By now, we have all seen enough ads to not need a definition for the term ‘advertising’. Toddlers – who point and demand things in the supermarket, to adults who have an array of choices for anything they can think of, all do so, thanks to advertising.
It all begins here
When a company wants to sponsor an advertisement – sell its service or product, it approaches an advertising agency. Depending on the kind of advertiser and their requirements, the advertising agency handles the planning, production and execution of the advertisement. Apart from these, agencies also handle market research (which includes learning about the target audience, the competitors and feedback regarding the product), branding and sales promotions for their clients.
They make it happen
When an advertiser contacts an advertising agency, it sets in motion several departments, which are crucial to an advertisement successfully reaching the consumer.
Accounts
The accounts department can be called the backbone of the advertising agency. It is liaises with the client to understand their needs and requirements and is responsible for communicating the same to the agency.
Apart from negotiating financial matters with the client, this department is responsible for ensuring budgetary adherence, deadline watch-outs and generally ensuring that the final product is in line with the client’s brief.
Creative
Also known as the heart of the advertising agency, the creative department, in a nutshell, showcases the client’s product or service in a way that is most appealing to the target audience; all the while ensuring that the set of guidelines are adhered to.
This department includes the creative director: apart from supervision the creative director is responsible for ensuring that the advertisement’s communication is not only creatively appealing and fresh, but also fulfills the brief.
The copywriters: they are required to write original ideas, which would accompany the pictures or the videos for the ad.
Art directors: tech savvy people who are usually up to date with layouts, designs and other related technologies.
Media department
The media department is responsible for ensuring that advertisement reaches the chosen media outlet – print, radio or tv.
Within this department, the media research takes care of painstaking research to compare the different media available for the advertisement and create the groundwork for the media planner.
Media planners choose the most suitable medium for the advertisement as well as create a time schedule for it. The media buyer then contacts sources at the chosen media outlet, scheduling/buying airtime or space.
Though the current structure of an advertising agency is fairly modern (the first advertising agency in India is believed to be B. Datram and Company, established in 1905), advertising in itself is age old. What started out as sellers hawking their wares, today plays a pivotal role in the economy, being the billion-dollar industry that it is.