An advertising agency’s organization may be divided into numerous departments, each of which is entrusted with a particular duty to be executed under the supervision of a departmental manager who is skilled in the work assigned to him. Following are the key departments of a giant or moderately sized advertising agency:
Contact Department
This department’s primary purpose is to contact potential clients on the one hand and manage existing clients on the other. The contact department reports to the departmental manager, who is a senior executive officer. He supervises many contact men; they serve as the agency’s and the client’s point of contact. When contact men visit the advertiser’s office, they represent the agency, analyze the advertiser’s needs and advise various departments of the relevant customers demand.
Art Department
The art department is in charge of the actual look of the advertising, including layouts, graphics, images and defining the types to be included. The art manager is at the head of this department, supported by artists, layout guys, and visualizers. First, a visualizer creates the preliminary layout of advertising, which is then refined into a complete form.
Media Department
It is a vital department that operates under the direction and authority of a media manager. This department is in charge of selecting media for the advertiser based on the client’s needs, directives, and budget. He has frequent contact with many media outlets.
Mechanical Production Department
It is also an extremely vital department that reports to a technical manager. This department’s primary responsibility is to oversee block-making, printing, proofreading, and other specialized tasks.
Copy Department
This department is led by a copy manager, who is aided by a team of copywriters. This department is in charge of preparing copies for all types of advertising. Copywriting necessitates linguistic flair and fluency, as well as imagination and a means of representation. It collaborates with the art, research, and accounting departments.
Research Department
A distinct research department is developed in major advertising companies under the direction and management of a research manager. The research manager is supported by analysts, investigators, marketing assistants, statistics clerks, and librarians, among other people. This department’s primary role is to research markets, media, and other topics of interest to the advertising firm. In addition, it aims at enhancing client advertising.
Radio and TV Production Department
If the advertising firm delivers radio and television commercials, it would have a distinct department for this purpose. This department is overseen and controlled by a manager, aided by several assistants, musical consultants, scriptwriters, etc.
Finance Department
The finance department’s primary role is to organize and oversee finances. Thus, this department handles proper accounts, billing and collecting client dues, validating whether the ad in the various media did appear on the days it was expected, if so, whether correctly, or whether the text was correctly written, as well as looking, after all, regular accounting, recording, and other matters.
Merchandising Department
In the case of a major advertising firm, a distinct merchandising department is developed under the direction and management of a merchandising manager who is knowledgeable about displays, exhibitions, and the development of various advertising aids.
Public Relations Department
A special public relations department is created in a major advertising firm, which is overseen and controlled by a public relations officer or manager. This department’s primary role is to develop and sustain communication and mutual understanding between the organization and the general public. In addition, it links clients and other public members, including consumers, employees, and shareholders.
