Advertising agency departments must work together to achieve a finished product.
According to "Advertising Age", the first advertising agency was started by Volney Palmer in Philadelphia in 1843. Since then, consumer demands and the goals of the businesses that serve them have changed dramatically. To keep pace with these changing attitudes, as well as the dynamic landscape of promotional media and methods, advertising agencies have evolved as well. Various types of agencies exist, including traditional full-service, interactive, social media and industry-specific agencies.
Account Management
Account managers function as the liaison between the client and the agency. They work closely with the client to determine their goals and then work with other internal agency teams to translate those goals into an actionable advertising strategy. They are responsible for ensuring that all tactical work associated with client campaigns happens within the agreed-upon timeline and budget. Depending on the size of the agency, account teams might work with many clients simultaneously or be focused on handling only one account.
Creative Team
The agency creative team is typically divided into the functions of graphic design and copy writing. When working on an advertising campaign, the copywriter is responsible for providing the proper copy or text to convey the desired message while the graphic designer is responsible for doing the same thing through images and graphical elements. The result is what is called a concept, or proposed idea, for a print ad or TV commercial that uses both copy and imagery.
Production Team
Once the client has chosen which concept provided by the creative team will become the final campaign, the production team is responsible for bringing it to fruition. It must work with external vendors, such as photographers, production companies and printing companies, to take the idea of the creative team and turn it into a finished print advertisement or TV commercial that will be seen by consumers. The production team must adhere to the budget and timeline agreed upon by the agency and the client.
Media Team
The media team is responsible for determining where the finished advertisement will be seen. Based on the client's target audience and goals, the media team researches potential television networks and publications that will provide the most targeted and cost-effective channel for the advertising. Media planners understand the differences in each type of media and are able to recommend a strategy that best meets the client's budget and goals. Media buyers work to execute that strategy by negotiating contracts and rates with various media vendors.
