FUNCTIONS OF ADVERTISING AGENCY

Today advertising agencies are found in virtually every major city on the world and their role in stimulating economic growth is solidly established.

Clients & Accounting

 The advertising agency maintains proper accounts in co-operation with the client.

• The amount of fees received from the client and the payment of taxes, bills and other charges are accounted for by the accountant.

Creative & productions

• The creative efforts of the art director, the detailed analysis of the research director and the political understanding of the campaign director, are just a few examples of the many abilities of Ad Agency personal have to offer.

• A business organization or person will contract the services of an ad agency to help market a product.

 • This function involves processing the information collected from the client and through research.

• Designing communication material in the form of advertisements and other publicity material.

 • This also includes planning creative strategies, copy or script writing, visualization, designing, layout, shooting of films, editing, giving music, etc.

Distribution & Media planning

 • Another important function of an ad agency is distribution.

 • It is decided what type of message you will create for the company and what media will be most helpful in sending this message to the public.

 • On the basis of the media habits (access and exposure) of the target audience, agency people prepare a media plan.

 • This plan includes which media to be used, which part of the media to be used when to place the ads and for how long to place the ads, etc.

• Media planners keep track of the viewer ship, listener ship and readership of all kinds of media.

Research

 • Research is an important function of an Ad agency.

 • In order to distribute the message to the public successfully, the agency must first know all that it can do about the product.

• Ad agencies use research as a tool to test consumer reactions to products and services.

Monitoring Feedback

By monitoring consumer feedback, a decision on whether to revise the message, the medium, the target audience or all of them can be made.

Allied services

Many agencies also offer a variety of allied services. These include:

•Merchandising

•Public relations

•Preparing all kinds of publicity material

•Planning and organizing special events (event management)

 •Direct marketing

Structure of ad agency

• Advertising agencies are full-service businesses able to manage every aspect of an advertising campaign.

 • They vary widely in size and scope and cater to different kinds of customers.

• Advertising agencies come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small boutique shops that have just a few people.

• Others are giants that employ thousands of people in offices all around the world.

Departments

In general these departments are:

 • Client Services

 • Creative & Production

• Finance & Accounts

 • Media Planning

Larger agencies may also separate out the following departments:

• Human Resources & Facilities

• Research

 • Web development

• Traffic

Client Services

• The client service department comprises account executives, account managers and account directors, and is responsible for liaising with the agency's many clients.

• This department is the link between the many departments within the agency, and the clients who pay the bills.

• But as most creative know, a good account/client services team is essential to a good advertising campaign.

• A solid creative brief is one of the main duties of client/account services.

Creative & Production

1. Creative Section

• This is the engine of any advertising agency.

• It's the lifeblood of the business, because the creative department is responsible for the product.

• An ad agency is only as good as the ads the creative department puts out.

• The roles within the creative department are many and varied, and usually include:

• Copywriters

• Art Directors

• Designers

• Production Artists

• Web Designer

• Associate Creative Directors

• Creative Director(s)

In many agencies, copywriters and art directors are paired up, working as teams. Everyone within creative services reports to the Creative Director.

1. Production Section

• Ideas are just ideas until they're made real. This is the job of the production department.

• During the creative process, the production department will be consulted to talk about the feasibility of executing certain ideas.

• Once the ad is sold to the client, the creative and account teams will collaborate with production to get the campaign produced on budget.

• This can be anything from getting original photography or illustration produced, working with printers, hiring typographers and TV directors, and a myriad of other disciplines needed to get an ad campaign published.

• Production also works closely with the media department, who will supply the specs and deadlines for the jobs.

• In small to mid-sized agencies, traffic is also a part of the production department.

• It is the job of traffic to get each and every job through the various stages of account management, creative development, media buying and production in a set timeframe.

• Traffic will also ensure that work flows through the agency smoothly, preventing jams that may overwhelm creative teams and lead to very long hours, missed deadlines and problematic client relationships

Finance & Accounts

• This department is responsible for handling payment of salaries, benefits, vendor costs, travel, dayto-day business costs etc.

Media Planning

• It is the function of the media planning buying department to procure the advertising time and/or space required for a successful advertising campaign.

• This includes TV and radio time, outdoor (billboards, posters), magazine and newspaper insertions, internet banners and takeovers.

• This usually involves close collaboration with the creative department who came up with the initial ideas, as well as the client and the kind of exposure they want.

• This department is usually steered by a media director.