Advertising agencies create and manage advertising campaigns for
businesses and other organizations, beginning with conception and ending
with placement. Their goal is to create buzz for a certain product
or service by introducing that product or service to the marketplace in
a way that makes consumers want to buy it.
An advertising agency is hired by a client to increase brand awareness,
via print media, television, or radio. Most advertising agencies
offer a wide variety of services, including branding, marketing, design,
and public relations.
Visit this advertising news page for more extensive news coverage.
The history of advertising really begins after the Great Depression, when
families desired a return to normalcy and consumerism increased. As
more and more families bought cars, televisions, and other consumer goods,
an entire industry sprouted up, designed to catapult certain brands into
the public eye. This was the advertising industry!
As technology advanced and the television was introduced, the
advertising industry as we know it today really began to take shape.
By the 1960s and 1970s, memorable advertising surrounding brands like
Alka-Seltzer, Pepsi-Cola, Volkswagen, and 7Up were as frequently watched
by consumers as television programs. Since the introduction of the
television, advertising expenditures have continued to grow steadily.
As television advertising grew, the print media began to woo advertising
agencies in the hopes that they would see magazines and newspapers as fair
game in the advertising industry. Time Incorporated, for example,
was well-known for throwing lavish parties and inviting as many
advertising agencies as possible, all in the hopes of selling them
advertising space.
In the early days, advertising attracted slews of young entrepreneurs
who wanted to get into the game. There were thousands of advertising
agents, all vying for the business of organizations who needed a way to
promote their products and services. Today, the advertising industry
is much more consolidated. While the industry still attracts the
entrepreneur, and while there are still thousands of smaller agencies,
most of these agencies attract smaller businesses. Today, there are
a few large, publicly-held agencies that handle the majority of
advertising for America's biggest businesses. There are very few
medium-sized advertising agencies.
It's important for an organization seeking an advertising agency to choose
one that suits their needs. While smaller companies do just fine
with the smaller agencies out there, the increase in the number of
international trade agreements means there is a corresponding need for
agencies with global capabilities. For larger companies who are
looking for international exposure for their products and services, an
advertising agency with international reach is absolutely necessary.
While there are only a few major holding companies, they do continue to
operate as individual agencies, mostly to avoid client conflict. In
other words, the manufacturer and distributor of a popular soft drink does
not want its advertising campaign handled by an agency that's also
handling the campaign of its competitor. Because of this concern,
holding companies are very careful to stress the separation between
agencies, particularly those that might work for competing clients.
Take your time and learn more about advertising agencies, as well as the
products and services they offer, by browsing AdvertisingAgencies.us.