Nicki Cole on the Importance of Healthy Debate

Nicki Cole has 20+ years’ experience working with clients to help bring campaigns to life such as for Wicked Sister, Federal Group, Kao Group, Lamb Weston, and Petstock, with a holistic amplification approach. She currently holds the role of integrated client director at Communicado.

LBB> How did you first get involved in account management and what appealed to you about it?

Nicki> I started out as an account coordinator at TMSW (The Marketing Store Worldwide) and really enjoyed the variety that came with account management. Getting to know different clients and categories means I’m always learning.

LBB> What is it about your personality, skills, and experience that has made account management such a great fit?

Nicki> I’m a straight shooter and like to multitask, plus I’m a little OCD with my filling which helps with staying on top of a hectic workload.

Working across integrated campaigns allows me to see different personalities within teams, and I’ve learnt along the way a few tips on how best to approach individuals.

LBB> What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in account management?

Nicki> Find a mentor you admire and observe the qualities that contribute to their success in their role and consider how you can incorporate some of these attributes into your own practice. Also, attention to detail is critical -- take the time to proofread and double check your work.

LBB> Thinking back to some of your most challenging experiences you’ve had in your career, what do you think tends to lie at the heart of the more tense or difficult client-agency relationships?

Nicki> Misalignment of expectations and deviating from processes can derail campaigns and relationships. Being clear on KPIs and mapping out the steps to achieve success means all parties are usually working towards a common goal, which leads to the best collaborative relationships.

LBB> And what are the keys to building a productive and healthy relationship?

Nicki> Being a true agency partner and understanding your client’s wider business ensures you can be an extension of their team. Providing two-way honest feedback during the process enables teams to optimise responsively and iron out any issues along the way.

LBB> What’s your view on disagreement and emotion -- is there a place for it and if not, why not? If so, why -- and what does productive disagreement look like?

Nicki> It's important to make space for healthy debate, as listening to different perspectives can reveal solutions you might not have considered. Being passionate about achieving the best outcome is valuable, but it can lead to strong emotions and opinions, making it essential to navigate these effectively.

LBB> Historically, account management has been characterised as the mediator in an adversarial client and creative relationship -- what do you make of that characterisation? Is there any nugget of truth in that or is it wildly inaccurate?

Nicki> Good negotiation skills are essential! Often account management strikes the right balance between achieving creative excellence and maintaining the integrity of creative ideas while taking on board client feedback -- all of this needs to be done while keeping sight of the overarching objectives and business goals.

LBB> These days, agencies do so much beyond traditional campaigns and as account manager, you’re pulling together creative, experience, data, e-commerce, social, and more - can that complexity be mirrored on the client stakeholder side too? What’s the key to navigating (and helping the client navigate) that complexity?

Nicki> I collaborate with all departments daily and often lead client communications. My role is to serve as a connector, ensuring alignment and shared purpose across all aspects of the campaign for both the client and internal teams.

By maintaining clarity on our shared goals and the processes to achieve them, the goal is that we work seamlessly as a unified team.

LBB> What recent projects are you proudest of and why? What was challenging about these projects from an account management perspective and how did you address those challenges? What was so satisfying about working on these projects?

Nicki> Working with many stakeholders across the ‘Wicked Sister’, ‘Wicked: For Good’ campaign has been a highlight. Apart from being one of my favourite clients it was a great opportunity to work with the team at Universal and blend the two wicked worlds together.

The campaign stretched across the full-funnel including an on-pack competition, above-the-line BVOD and cinema assets, out-of-home, social, influencer, media relations, digital, point-of-sale, and retailer promotions. Multiple layers of approval on all assets resulted in a very detailed process and I’m super proud of our team’s efforts and the creative that is in market.