What to Get the Account Executive Who Has Everything

 
This is the second in a 3-part series on what to get for the advertising professional who has everything. Today: The Account Executive.
The Account Executive, or AE, can be tough to buy for, but you’d never know it. They are highly skilled in the art of making everyone think they are making excellent decisions, all the while, gently pushing people in the right direction, even if it the opposite way. They do it with clients. They do it with creatives. It’s a skill set I don’t have and I envy them for it. So here’s a run down of five things you could get for that AE in your life who spends their days finding the middle ground between clients and creatives.
1) A YMCA Membership
Being an AE requires what they call in sports a “high motor.” Lots of enthusiasm. Lots of energy. And what better way to foster that kind of energy level than with a membership to their local YMCA. Full disclosure: I am a member and they are a client, but I’d be recommending them even if I wasn’t and they weren’t. Not to mention that the gym is a great place to network.
2) An Advertising Federation Membership
Speaking of networking, a membership in their local Ad Fed chapter is a great for networking, education and staying on the cutting edge of the local ad scene.
3) A Tom Bihn Bag
Most advertising professionals have a bit of a creative flair about them and for some, a standard leather briefcase just doesn’t suit their on-the-go lifestyle. Instead, I’m a huge fan of Tom Bihn bags. They make laptop bags, messenger bags and briefcases in great looking colors from super durable materials. I carry the Ristretto, which is the perfect size for an iPad and a wireless keyboard and it still has plenty of room for a spare sketch book or a newspaper. Tom Bihn makes all of its bags in America and makes concerted efforts to be environmentally friendly. I can’t recommend them highly enough.
4) A Good GPS
Navigating by iPhone still isn’t quite there yet, and with all the time that AEs spend driving around town, a good GPS can be a lifesaver. I use the TomTom XL355T, which has a touch screen, lifetime traffic updates in real-time and advanced lane guidance, to make sure you are in the right lane to make your next turn. It’s not the latest model, so if money is no object, check out their “Go” line of GPS models.
5) Moleskine Notebooks
AEs spend a lot of time taking notes and a good notebook can be an invaluable tool. Let’s face it, laptop batteries run out. iPhones crash. But a good notebook can go just about anywhere and do all kinds of things. Just try to jot down a note and hand it to a client using your Android phone. Sometimes nothing works as well and good old pen and paper and Moleskine makes a huge line of notebooks, organizers and sketch books, from paper bound pocket notebooks to leather-bound sketch pads, they have something for everybody.
Next up: What to get the Geek who sees everything in 1s and 0s has everything.