How an Advertising Agency Works

Or… how to produce a commercial in roughly the same time it takes to have a baby.

Advertising Agency Departments

Research &Planning

AdministrativeDepartment

Account Management

Media Department

Creative Department

Advertising Agency

The Creative Department

Print and BroadcastProduction

Art Directors

Copywriters

Creative Department

• Copywriters: Work in teams with Art Directors to develop the advertising ideas and then actually write the ads

• Art Directors: Work with Copywriters to develop the advertising ideas then determine what they will look like.

• Production: Once the ad is completed and client has approved, Producers take over to turn it from an idea to an actual ad.

The Account Management Department

• Account Managers: Work directly with the client to determine what is needed, manage the process from beginning to end, make it happen on time, on strategy, on budget.

• Project Managers (some agencies) manage internal processes and personnel to get things done at the agency.

Project Managers

Account Managers

Account Management

The Media Department• Media Planners: Are given a

budget and marketing objectives and determine the smartest way to spend the money.

• Media Buyers: Are given approved plans and figure out the most cost effective way to buy the media weight.

• Media Research: Constantly looking for ways to add impact to plans and figure out more innovative ways to plan and buy.

Media Research

Media Buyers

Media Planners

Media Department

The Research & Planning Group

• Research: constantly analyzing business and consumer data to better understand and track success and/or failure in order to make adjustments along the way.

• Planners: Interprets the research alongside a deep consumer understanding to write the briefs and guide the work.

Planners

ResearchGroup

Research &Planning

The Administration Department• Finance & Accounting: Make sure we

are working at a profit.

• Traffic: Once the commercial is complete and approved they make sure it gets to the right media outlet with the correct instructions

• Administrative Help: Secretaries, receptionists, operators, etc.

• Agency Legal: Makes sure no one gets in trouble and that the ad runs as promised.

• Talent & Residuals: Once the ad is running, these people make sure the talent in the ads are paid in full and on time.

Talent &Residuals

Agency LegalAdministrative

Help

Traffic

Finance & Accounting

Administration

The Process

How a commercial goes from “hey, we need an ad” to appearing on-air

HOW TO PRODUCE AN AD IN ROUGHLY THE SAME TIME IT TAKES TO HAVE A BABY.

STEP PEOPLE PRESENT

WHO IS IN CHARGE?

TIME ELAPSED

OUTCOME DESIRED

Hey, we need a new ad!

Client, AE Client Day one Set up next meeting.

BRIEFING Client, AE, Planner, Creative,

Media

Client, Planner

1 week Agency wants to gather info to write

creative brief.

CREATIVE BRIEF DISCUSSION

Creative, Planner, AE, Media

Planner 1 week Planner wants to agree a creative

brief.

CREATIVE BRIEF PRESENTATION

Client, Planner, AE

Planner 1 week Planner wants client agreement

to brief.

CREATIVE BRIEF AGREEMENT

Client, Planner, AE

Planner, AE

1 week AE wants signatures in order

to start work.

CREATIVE KICK-OFF MEETING

Planner, Creative Director, Creative teams, AE, Media.

Planner meeting Planner wants to explain and motivate

creative teams.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Creative Director, Creative Teams,

Planner

Creative Director

2 weeks Creative Director wants to find great

ad

FIRST LOOK AT WORK

Creative Director, Creative Teams,

Planner

Creative Director

meeting Creative Director wants to identify

best 3-5 ideas and make them better.

SECOND LOOK AT WORK

Creative Director, Creative Teams,

Planner, AE, Media

Creative Director

2 weeks Creative Director wants final agency

comments, chooses agency

recommendation and several back-

ups. Agency begins preparing for client

presentation.

PREP FOR CLIENT PRESENTATION

Creative Director, Creative Teams,

Planner, AE, Media

AE 1 week AE works with Planner and

Creative Team to determine best way to “sell” the work.

CLIENT PRESENTATION

Client, Planner, Creative Director,

Creative teams, AE, Media.

AE meeting Agency wants to “sell work” client

wants to “buy” right work.

REACTING TO CLIENT COMMENTS

Client, Planner, Creative Director, Creative teams,

AE, Media.

AE leads, everyone

participates

Same meeting

Agency wants to get out with as little re-work as

possible.

RE-WORK Creative Team, Planner

Planner 1 – 2 weeks

Agency wants to react to client

comments without killing concept.

Often not possible at which point start

creative development over.

SECOND CLIENT PRESENTATION

Client, Planner, Creative teams,

AE,

AE Meeting Agency wants final client approval

with all management agreement.

CLIENT APPROVAL

Client Client Meeting1 week

Agency wants “final” agreement.

RESEARCH Planner, Client research, AE, Creative Team

Planner or Client Research

2 weeks Client/Agency wants

confirmation concept works.

RESEARCH RESULTS

Planner, Client research, AE,

Client Research

1 week Client wants proof ad will work before producing it.

REWORK Creative Team Creative Team

1 week Again, Creative Team wants

everyone satisfied ad will

work without losing agency ad concept.

“FINAL” CLIENT PRESENTATION

Creative Teams,

Producer, Planner, Client Research, AE

AE Meeting All final agreements so

production bidding can

begin.

CLIENT MANAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT

Client, Client Management

Client Meeting1 week

Client presents work and research

results for CYA meeting.

POTENTIAL RE-WORK

Client, AE, Planner

Client meeting Everyone wants their fingerprints on

your ad.

FINAL APPROVAL Client, AE, Producer

Client Meeting Agency wants to start bidding.

Producer starts talking about how

ad will be produced

JOB BIDDING1.Director approval2.First bid numbers3.final bids

Producer, Creative Teams

Producer 3 weeks Agency agrees directors, gets

preliminary bids and negotiates

final bids for presentation.

BID APPROVAL Producer, Creative Team, Client, AE

Producer Meeting1 week

Want agreement to hire Director.

PRE-PRODUCTION MEETING

Producer, Creative Team, AE, Client,

possibly client production, Director and Production

Company Reps.

Producer 2-3 weeks Casting, wardrobe, Director “shooting

board.” All final agreements made.

PRODUCTION Producer, Creative Team, Client, AE

Producer 6 -8 weeks

Shoot commercial and edit.

ROUGH CUT (OR EQUIV.)

Producer, Creative Team, Client, AE, maybe Director

Producer Meeting3-4 weeks to finish unless

animation which

could add 8-10

weeks.

First showing of what a commercial will look like. Want client agreement to

how commercial “flows.”

FINAL FINISHED COMMERCIAL

Producer, Creative Team, AE, Client,

possibly client production, Director and Production

Company Reps.

Producer Meeting Agency and client want applause

because by now everyone is sick to

death of this commercial and not a consumer

has seen it!

FINISHED COMMERCIAL RESEARCH

Planner, Client Research, Outside research company

Client Research

6-8 weeks Final confirmation commercial

communicates

TWEAKING Creative Team, Planner

Planner 1 week Again, more fingerprints.

FINAL PRESENTATION

Producer, Creative Team, AE, Client,

possibly client production, Media

Producer Meeting Final agreement.

AIR DATE Client, Media Media Time Varies

Finally, you see it on TV; you are sick to death of it

but then your friends say they love it and you

go back to work the next day with a smile. If they hate it… well

you go back to work but with a real headache from the night

before.

TOTAL: 32 Steps Easily 150 people involved.

Various 40 weeks

Not sure which is more painful;

producing a commercial or

giving birth.