The Difference Between Marketing Agencies and Advertising Agencies

What is the difference?

Generally, marketing agencies conceptualize the campaigns and work with the client during the campaigns’ life. In contrast, advertising agencies execute the paid portion of the campaigns leveraging their existing partnerships with offline and online channels. On smaller engagements, marketing agencies may handle paid advertising as well.

What is an advertising agency?

An advertising agency is specialized in paid channels and usually operates on a campaign basis. They strategize and execute the promotion of your product, business, brand, etc. throughout advertising channels like:

• OOH
• TV
• Radio
• Traditional print media
• SEM
• Paid Social
• Online ad networks

When to hire an advertising agency

When you have finalized your marketing strategy, you’ll typically evaluate whether or not you need the support of an advertising agency. Suppose you’re considering a media buy, or traditional advertising channels in your marketing plan; in that case, it might be time to consult a trusted advertising agency or to look for a marketing agency that runs advertising as well.

What to look for in an advertising agency partner

Look for examples of prior work in any partner, preferably within your industry. Specifically, with advertising agencies, look for examples of campaigns they have executed in the past, how much was spent on advertising, and what results were gained from said campaign’s lifetime. Beyond the portfolio, look at the people you’ll be working with, their timeliness in delivering campaigns, their pricing, and their attention to detail.

What is a marketing agency?

There are many different types of marketing agencies. Still, generally, a marketing agency looks at the whole landscape of marketing activities, channels, and your business to create a comprehensive marketing strategy. There are full-service marketing agencies like Pastilla that offer both strategy and execution across all channels (including advertising). Then there are specialized marketing agencies that operate in a single channel or industry (i.e., email marketing agencies, travel marketing agencies, etc.).

When to hire a marketing agency?

Put simply, if you don’t have the resources in-house to build or execute a marketing strategy, then it might be time to consider working with a marketing agency. However, note that when you hire an advertising agency, they will generally execute what’s being passed down from the client rather than assisting you in the strategy. On the other hand, a marketing agency can help you review your marketing strategy and advise you to spend your budget effectively.

What to look for in a marketing agency partner?

Look for a partner with demonstrated expertise in your industry and an operational style that will fit your business well based upon your resources internally. Suppose you’re running a small or medium-sized business and need a lot of support. In that case, you want to make sure that you have an agency that can handle more aspects of your marketing and take a consultative approach rather than merely executing. Consider turning to a full service marketing agency that can handle all facets of marketing and not just a single area or channel.

If you’re in the market for a digital marketing partner with the ability to come up with the right marketing strategy and in-house creative and development services, reach out. We will handle all your digital marketing needs while you can focus on running the business.