MS 68 IGNOU MBA Solved Assignment - Discuss at length the role and responsibilities of an Adverting agency in providing suitable services to its clients.

Discuss at length the role and responsibilities of an Adverting agency  in providing suitable services to its clients.

Ans :

The providers you will require will depend upon the scale of your planned advertising and the skills of your internal teams, as well as your planned communications activities.

Communications service providers may include designers, photographers, advertising agencies, media planning/buying agencies, public relations, event management and digital agencies.

The majority of the major advertising campaigns undertaken by NSW Government agencies typically use the services of at least one advertising agency.  Some large advertising companies offer a “one stop shop” providing many or all of the above types of services, whilst other companies will specialise in one or only a few of these services.

Role of an advertising agency: 

The advertising agency will propose the best creative tactics to convey your messages and achieve the campaign objectives. They will recommend the advertising concepts and may also include a variety of “below the line” advertising options, e.g. events or presentations, handouts, website, collateral (posters, stickers, and brochures).

Once you have agreed on the approach to be used, the advertising agency responsibilities would typically involve all aspects of the production of the advertising materials and despatch of materials to the media. Advertising agencies typically charge head hour costs plus any third party production or other services they commission.

A simple campaign which requires the production of simpler print materials might require the services of a graphic design agency, rather than an advertising agency. In these cases, you may consider directly engaging the specialist services that you require.

More about engaging an advertising agency.

Role of a media agency:

A media agency (or media planner) is responsible for the strategic recommendation of media activity for your campaign. Working from your brief the planning process involves analysing the audience objectives and balancing the reach, frequency and costs of media options to deliver a detailed media plan that maximises advertising exposure and impact.

Planning should demonstrate a coordinated approach to different media and illustrate the thinking behind the proposed approach. Media planners work closely with advertising agencies to ensure the client's advertising budget is well spent, as well as adhering to the overall campaign strategy.

Which media agency do I use for my campaign?
Media planning services are provided by the NSW Government Master Media Agency, MediaCom and a range of specialist agencies. All advertising space must, however, be booked by MediaCom.

Read more about working with MediaCom or other media planning agencies.

For recruitment and public notice advertising:
Planning and booking of ads should be done by the Government Media Placement Agency, Adcorp, in conjunction with our office. Find information about costing and booking non-campaign ads here or contact us for more info.

Advertising agencies employ experts in many creative fields that provide quality, professional services. Copywriters provide the text for print ads, and scripts for television or radio advertising. Graphic designers are responsible for the presentation of print ads, and the art department is responsible for providing the necessary images for whatever format advertisement is decided upon. Most advertising agencies also have a technical staff with expertise in web design and implementing an online advertising campaign. Some agencies have in-house photographers and printers; others regularly employ the services of contractors.

The individuals involved in creative services are responsible for developing the advertising platform, which sets the theme and tone of the ad campaign. The advertising platform should draw upon specific, positive features of the product advertised and extrapolate the benefits the consumer could expect to receive as a result of using the product. The campaign, through the development of this platform, should prove to be eye-catching, memorable, and in some way unique. The ads consumers remember stand out from the rest; it is the advertising agency's (and specifically the creative services department's) responsibility to provide this quality for clients.

The final advertising provided by an agency should be fully developed and polished. Television commercials should be produced with professionalism. Print ads should be attractive, informational, and attention-getting. Radio spots should be focused and of high audio quality. Online ads should be well placed and drive traffic to the clients own web site or a site through which the client's products or services are offered.