The Structure of an Advertising Agency

Advertising agencies come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small boutique shops that have just a few people. Others are giants that employ thousands of people in offices all around the world.

But, however large or small the agency, there is a basic structure that most advertising agencies stick to. In the smaller agencies, some people will perform more than one role. One person my actually be the entire department. But the fundamentals are the same, and it's because this model was born out of necessity and it works.

There are SIX major departments in any advertising agency. These can be split into other sub-departments, or given various creative names, but the skeleton is the same.

These departments are:

• Account Service
• Account Planning
• Creative
• Finance & Accounts
• Media Buying
• Production

Larger agencies may also separate out the following departments:

• Human Resources & Facilities
• Research
• Web development
• Traffic

Let's take a look at the breakdown of those six major departments.

Account Services

The account service department comprises account executives, account managers and account directors, and is responsible for liaising with the agency's many clients. This department is the link between the many departments within the agency, and the clients who pay the bills. In the past they were referred to as "the suits," and there have been many battles between the account services department and the creative department. But as most creatives know, 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

This department combines research with strategic thinking. Often a mix of researchers and account managers, the account planning department provides consumer insights, strategic direction, research, focus groups and assists helps keep advertising campaigns on target and on brand. Chris Cowpe described account planning as "…the discipline that brings the consumer into the process of developing advertising. To be truly effective, advertising must be both distinctive and relevant, and planning helps on both counts."