Mark Perlotto, Executive VP, General Manager The Agency Account Executive and the Industry Product Manager: Two Sides of the Same Coin People often draw an imaginary line between “agency people” and “industry people” — believing that individuals are cut out for one “side” or the other. While there may be some specific skill sets more applicable at different times in one discipline or the other, upon close examination the product manager and account executive roles are more like fraternal twins than distant cousins. Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief … Though the titles of account executive and product manager may seem worlds apart in the minds of many, successful marketing of any pharmaceutical product today requires possession of a very similar Swiss army knife. • I’m Not a Doctor But … Both account executive and product manager must have an intimate grasp of the science and medicine surrounding their product. The product manager must be able to communicate with key opinion leaders, clinical researchers, and his or her own in-house medical personnel. The skilled account executive must be able to help his or her creative team interpret data and translate the product’s attributes into meaningful benefits. For both, that requires an understanding of the disease state and the various therapeutic approaches (the company’s and those of competitors). Much like a doctor or nurse diagnosing a patient’s condition, both must diagnose how to best represent the product’s benefits to fit the needs of the prescriber. • Your Honor, I Rest My Case … When it comes to regulations, few can match the pharmaceutical industry for breadth and depth of scrutiny. Successfully negotiating these waters demands that both agency and product personnel have a strong working knowledge of the regulations, guidelines, and case histories of violations to understand where the lines are drawn. Like a trial lawyer, the product manager must have all the facts and be skilled in convincing the jury — in this case his or her regulatory department. To do this credibly, the product manager must understand the regulations. To do it effectively, he or she must look at regulatory personnel as allies rather than adversaries. Few lawyers have ever won their case by creating an antagonistic relationship with the jury. Regulatory is not the “sales prevention department,” but a valuable sounding board for ideas and initiatives — if the product manager knows how to engage them. The agency account service role has a legal component to it as well. Account executives also must understand the regulations, but play a role more like a legal strategist than a trial lawyer. Understanding where the client draws the line on risk, preventing creative from making unintentional implied claims (without squashing their creativity), and helping their client counterpart substantiate the arguments that need to be presented to regulatory personnel all fall under the responsibilities of skilled account executives. • Leading Through the Wilderness … On the point of leadership, both product manager and account executive serve as chiefs of their respective teams and must assume front-line responsibility for the successful workings of those teams in accomplishing their goals. The role of marketing often is compared with the central hub of a ship’s wheel. As the center of that steering mechanism, the product manager must interface with the many different departments and transfer their work in such a way as to keep the rudder of the ship aligned with the intended direction. The same can be said of the account executive with respect to managing his or her creative team to meet the needs of the client counterpart. Both must have vision and help others on the team buy into that vision. Both must serve as product champions, keeping their teams focused and motivated on achieving their shared goals. They must foster collaboration and be collaborative with a wide range of team members — each of whom brings different skills, personalities, and knowledge to the workings of the team. More Hats to Wear Throw in the times that each must be a salesperson (presentations), a strategist (brain storming), an accountant (budgeting and forecasting), and a negotiator (gaining consensus) and the differences between the account executive and product manager begin to look less like a wall and more like a mirror. Regardless of which side one is on, an understanding and appreciation of the roles and skills of one’s counterpart can help the team work together more successfully to drive the success of the brand. Upon close examination the product manager and account executive roles are more like fraternal twins than distant cousins. Adair-Greene Healthcare Communications, Atlanta, is a full-service healthcare advertising and communications company. For more information, visit aghealthcare.com. September 2005 VIEW on Marketing Agency-Client Relationships

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