An ad agency is an independent business that creates, plans, and handles advertising for clients. There are three main types of ad agencies: full service agencies that handle all aspects of advertising; specialized agencies focused on specific industries or groups; and virtual agencies where people work remotely. A typical ad agency has departments for account management, creative services, media planning/buying, and research.

1. ADVERTISING I
A typical ad agency

2. AN AD AGENCY
 An ad agency is a service business dedicated to
creating, planning and handling advertising for its
clients.
 It is independent of the client.
 It can also handle the marketing and branding
strategies and sales promotion for the clients.

3. TYPES OF ADVERTISING AGENCIES
 Full Service Agency
 Specialized Agencies
 Virtual Agencies

4. FULL SERVICE AGENCY
An agency that handles all of a clients’ advertising
efforts and offers four major staff functions- account
management, creative services, media planning
and buying, and research.

5. SPECIALIZED AGENCIES
 Industry focused agencies – specialize in working
for a specific field like agriculture, medicine etc.
 Minority Agencies – focus on creating ads for
minority groups.
 Creative Boutiques – Only work on the creative
execution of client’s communication.
 Media – Buying Services – A company that offers
to buy media for advertisers.
 In house Agencies – Advertising departments
within an organization.
 Freelancers – provide creative services but are
different in nature of employment.

6. IN-HOUSE SYSTEM
Advantages Disadvantages
 Cost saving  Less experience
 More control  Less Objectivity
 Increased coordination  Less flexible

7. VIRTUAL AGENCIES
 People who work from home or from their clients’
offices.
 They are an agency but work like freelancers.
 Meetings are conducted over the internet using
video conferencing or emails.

8. A TYPICAL AD AGENCY
 A typical ad agency has the following departments
 Accounts Management - Serves as a liaison between
the agency and the client.
 Creative Services – provides the creatives based on
guidelines determined by the accounts managers.
 Media Services – They plan the use of media, buy
media accordingly, and research the effectiveness of the
plan.
 Research – Perform research before creating an
ad, and after an ad campaign to evaluate the success of
the campaign