Advertising agency
An advertising agency is a service company that takes care of business and other clients consulting, design, planning, design and implementation of advertising and other communication activities.
- 6.1 Contact / Advice
- 6.2 Account Planning
- 6.3 creation
- 6.4 Other professions
History
Originally (advertising ) agencies were mediators between newspapers and their advertisers: they designed for advertisers ads that appeared in newspapers.
The advertisers paid originally not for the work of the agencies. You paid for the release of their ads to the newspapers. For this, the advertising agency got from the newspapers commissions. Originally from the early days of advertising commission practice, claim etc., according to the agencies in addition to the payment by the customer commissions from newspapers printing is controversial, but still common today.
In 1855 there were already in Altona (today Hamburg) the " ad expedition Ferdinand Haasenstein " that occurred as an impartial adviser to the advertisements from the audience. Also in 1855 the "Institute of the stop - pillars" of Ernst Litfaß was founded in Berlin.
On September 23, 1876 William Alexander Wilkens founded the " Central Office ads William Wilkens ' to serve ads and design. Already at that time was full service, the maxim of the house Wilkens. So you could even then book media booking, design, texts and ads. The agency still exists today in Hamburg and has been operating since 2007 under the name of Draftfcb. Draftfcb Germany is Germany's oldest advertising agency.
The first advertising consultants were added in 1895, whose activities primarily consisted make advertising artistic and effective and to preserve the customer's useless expenditure.
1920 result " Advertising Service Agencies ". For example, from the advertising department of Lever is the Lintas (Lever International Advertising Service ). Pioneers in the German market at that time were Lintas, McCann Erickson, and J. Walter Thompson. Founded in 1924 by Anton Stankowski and Johannes Canis " Werbebau " is influenced by the Bauhaus and the first modern advertising agency in Germany.
In 1950, parallel to the so-called economic miracle, the fourth wave of foundations begins with a steady growth until 2001.
1990 begins with the Internet and with greater attention to its interactive marketing the expansion and renovation of the advertising agency to communications companies who are trying to give concerts equivalent under one roof all disciplines such as advertising, Internet, Dialogue, PR, promotion.
Types of advertising agencies
The classic form of advertising agency providing services related to the so-called traditional advertising also " ATL - Above the Line " on. For advertising measures are meant in the mass media:
- Newspaper Advertising (ads in newspapers, magazines)
- Outdoor advertising (posters, blow-ups, etc.)
- Radio advertising ( television and radio advertising)
- Television advertising
- Cinema
Meanwhile, numerous agencies have emerged, which offer additional services for specialized areas of advertising, and " BTL - Below the Line ":
- Internet (e-mail promotion )
- Public relations
- Corporate Design
- Corporate Publishing
- Marketing ( including, for example, event marketing and live communication, Ambush Marketing, Viral Marketing, Entertainment Marketing )
- Direct mail
- Point of Sale
- Business-to -Business
- Ambient Media
- Finance Communication
An advertising agency that offers the whole range of measures, is called full-service advertising agency.
Forms of organization
Advertising agencies occur as single agents or as so-called agency networks, enterprises employing many " branches " on. Special cases are the so-called house agencies of large companies ( ex.: Unilever - Lintas (not more exist ) )
The classic advertising agency is the owner-operated, where the owner is also the Managing Director. In general, there are several owners. Hence the frequent naming the pattern " Maier & Mueller ".
A major problem of the agencies is to permanently bind the most creative employees. In the usually short average length of stay of less than two years, this usually only in that they are involved in the agency manages. Therefore, it is the also frequently encountered form " Maier, Müller & Partner ".
For some individual agencies themselves veritable Werbeimperien have developed. The most famous example is perhaps Ogilvy & Mather. From a certain size can be observed for growth by fusion to other companies a certain tendency.
Structure of the agency market
The largest advertising agencies
Worldwide
The largest advertising holding companies of the world are currently Omnicom Group, Inc., New York, WPP, UK. So Omnicom directs eg over 1000 advertising agencies in more than 100 countries, which produced 1997 advertising for over 22 billion dollars. Among them are, for example, BBDO, DDB Worldwide and TBWA. The largest European-derived network is Publicis of France.
Germany
In Germany there are currently 12,000 advertising agencies. Of these, only about 3,000 registered in the commercial register. Each trader can " advertising agency" call, because this term is not a protected term.
The ranking according to Gross Income of the 50 largest owner-operated advertising agencies is published annually by the magazines HORIZON, Advertise & Sell ( w & v) and created the GWA.
The largest operating in the Federal Republic of Germany Agencies 1987
The 10 largest owner-managed advertising agencies in Germany 2012 ( Agency Ranking by notified net fee income ):
Agency staff
Over time, certain standard structures have emerged, which are found in more or less varied form in most agencies.
