Greg is hired into the marketing services department of a full-service advertising agency. His job profile includes gathering information relating to the client's product and service that can be used in the development of the creative strategy. He has to collect information from various other departments in the firm to gain a better understanding of the client's target audience. In this scenario, Greg has been hired as a(n)

Formulates strategies and techniques that will communicate the unique traits of a brand to consumers. This is usually done by bringing the consumer into the process of planning an advertisement, i.e. the process would not be complete if information about a client's target market is not incorporated into the planning process.

The account planner's role therefore, is to familiarize him/herself with the target audience and utilize the data acquired in planning an effective advert. This data acquisition can be done through the setting up of focus groups, or by asking consumers what they think of a product or service and what prompts them to purchase such commodities.