A company that creates and manages advertising and other forms of marketing promotions for its clients. This type of business can be structured as a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership or corporation.
Market research is used to design advertisements that grab consumer attention and differentiate products from competitors. This is a key element in creating brand familiarity which leads to long term sales.
Advertising
Advertising agencies create a message that explains and sells the product to consumers. They determine the best formats for ads (visual, audio, testimonial, animation, drama and comedy) and the most appropriate outlets in which to place them (TV, magazine, newspaper, digital, billboards and more).
An ad agency’s creative team is responsible for creating the actual components of an ad. They often include copywriters who write the message and graphic designers who turn their designs into print and online advertisements.
A good ad company keeps up with the latest technology to see how it might be used in future ads. For example, one of the world’s leading ad holding companies, WPP, created a new internal team dedicated to its global partnership with Coke. This approach provides a single point of contact and a single P&L for the partnership, eliminating issues that have sometimes muddled these types of partnerships in the past.
Direct Marketing
Direct marketing involves communicating directly with customers through a variety of media channels. It can include direct mail, e-mail campaigns, telemarketing and point-of-sale interaction. Direct marketing allows marketers to track the effectiveness of their campaigns without having to rely on middlemen.
An ad company can help businesses set realistic sales goals and improve their return on investment with targeted advertising campaigns. They can also help with design and content, as well as implementing social media marketing strategies.
Ad companies can also offer new ideas for promotional campaigns, including QR codes and different types of advertising formats. They can provide a variety of services to suit any budget. They can also produce TV ads, radio advertisements, online advertising, mobile advertising and AR advertising. They can also create customized clothing and other merchandise with a business’s branding message.
Public Relations
Unlike advertising, public relations (“PR”) is free media exposure that a company seeks to gain through press releases and news conferences. PR is a strategic marketing tool that can help complete many business goals and tasks such as crisis management, product integration, event management, etc.
Brand image is a company’s enduring reputation, which is shaped by all interactions with consumers. Ad agencies keep track of this narrative, cultivating and fine-tuning it to reflect a company’s unique qualities and to create a lasting impression on customers.
Sard Verbinnen & Co, for instance, has helped Bayer navigate its acquisition of Monsanto and its defense against activist hedge fund Pershing Square Capital, and assisted Wells Fargo in its battle with investor Carl Icahn. The agency also provides support for mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, and IPOs.
Social Media
Social media marketing services allow businesses to connect with their intended audiences on platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. They also provide online advertising, allowing businesses to promote specific tweets and entire accounts as well as targeted ads that display alongside relevant content in the platform’s marketplaces. Social media services providers will also monitor campaigns as they go live to track their performance, ensuring they’re working effectively and efficiently.
A skilled agency can leverage ad campaigns to deliver leads and customers throughout the marketing funnel. They’re capable of understanding the needs and requirements of a wide range of audience segments, staying on top of platform algorithm changes and offering expertise that would be impossible to replicate in-house. In addition, they’re able to offer ad campaign strategies that are cost-effective.
