Beyond Deadlines: The Quiet Superpower Of Client Services

By Lucy Wilson , Group Account Director

When you think of branding, chances are your mind jumps to the sexy stuff - ads, taglines, packaging, maybe even a catchy jingle. And yes, all of that matters. But the brands that people remember, the ones they talk about, trust, and come back to? Those brands are built on something much more human: connection.

At Epoch, we believe branding is about more than just looking good, it’s about meaning something. And meaning something starts with relationships. Not just between a brand and its audience, but also between us and our clients.

In a lot of agencies, Client Services are seen primarily as project managers. Scheduling meetings, tracking budgets, delivering and re-delivering timelines. And while we do all that and do it well, a great Account Manager is about so much more than just managing meetings and margins. Client Services at its heart is about building bonds. It’s about being a partner who listens, challenges, supports and truly gets it. Someone who cares just as much about the why as they do about the what.

When brands get too caught up in numbers, impressions and deliverables, they can forget that they’re speaking to real humans, with complex feelings, challenges and lives that don’t revolve around a product.

It’s not that deep, I hear you say. And sure, fizzy drinks don’t save lives, but they are a part of people’s lives. Sometimes a key part, proven by my very real Diet Coke addiction. They can represent celebration, nostalgia, identity, joy or just that small shoulder dropping moment of your day. Brands that become a part of people’s lives, earn the right to shape culture. That kind of cultural weight isn’t built by accident, it comes from an intentional effort to understand people deeply, and to not dismiss the importance of their small moments. And we believe that kind of effort starts not with a campaign, but with a conversation.

That’s why our Client Services teams make a point of showing up. Literally. Even though we’re based in a single office in Bristol, we travel the world to spend time with our clients in person. It’s something we get a lot of feedback on, and it means a lot to us. Because while emails and Teams calls are great for keeping the wheels turning, nothing beats the energy of being in the same room. The off-hand remarks that spark an idea. The shared laughter over dinner. The moments that remind us that we’re not just client and agency, we’re people with a shared passion working together to make something great.

And here’s the thing: how we show up for our clients is directly shaped by how we show up for each other. We’re big believers that internal culture drives external impact. When your team is built on trust, respect and openness, it shows. It shows in the friendships it creates, in the way we collaborate, the way we push creative boundaries, and the way we navigate challenges together.

That culture of care makes us better agency partners. We’re not just ticking boxes or hitting deadlines - we’re invested. In the relationship, in the work, in the long-term success of both our clients and our brands. That means sometimes having difficult conversations. It means knowing when to ask more questions, when to push, and when to pause. And it means both celebrating the wins, and addressing the challenges, big and small, because we genuinely care.

So yes, Client Services is about getting things done. But it’s also about how we do it. With empathy. With clarity. With curiosity. It’s a role that sits at the intersection of strategy, creativity and commerciality. Always striving to make the chaotic and complex, clearer and easier to digest. Constantly translating between client and studio, between vision and execution, between the impossible and possible.

When it’s done well, Client Services becomes a quiet superpower, a force that holds everything together and elevates everyone’s work. It’s not about being the loudest in the room, but the one who makes sure everyone in the room is heard.

Because at the end of the day, we’re not just helping our clients build brands. We’re helping them build brands that build bonds. And in a world of easy disposability, those bonds are what truly last.