The structure of an advertising agency can vary, depending on the type of clients it has. There is a general organizational structure for a traditional advertising agency, however. An established agency contains five different departments: account management, account planning, creative planning, media planning, and human resources. The five departments are divided into focused departments with particular responsibilities that complete the advertising process in a successful and effective manner.
Accounts administration
Account management is responsible for monitoring the customer’s account as a whole. For example, a client meets with the account manager and they discuss the needs of the campaign. Once the direction of the campaign has been established, the account planning department takes over the strategy formulation for the ad campaign.
Account Planning Department
The account planning department develops a creative brief, which is a model for the direction of the advertising campaign. Other responsibilities of the account planning department include strategies on what aspects should be included in the campaign, as well as research.
Creative department
Once the creative brief and research have been completed, the creative department develops the illustrations and copywriting for the campaign. The creative department must have the creative brief and communicate the client’s needs through graphics and writing the text.
Media planning department
The media planning department contacts the media companies and investigates the most precise channel to place the advertising components. For example, an ad for a gas station is appropriate for an outdoor ad, while an ad for an interactive magazine is most effective within a flashing online ad banner.
HR department
The HR department is in charge of scouting new talent for the ad agency and making sure that everything runs smoothly in the process of interviewing new candidates.