of Heinz Pet Products desk. This president understood the quintessential balance between business and creativity. Research was not shunned, nor was excessive creative thought, the balance existed. The Guts phrase was meant to indicate that after much experience in marketing, ones gut could be just as priceless as the most expensive of research collected. Experience is an invaluable asset in advertising. Steel then goes on to discuss three strategic tactics in advertising: commonsense, creativity, and simplicity. Steel then explains that a relationship with the consumer via advertising is most desired and fosters influence. Also, imagination and intuition should be practiced throughout the whole process, not just the creative phase. Steel continues in the chapter to discuss the concept of combining subjectivity with creativity rather than the sole usage of objectivity in planning. Not to say that

7
objectivity is not important, it is, Steel just wants one to consider hunches they may get when interpreting data or planning an ad campaign. One must not ignore their own ideas in the process. Steel than talks about taking a wider view in advertising research, his key point is that if a client can define itself beyond its traditional context, perhaps advertising can better exploit something unique to them and only them. Steel then begins to remark on taking information from all sorts of external sources sometimes ones that seem impertinent to the product. He explains that if one can draw from as many different sources as possible they may better understand the situation at hand. Always keep one foot outside the conversation. (Steel, 120). Perspective is also discussed in the chapter, in an example of Porsche drivers and non-drivers. Both had very different opinions and it are these opinions which must be considered in advertising, both sides should be rigorously thought about, not just one. Truth and true feelings of the consumer are also mentioned in the chapter. The most famous tactic of revealing the true feelings of a consumer in research is to bring out their inner-child through the use of fun and enjoyable activities, like collages and role-playing. Steel continues to explain the importance of going to the consumer not having them come to you. By researching in the environment the consumer will most likely be exposed the ad in is extremely beneficial to the researcher. Activities like homework where u give subjects an assignment, like going without milk for a week can also prove to be very influential in research. Steel ends the chapter talking about how sometimes the most well equipped researcher may not find the answers and that this is actually not an uncommon case. Chapter five, The Fishermans Guide: The Importance of Creative Briefing, begins defining what the words, creativity and brief, mean as separate words. In advertising a creative briefing is the bridge between smart strategic thinking and great advertising (Steel, 140). The briefing occurs before the creatives begin working on ads.

8
The point of this meeting is to inform and inspire the team with insightful information boiled down to its simplest form. By giving the creatives one key piece of information to work with is far more effective than a whole list of things to watch out for. The ideal brief will make the team aware of three main objectives: the realistic view of what the ad should achieve, a clear understanding of the target audience, and a clear direction of the message to be sent in the ad. Creative briefing is full of suggestions not orders, and involves everyone in the ad campaign. How can we make advertising better? That is the focus of a briefing. Clients, agency creatives, consumers, account planners, basically everyones perspectives needs to be incorporated into advertising strategy. A couple things must be taken into account during a briefing: the clients should participate in creative briefing, consumer relevancy is key, the briefing is not a praise fest for the product, creatives should write from not to a brief, and finally, briefing is not a time to show off how hard you have been working. A very important part of the brief is to create the belief that the team can put together the best work possible for this one assignment. If the belief is there the results will follow. Simplicity should conquer complexity. Simplicity is key when exposing the basic truths behind something, and almost always the basic truths appeal to the consumer and can sell the product. Creative briefing should answer some key questions such as: Why are we advertising? What is the advertising trying to achieve? Who are we talking to? What do we know about them? What is the main idea we need to communicate? What is the best way of planting that idea? How do we know we are right? After more in-depth analyses of the previous questions Steel ends the chapter with a probing statement, You dont have a good brief until you have a good ad. (Steel, 188). This suggests, yet again, that the whole account planning process is dynamic in nature and not stage-like as some believe.

