Marketing Agency Vs. Advertising Agency

by Ian Linton

Small-business owners who want to increase revenue can choose between professional advisers -- marketing agencies or advertising agencies. Both types of agency provide solutions that can help grow a business through increased sales; however, their approaches and the results they deliver are different. Advertising agencies specialize in communications programs such as advertising and direct marketing. Marketing agencies offer a broader, consultative approach to help develop marketing strategy. Some also make recommendations on marketing tactics and some offer communications services, depending on their resources.

Skills

The team in a marketing agency generally has a background of working in company marketing departments where they gained experience of market research, strategy development, product development and marketing programs, according to marketing agency Stark Reality. Advertising agency teams include people with media planning and creative skills who are experienced in delivering communication messages to target audiences.

Choice

The choice of marketing agency or advertising agency depends partly on the internal resources of your business. If you employ a marketing specialist, you are likely to carry out the strategic and development tasks internally. You can use an advertising agency to create and deliver the campaigns that meet its strategy. If you have no marketing resources, running an advertising campaign without any strategic considerations could prove wasteful. A marketing agency can help you develop a strategy that gives your communication programs a clearly defined role.

Outsource

If you need help to develop a marketing strategy or deal with a marketing task such as developing new products or selecting the right distribution channel, you should choose a marketing agency rather than an advertising agency. You can use the marketing agency as an outsourced marketing service. According to the consultancy Business2Community, companies without marketing resources find outsourced marketing a cost-effective solution because they can draw on the experience of experts who demonstrate best practices rather than hire a full-time specialist.

Communication

With a marketing strategy in place, you need to choose a communication program to meet your objectives. Advertising agencies are your first choice if you want to communicate with customers or prospects through press advertising, broadcast advertising, online advertising or direct marketing. However, other forms of communication, such as exhibitions, seminars and customer relationship programs, may deliver better results. Advertising agencies do not generally handle those types of communication programs. According to consultancy Guru Marketing Masterminds of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, a marketing agency will advise you on the communication solution that meets your marketing strategy and delivers the best return on marketing investment.