An ad company is a business that conceives, produces and manages the showing of commercial messages (radio, TV, digital, outdoor) for clients such as businesses, organizations or government agencies. Agencies may also offer marketing and merchandising advice or general business and promotional counsel related to the goods and services produced, distributed or sold by the client(s).
Whether they produce a single commercial message called an advertising campaign or a series of such messages, the goal of the ad company is to make their clients more money. They do this by creating brand image for their clients, helping them stand out in the market and by providing them with the right kind of audience to reach and entice.
Most ad companies are full service, offering a variety of services in different areas such as media buying, creative (design and copy) or production. They usually have teams of people with different expert skills and work with an objective to provide their clients with the best solution for their needs.
The hit television show “Mad Men” gave the public a glimpse of how ad agencies pitch their campaigns to clients. While the pitch is still important, modern ad agency sales representatives don’t generally have the melodramatic soap opera flair and instead use data analytics, market comparisons and sales projections to convince clients they’re the right fit. They may also provide sample ads based on their previous works and ask the client for references before starting any project.