ADVERTISING AGENCY
Transcript: Structure of Creative Agency ADVERTISING AGENCY SIX Major departments ACCOUNT SERVICE ACCOUNT PLANNING FINANCE & ACCOUNTS MEDIA BUYING CREATIVE PRODUCTION ACCOUNT SERVICES Account Executives Account Managers Account Directors WHAT DO THEY DO? - Responsible for liaising with the agency's many clients. - The link between the many departments within the agency, and the clients who pay the bills. TIPS A good account services team is essential to a good advertising campaign. A solid creative brief is one of the main duties of account services. ACCOUNT PLANNING Mix of Researchers & Account Managers What do they do? - Combines research with strategic thinking. - Provides consumer insights, strategic direction, research, focus groups and assists helps keep advertising campaigns on target and on brand. TIPS To be truly effective, advertising must be both distinctive and relevant, and planning helps on both counts." CREATIVE creative directors If the creative buck stops with anyone, it's the creative director (CD). - To ensure that the work the teams are doing is both on brief and of a certain quality. - Decides which teams will work on which projects, the time they need to solve it. - To present the work to the client, alongside the team who devised the campaign. The CD is often called the "last line of defense" in the creative department. copywriters & art directors They usually work as exclusive teams, although this model is changing too. - Given a brief and then works on it together for days, or even weeks. - When ideas are presented and chosen, they will then work together to craft copy and create visuals for the ad campaign. This is a job of creative thinking (AD), execution can be handled by other people. designers There are many types of designers, including those proficient in graphic design, web design and even product design. - To assist the art directors and copywriters with campaign materials, - To work on jobs that require pure design without the need for a concepting team. Designers are very valued, as they can take ideas to the next level and give the finished work a polish. production artists - Take campaigns and preparing them for print. - Set the files up for the printing press. - Create versions of one ad for multiple publications, and also creating updates to existing campaigns. Although it's not a job that requires a lot of critical thinking, it does require a great attention to detail and a studious attitude. extra notes 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. Traffic keeps the agency's heart beating. any shape, any size - small boutique shops - giants This is the engine of any advertising agency. It's the lifeblood of the business, because the creative department is responsible for the product. And an ad agency is only as good as the ads the creative department puts out. smaller agencies some people will perform more than one role thank you! Happy Monday :)