Creative Agency Account Manager Podcast

Welcome to episode 158. I’m joined again by Michael Farmer to unpack what’s really going on in the agency world right now - and what it means for you if you’re running an agency, leading clients, or working in account management.

Michael Farmer is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Farmer & Company LLC, a New York based strategy consulting firm for major advertisers and their creative and media agencies. He also serves as Professor of Branding and Integrated Communications at The City College of New York (CCNY). He's the author of Madison Avenue Manslaughter, an inside view of fee-cutting clients, profit-hungry owners and declining ad agencies (3rd Edition 2019), and Madison Avenue Makeover: the transformation of Huge and the redefinition of the ad agency business (2023). He has completed a new book, Madison Avenue Revisited, to be published in June 2026.

Here’s what we get into:

- Why Michael’s new book Madison Avenue Revisited is a sharper, more hard-hitting update on what’s driving agency decline — especially the impact of holding company decisions.

- What the current wave of M&A and cost-cutting signals for agency capability, talent, and client outcomes - including the knock-on effects for senior experience in an AI era.

- Why independent agencies could be entering a genuine opportunity window — and how “productising” services and focusing on measurable growth can change the game.

- And a brilliant reframing for account managers: why you should stop thinking like a logistics coordinator and start operating like a management consultant to your clients.

It’s one of those episodes that really challenges how we think about the agency business model.
Here are a few key takeaways :

- Agency success can’t just be about delivering output cheaply — the real opportunity is in linking your work to client growth and outcomes.

- The industry’s talent shape is getting distorted: AI may remove more junior execution work, but it raises the need for experienced people who can direct, judge, and advise.
- Independent agencies have a chance to differentiate by being explicit about what they stand for — not “low cost,” but “we help you grow, and we’ll prove it.”
- And for account managers: you’ll be far more valuable when you bring data, insight, and a point of view — not just project updates and deadlines.

You can keep with Michael Farmer here:
http://linkedin.com/in/michaelfarmer
www.farmerandco.com

Madison Avenue Revisited: https://amzn.eu/d/07SX5rrI
Madison Avenue Makeover: https://amzn.eu/d/0je8R4FA
Madison Avenue Manslaughter: https://amzn.eu/d/09U5HbiN

If you’d like to be kept updated with shifts in the agency world as it relates to the account management role - or you’d like to talk to me about client retention and growth training options - head to my website https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

You can also sign up to my newsletter there so you don’t miss new episodes, mini-trainings, and what I’m seeing in the market.

Welcome to Episode 157.
I've got two returning guests to the show, Kate Eversole (Event Director) and John Gwillim (Co-Founder) from PharmaBrands. They provide world-class education, support, inspiration and experiences for one of the most challenging and important communication environments there is, healthcare marketing. They bring pharma teams and their agencies together through events and meetups designed specifically to help people thrive in the age of AI.
In this episode, we talk about the shift from last year’s podcast episode where we were talking all about prompting, to what's relevant in March 2026, the big focus on AI agents.

Kate and Jonathan also share what's happening inside pharma with approved tools like Microsoft Copilot and Gemini and why agencies need to align with the client's approved tool stack.

We also talk about the reality of governance versus shadow AI: employees using AI without a company license. And why compliance and behaviour don't always match.

We cover more about PharmaBrands ‘Age of AI, Europe’ event, taking place in London on 10th March 2026.

If you're listening after the event, don't worry because Kate and Jon shared so many insights into the realities of what's happening right now with the pharmaceutical industry and medical communications when it comes to AI adoption.

You can connect here on LinkedIn:
Kate Eversole - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateeversole/
Jonathan Gwillim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jongwillim/

Resources mentioned:
PharmaBrands website - https://www.pharmabrands.ca/
Age of AI, Europe - event details and speakers - https://www.pharmabrands.ca/age-of-ai-europe-event-2026
Real Staffing Report - https://www.realstaffing.com/en-us/knowledge-hub/industry-insights/the-life-sciences-skills-crisis-shadow-ai-professional-migration-and-the-race-against-becoming-obsolete/

If you'd like to be kept updated with shifts in the agency world as it relates to the account management role, or perhaps you'd like to speak to me about client retention and growth training, please sign up for my newsletter. https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to Episode 156. This episode is especially useful if you're an agency owner thinking about an exit, or perhaps you're an account lead who wants to help your agency become more sellable and less dependent on one person.

