Account Madness - Camille Repellin, Broadsheet Media

This series of articles looks at the world of the account manager.

This time we talk to Camille Repellin, Senior Sales & Partnerships Manager, Broadsheet Media 

Like most media roles, the road to this one was a little bit of both. I was initially uncertain about my career path, so I navigated through various internships and did a stint as a marketing assistant. It was through connections that I landed my first role in TV Sales at Nine in Melbourne. A few years later and a move to Sydney has led me to my dream job at Broadsheet. I like to say this role was a result of design and passion.

 

How do you deal with that? In any content partnership, creativity and stakeholder management are crucial. A big idea and a client's objectives don’t always align, which means both the publisher and client need to collaborate in order to achieve the best possible outcome. My approach is all about strong communication, transparency and flexibility. This ensures both sides feel heard and valued, which leads to the most innovative solutions. It's also about pushing boundaries and knowing how out-of-the-box your response can be. That comes down to asking the right questions from the outset.

 

A strong pitch deck and presentation will sell the dream, and I swear by that. It all comes down to effective storytelling, which isn’t easy to do. (I learnt that very early on in my career.) You have to show that you understand the brand challenge, identify the opportunity and have the right audience (not the biggest) to drive results for the campaign. When pulling the response together, I like to have fun with my decks. It's important to know who you're presenting to and when to get creative. I try to make things personable, because trust is built when a client feels understood. From there it’s all about feedback; the more the better. Liaising with internal stakeholders to address feedback is the next step to ensure that the response is in a place your client is happy with.

Strong client relationships are the most important part of an account management role as far as I’m concerned. Lots of face-to-face meetings and regular catch ups that are interesting and fun are the best ways to maintain strong ties within the industry. Always follow up after catch ups! Remembering those small personal things, like are they foodies? Do they have a holiday coming up? What are their hobbies? That is what makes the difference.

As with any challenging conversation, the most important thing is to be prepared going in. Have all of your facts together. Plan for how the conversation might go. Consider an outcome that suits all parties. My biggest tip for effectively selling an idea is to explain how it will solve the client's brand challenge. That's why they've come to you in the first place!

The industry has never been more competitive, especially in content partnerships. It's harder to win briefs, clients want more for less, and external threats from AI and Meta are real and keep changing every day. It's not all negative though! Account management teams should lean into the opportunities and trends in-market in order to meet our audience where they’re at.

Before starting an AM role, ask yourself whether or not you enjoy meeting new people, building relationships and working in a dynamic environment. If the answer is yes – go for it! Meet as many people in the industry as you can and learn from them in order to best service your clients.