9
Chapter six, Ten Housewives in Des Moines: The Perils of Researching Rough Creative Ideas, starts with a humbling scenario. The ad team is very excited because everything has gone smoothly and the rough version of the creative campaign is the best in years according to the creative director, but all of that really does not matter. How will the consumers react? That is the real question. Steel re-emphasizes the fact that the only opinion that matters is the opinion of the consumer. Steel interviews the ex-Nike inc. ad director, Scott Bedbury, who believes that traditional research and pretests are the enemy of creativity and all they do is keep someone safe. But is safe always associated with good? Not so. Clients get nervous and want to always be able to predict the consumer. One must remember this, the more nervous the client, the more chance there is less motivated ad teams, and less creative/effective advertising. In terms of rough advertising, Steel says that rough advertising is the unproduced advertising that provides the stimulus. The most important factor is that whatever form the stimulus material takes, it should be capable of communicating the idea. (Steel, 193). Steel continues to suggest that the more consumers are involved throughout the creative process, the better the ads will be. Points of view should also be re-evaluated collectively throughout the whole process, because sometimes a whole agency may think they were doing something right but, in fact, may need to change their methodology to accommodate the target audience. Willingness to live up to and correct mistakes are what separate good agencies from the rest, according to Steel. Steel continues the chapter talking about focus groups and qualitative research. Although not the purest of interview tactics, the group dynamic may foster the most creative of innovations because the participants build off one another in collective thought. Because of this, focus groups are often more productive and efficient. Quantitative research is then brought up but Steel stresses that it is only necessary in the creative development and evaluation stages. Steel then mentions pretests like the

10
copy-test but questions their overall accuracy in assessing level of persuasion delivered to the target audience. If everyone does their job along the way the copy-test alarms will not sound, according to Steel. In the final chapter, Serendipity: Got Milk?, Steel presents an entire ad campaign from start to finish in order to illustrate his points presented earlier in the text. The Got Milk? campaign is a great example of effective advertising, but not perfect advertising, Steel believes that does not exist. The campaign hones in on all points touched throughout the text and shows how even a subject as yawning as milk can present itself in a powerfully innovative campaign. Steel ends his book with an allencompassing quote from Nobel Prize-winning biochemist, Albert Szent-Gyorgi, who said, Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different. (Steel, 269). This beautifully describes the Got Milk? campaign and should continue to describe good advertising for years to come. Personal Review: Personally, I felt that Steels book was quite a comprehensive survey on the whole account planning process. Having no previous experience with account planning, I feel that Steels text offers an easily understood step-by-step approach to the dynamics involved with successful and creative account management. Despite the comprehensiveness of the text, some critics suggest that Steels attitudes are weighted quite heavily on the consumer side of advertising. Although this is not necessarily a bad way of going about business, many believe Steel leaves out essential aspects of account planning that are centralized around the agency side of the business. Yes the consumer is ultimately the determinant of whether or not an ad campaign is successful, but many other factors play into that success that some believe Steel neglects to mention in his text.

11
As a student of advertising, I believe that this text would be both influential and informative. Influential in the sense that Jon Steel is an excellent role model for anyone entering the field of account planning, and informative because the text simply breaks down key milestones in the whole process of planning an ad campaign. Steels easy-toread style and comical anecdotes of relevance to the subject at hand really make the text a helpful resource to anyone with an interest in or career involved with advertising. Another intriguing aspect of the text is how Steel concludes his writing. At the end of the text Steel presents an insiders view of the Got Milk? campaign, which he had a hand in as director of the account planning process for Goodby, Silverstein, & Partners. Steel strategically analyzes many of the aspects covered in the text with this real world example and essentially brings the whole account planning process to life. By concluding in such a way, Steel allows for the reader to apply all the knowledge in the text to a real-world example and see how all the pieces fit together. After the initial release of the text in 1998, Neal M. Burns, a writer for the Journal of Advertising wrote an article praising the teaching value of the Steels work. Burns explains, For all of us interested in advertising, the book describes those precious moments in an agency's life when the right juxtaposition of talent, brains, raw energy and empowering clients come together. Steel knows that feeling, has captured it and presented it for us in a way that is instructive for practitioners, teachers and students alike. (Burns, 4). All in all, Steels text allows for an easy read that really explains the basics, as well as intricacies, associated with account planning in advertising. This comprehensive review of account planning is informative as much as it is entertaining. By taking both creative and planning approaches, and applying them to a consumer-focused methodology, Steel begins to reveal the secrets of both effective and creative advertising campaigns. A must-read for anyone interested in advertising or just a good laugh!

12
References: Burns, Neal M. "Jon Steel, Truth, Lies and Advertising." Journal of Advertising (1998): 14. <http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3694/is_199812/ai_n8820758>. Steel, Jon. Truth, Lies, and Advertising: The Art of Account Planning. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998.