Advertising agencies

Advertising agency

Advertising agency is an independent company set up to render specialized services in advertising in particular and marketing in general. Many producers use an advertising agency to do some or all of the advertising.

Functions of advertising agency

1. Creating the advertisement. They use information provided by advertiser about the nature of the products, strength and weakness in the markets at which it is aimed.
2. Placing the advertisement. The agency finds out which advertising media are to be used by the company. The agency books advertising time on TV or space in the press in advance, according to its requirements and then places its advertisements.
3. Producing the advertisement. The agency's production departments then put the ideas of the copywriter into practice. Artists produce drafts of posters, and the film department produces films in the agency's own studio or on location.
4. Market research. Provide information about the products. Marketing research is carried out before the creation of an advertisement to enable the agency to know that the advertisement is aimed at. Research can be conducted by researchers employed by the company or they may use the advertising agency.
5. Advice. The success or failure of a new product depends upon the way it is presented to the public. The advertising agency should be consulted in the early stages of product life cycle. Agencies can offer useful advice about the name of a new product, the packaging, colour etc. The agency also advises about the best media for advertising the product.

Services offered by advertising agencies

1. They offer expert advice on the media to be used.
2. Arrange for publication or broadcasting of ads at very short notice and competitive price, because they have contacts with newspapers, magazines, radios and TV companies.
3. They have their art studio that designs the advertising materials. They design newspaper advertisements, pamphlets, catalogues etc.
4. They have contracts with printing presses and arrange for printing of posters, leaflets.
5. They design and make cinema and TV slides.