Agencies bring together talent from many different disciplines.
Jobs within an advertising agency fall into six main categories -- account management, account planning, creative services, media planning and buying, production management and agency management. Some advertising agencies offer a limited service buying in creative or media services from specialist suppliers. Agencies that offer an integrated communications service may also employ specialists in disciplines such as public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing and event management. The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising provides a comprehensive review of the main agency jobs.
Account Management
Account managers manage relationships with clients and coordinate the work of the agency's creative, media and production teams. They help clients to develop a brief and work with agency departments to deliver a campaign that meets the objectives of the brief and makes the best use of the client's budget. In smaller agencies, account managers may also take on an account-planning role.
Account Planning
Account planners develop a campaign strategy to meet the client's brief. They carry out or commission market and consumer research to acquire accurate planning data, using the data to identify consumers' buying motives and concerns. That information forms the basis for a creative brief that sets out the key message and target response for the campaign.
Creative Services
Creative teams include a creative director, art directors and copy writers. One or more creative directors take overall responsibility for the development of creative work within the agency. They work with teams of art directors and copy writers who develop the look, feel and content of advertisements and other campaign communications. Creative directors ensure that campaign proposals meet the requirements of the brief and the campaign strategy.
Media Services
Media planners and buyers select the media for the campaign in line with the target audience and available budget. With a choice of press, radio, television, cinema, outdoor, online and social media, the planning team aim to select the media that reaches the greatest proportion of the target audience for the lowest cost. They also take into account the suitability of the media for the client's product and the planned creative treatment.
Production Management
The production team handles project management of the campaign elements. They set schedules for creative work in line with publication dates and other deadlines and they ensure that all campaign elements are delivered on time and within budget.
Agency Management
An agency's senior management team takes responsibility for the profitable running of the agency and its future development. An important part of their role is attracting and retaining high-quality people. However, a recent report from the Advertising Agency Association of America highlights major problems in this area. A survey of agency staff indicates that 50 percent feel undertrained with no career path and only 35 percent see themselves in the same job within 5 years. The team is also responsible for business development -- building relationships with prospective clients and increasing business with existing clients.