However, as in the entire service sector, the professions listed below in pure form and always find the same tasks increasingly rare. The trend in advertising agencies for more academic, although newcomers have career opportunities.
Contact / Advice
Consultant, also called Kontakter represent the link between agency and clients and are responsible for goal, budget and deadlines.
Depending on the hierarchy and qualifications are more likely Kontakter executive or advisory capacity. Senior Consultant often assume the strategic conception for the customer and are internally agency responsible for the acquisition of new customers.
Requirement for this occupation is not always a degree. However, a business degree with a focus on marketing, media, or communication may be beneficial. Special courses of study or part-time continuing education courses, which usually go over a period of one to two years, exist. As an example, at this point the communication host called, eg the on the West German Academy of Communications ( CTE ) in Central Germany, or BAW ( Bavarian Academy of Advertising and Marketing) in southern Germany, has been taught for many decades. Starting salaries depending on the theoretical and practical basic knowledge 20000-36000 euros per year.
The contact is considered as a job for " diplomats ". Agency staff (eg Creative ) and customers speak - a note of caution - " do not always " the same language. The contact therefore also acts as a facilitator between the project participants.
Account Planning
Account planning is a discipline in an advertising agency. She sits down with the so-called " Creative Briefing" the creative department apart and / or is responsible for the control or creating the communications strategy.
For one thing, that is to say the " compile" and reducing the customer briefings go - an ideal way to just set a so-called Planning. On the other hand it comes to clarifying the famous Lasswell 's question: "Who says what to whom for what purpose and over what channel? " Where the choice of the channel is not part of the account - plannings, but the subject of media planning or the Channel plannings.
Some agencies differ by account planning ( Focus: Creative Briefing ) and Strategic Planning ( focus: strategy). In general, the terms account planning, Strategic Planning, Planning or Strategic Planning are used interchangeably. To be differentiated, the term against the strategic business planning. The main point of difference is that account planning but not the entire company considers only the communication and brand, in all its functions. The use of account planning limited to launches, relaunches or regular inspections of a brand. Therefore, id have generally only medium and large agencies (> 40 employees) on their own or even Planner Planning departments. Account planning, the recent discipline is within the advertising and is referred to as the third pillar alongside consulting and design. The foundation dates back to British agencies in the sixties. The starting point was the change from the enquirer to the supplier market and the resulting increasing attention to the customer. In Germany in the late 80s playing "planning " since the mid / a role. The activity generally requires the study of Business Administration (Marketing ) and / or sociology and / or psychology. In addition, there are experienced copywriter / concept developer or consultant who change the course of their career for Planning. Only a few German universities such as the University of Cooperative Education Ravensburg have account planning integrated to any significant extent in their curricula. See also Strategic Planning ( Account Planning )
Creation
The creation or creative department conceived, designed and produced advertising materials for planned communication activities. The creative department is headed by a Creative Director who has responsibility within the Department for all creative work.
Under him are the art directors, graphic designers, final artwork and copywriter. Art director and copywriter / copywriter usually work in a team. The art directors in turn are subject to the designers and final artwork.
The Art Director is responsible for the complete graphical implementation, from photographer selection to the decrease in pressure.
Other vocations
In smaller agencies Kontakter and copywriter / graphic artist work partly in personal union. In larger agencies, however, it comes to extreme specializations.
Many employees work independently ( " Freelancers " ) and are committed to each according to need, such as a producer, illustrators, photographers, PR Manager.
Even with a large project advent Traffic Manager are used that help to reduce the advice.
In many agencies, web developers and server administrators and software developers are required.
Currently, a massive specialization in the field of Online Advertising / Online Marketing prevails. The knowledge required for this purpose and the technique is generally not covered by the repertoire of a traditional advertising agency, but guaranteed by specialists in online marketing.
Customer Acquisition
An important, but not objectively measurable criterion for the choice of an agency is the " chemistry" of cooperation.
Objectively measurable criteria are: size of the agency and the presence of certain services or departments, defined processes and transparent billing, membership in professional organizations (eg GWA, DDV), placements in rankings, awards or Price earnings and current work and budget profits. The site can also play an important role, for example, if both client and agency constantly need to replace many physical documents under high time pressure and many meetings are required.
Most budgets are allocated through so-called agency pitches ( competitions). The pitch then go ahead screening, in which the agencies will be evaluated in person. Much less common agencies are involved due to sample orders or spontaneously. However pitches are artificial situations and also costly for both sides agencies develop strategies and ideas with their best people and present them very expensive. With the subsequent daily work, which is usually more influenced by organizational issues, a pitch has little to do. Some contractors involved Pitch consultants who assist in the selection of the right partner.
Advertising agencies can create individual promotional activities (such as advertisements, TV commercials, billboards ) or entire campaigns. The contract will be agreed in the form of a briefing with the client.