Some agencies specialize in particular media, such as print ads or television commercials. Other agencies, especially larger ones, produce work for many types of media (creating integrated marketing communications, or through-the-line (TTL) adverting). Many well known business such as Sony, would contact established advertising agencies for a professional campaign for their product, rather than making the campaign themselves. However, if they did make the campaign themselves than it would not have that professional look which people expect from these well-known companies.

Moreover, the campaign could be misleading or might contain illegal context which could have a negative influence on people and can be offensive to others. Therefore I personally think it is better to use an advertising agency as they would know what the audience is looking for, what would catch their attention, how to engage them etc. The reason why reputable business would use advertising agencies is because, they are professionals and experienced and they will give you exactly what you want, or when you’re not certain they will even design a campaign for you, however it will not be advertised until you give your consent.

Your business is paying them to make a promotional campaign, in other words paying for the service they provide, if you’re not satisfied with their idea or they haven’t produced to meet your standards, then you can simply tell them to do it again as you are not happy with what they have produced. When it comes to determining which marketing approach is best for your business, you will want to examine the advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages: Convenient (saving time) – when using the services of a professional promotional ad agency, many business owners appreciate the time that they are able to save. It is no secret that business marketing and business advertising are time consuming tasks, especially if you are unfamiliar with the process. Should you decide to allow a professional promotional ad agency handle your business’s marketing and advertising, you will likely find yourself able to focus on other important tasks.

Expertise – in addition to saved time, using the service of professional promotional ad agency often produces professional results. Many promotional ad agency employees have experienced with business advertising and business marketing. Most promotional ad agencies have taken the time to research and test out numerous marketing approaches. This essentially, means that they already know which approaches are successful, like promotional gifts, and which ones are only a waste of time and money.

Comply with legislation – most agencies offer copywriting service. This ensures the text of the advert is as effective as possible in terms of quality of response as well as cost. They are mindful of discrimination issues and are able to advise employers if the text of an advert is not fully compliant with equal opportunities legislation. They specialise in design work, to ensure that the advert stands out from the crowd on the newspaper page. Disadvantages: cost of hiring – hiring a professional promotional ad agency can be fairly expensive.

Despite, the cost of doing so, many business owners find it well worth the costs. In fact, many look at it from the standpoint of a business investment; an investment that they will likely see a return on. Doing it yourself – The main disadvantage to doing your own direct marketing promotions, you will find that it can be time consuming to do. If you are relatively unfamiliar with business marketing and business advertising, you may spend a good deal of your time doing research and then relying on trail and error.

As previously stated, many promotional ad agencies already have proven marketing and advertising plans in place, which include reward or incentives programs. Perhaps, the biggest advantage to doing your direct marketing promotion, either yourself or by having one of your staff member do it, is the money that you may be able to save yourself and your business. This is ideal if you are operating your business on a budget. Although your time or the time of your employees will cost money, you will find that the cost if often lower than that of using a promotional ad agency.

It is also nice to have complete control over all advertising and marketing decisions. How the selection and use of media contributes to a successful campaign The term ‘media’ refers to the type of outlet that will run your ad. These include elements such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, online, and many other potential advertising opportunities. Many marketing and advertising plans include a combination of several media in the same campaign. When you’re advertising, you need to choose the most cost-effective media to get your message to the right people.