Gavin Bell is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and award-winning entrepreneur, known for delivering talks that are positive, engaging and packed with real-world lessons. Recognised as one of the UK’s most candid voices on what it really takes to build and exit a business, Gavin combines first-hand entrepreneurial experience with proven frameworks audiences can use immediately.

In this conversation, Gavin and I dig into what it really takes to build an exit ready agency.

- how he created a predictable growth engine by marketing his own agency
- why recurring revenue and clear productized offer made the business more attractive
- and the systems and SOP mindset that kept delivery consistent and client experience tight.

We also get into the realities of selling from keeping it quiet to surviving due diligence and choosing a buyer based on cultural fit, not just the numbers.
Some key takeaways for me were treating your agency like a product, documenting the client journey, building checklists and fixing the bugs in your process every time an issue comes up. And staying on the front foot with clients, proactive expectation setting, consistent reporting rhythms and QBRs that focus not on what's happened, but also business outcomes and the future.

You can connect with Gavin Bell in various ways:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrgavinbell/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrgavinbell/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrGavinBell/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrgavinbell
X/Twitter: https://x.com/mrgavinbell
YouTube: https://youtube.com/mrgavinbell
Website: https://mrgavinbell.com

If you'd like to be kept updated with shifts in the agency world as it relates to the account management role, or perhaps you'd like to speak to me about client retention and growth training, please visit https://www.accountmanagementskills.com where you can also sign up for my newsletter.

Welcome to Episode 155. We’re looking at the agency’s engine room - operations. And how getting the fundamentals right can improve profitability, reduce chaos and set you up for better use of automation and AI.

I’m joined by Melanie Chandruang, founder of WeConsult and a Strategic Operations Partner for creative agencies. With over 15 years in the industry, she helps agency owners boost profits, streamline operations, and move big initiatives forward so they can focus on growth and what matters most.

Here’s what we cover:
- Why “right people in the right seats” is still the number one operational issue - especially as services evolve fast
- The key financial ratios Melanie uses to spot operational inefficiencies (and what “healthy” can look like)
- The debate on hybrid AM/PM roles vs splitting the roles — and how to think about affordability and utilisation
- Why most agencies aren’t “AI-first” yet and what needs to be in place before AI can genuinely improve workflows
- Melanie’s practical 90-day focus areas for a 20-person agency that wants more profit and less chaos

You can connect with Melanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniechandruang/
Or visit the website: https://weconsult.io/

If you don’t want to miss future podcast episodes, mini-trainings, and the ideas I’m sharing each week on client retention and account growth in agencies, make sure you’re on my newsletter list: https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to episode 154. This chat will be particularly interesting for you if you’re an agency owner or account manager who has to work with marketing procurement (especially in pharma / biotech industry).

My guest is Marketing Procurement Consultant, Jessica Bowler. Jess has deep expertise in end-to-end pharmaceutical procurement processes, including supplier qualification, contract negotiation, risk management and vendor management. She has worked with large pharma for almost 24 years and spent the majority of that time in commercial/marketing procurement. Jess currently works on consulting roles within pharma and biotech where she can assist organizations with different procurement operations.

Here's what we covered in our chat:
- What to do if your experience of procurement has been more transactional than you’d like.
- a simple 10 minute conversation you can initiate to strengthen the relationship
- a check list of what to include in a review meeting with Procurement
- how procurement is thinking about AI and pricing transparency right now

Jess shares a lot of valuable insight, tips and steps to set you up for success dealing with procurement, I hope it gives you a few practical ways to work with procurement as they are, whether they’re relationship-led or more transactional.

Do follow Jess on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jessica-bowler-76bbb34&sa

If you’d like weekly tips to build your account management skills, news on agency trends, notifications of upcoming podcast episodes, and any mini trainings I’m running, sign up to my newsletter at Account Management Skills: https://www.accountmanagementskills.com