The Role of a Marketing Agency in Media Buying: Is Three a Crowd?

With an ever-increasing number of media outlets, it can become increasingly difficult to navigate the advertising waters. Television, radio, print, web, social media – how do you find the best within each of these categories? How do you incorporate a mix of mediums into a strategic marketing plan? Here is where a marketing agency can help.

A Marketing Agency is your Strategic Planning Partner

An advertising agency acts as a client’s advisor, advocate, and resource. While advertising agents originally represented the media and earned commissions for selling ad space, agencies today serve as a strategic partner with their clients, offering the insight necessary to analyze media options in conjunction with developing effective messages for those media placements.

Experienced Media Buyers Know What and When to Buy to Optimize Your Marketing Budget

Ultimately, each media will recommend its own publications and ad space because their bottom line is to sell themselves. On the other hand, agencies are interested third parties who can take an objective approach in assessing advertising opportunities.

If it is not the right market and the right time of year, it does not matter what kind of a deal the media is offering. A seemingly great rate amounts to little value if the ad space does not reach your ideal customer. Agencies are able to sift through this information and offer smart, savvy plans.

Benefit from an Agency’s Existing Media Relationships for Cost Savings

The best media plan possible requires finesse and communication on both sides of the field. Agencies are often also able to develop strong working relationships with publications. These relationships may then translate into more benefits for the client, for example, in the form of value-add programs or editorial coverage.

The role of an agency in media buying is to work with and on behalf of the client in planning and executing a valuable media plan. In this case, three is key.