Media agency vs advertising agency: what's the difference?

Advertising agency vs media agency? As an advertiser, you've likely pondered this question, and today we provide the answer.

The realm of digital marketing encompasses various players, among which advertising agencies and media agencies hold key positions. While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, it's crucial to understand their differences to articulate discussions involving these two entities.

In this article, we will decipher the distinction between an advertising agency, focusing on creativity and communication, and a media agency like Adintime, a marketplace dedicated to ad space procurement.

Article summary: advertising agency vs media agency,  what's the difference?

1. Advertising agency: creativity and visual campaigns
2. Media agency: strategy and optimized distribution
3. Comparison: advertising agency vs adintime media agency

In a nutshell, an advertising agency is a company specialized in designing advertising campaigns for client advertisers.

Advertising agencies focus on creating impactful campaigns disseminated through various media such as television, radio, etc. Their goal is to generate creative ideas and persuasive messages to design campaigns with visually appealing and convincing elements, often collaborating with copywriters or art directors.

The objective of advertising agencies is to offer a range of services from designing print ads (s) to creating promotional videos for display or social media. In summary, advertising agencies work closely with advertisers to understand their goals, brand identity, and target audience, designing tailor-made advertising campaigns. In some cases, the advertising agency may also handle media planning.

In summary, the ad agency is focused on creating and designing ads across different media.

Advertising agency:

• Function: centers on creating and designing visually appealing and impactful advertising content.
• Objective: develop creative ideas, design persuasive advertising messages, and create visually attractive elements.
• Services: design ads across various media (print, promotional video creation, social media campaigns, etc.)
• Collaboration: work closely with advertisers to understand their goals, brand identity, and target audience.

The media agency, on the other hand, is a company whose role is to advise advertisers on the strategies to implement for their advertising campaigns. Media experts provide advice, especially on the choice of different media, based on budget, objectives, and the advertiser's target audience. Additionally, the media agency acts as an intermediary in advertising space procurement procedures, bridging the gap between advertising agencies and advertisers.

Unlike an advertising agency, the media agency focuses on the strategic aspect and budget optimization of campaigns. It assists in campaign implementation by developing a media plan.

In summary, the media agency is the one that develops the strategic media plan to best meet the advertiser's demand.

Media agency:

• Function: centers on strategic planning, advertising space procurement, and optimized campaign distribution.
• Objective: select the best media channels, negotiate advertising rates, and optimize ad placements.
• Services: media planning, rate negotiation, project management, and selection of media suitable for campaign objectives.
• Collaboration: coordinate with publishers and advertising agencies to align media strategy with campaign creativity.

Let's take a concrete example to understand the main differences between an advertising agency and a media agency, using Adintime. While the advertising agency acts on visual creativity, Adintime Media Agency offers a comprehensive approach by integrating strategic planning, negotiation of space rates, and the management of advertising campaign projects. Thus, Adintime Media Agency provides a range of services from media selection to the complete management of the campaign.

In terms of media expertise, both the advertising agency and the media agency share it. However, Adintime distinguishes itself with a multi-lever approach coupled with data utilization to optimize the performance of its campaigns.

The main difference between an advertising agency and a media agency, and particularly Adintime, is the additional advantage offered as a marketplace and advertising buying platform. Adintime simplifies the process of buying advertising space by providing extensive visibility across different media. On our website, you can request quotes, simulate prices based on devices, and even access a connected space to track your campaigns.

In conclusion, while the advertising agency excels in creativity, Ad intime broadens the scope by offering a comprehensive approach, from planning to distribution, while simplifying the purchase of advertising space through its innovative platform. The choice between the two depends on the specific needs of the campaign and the advertiser's objectives.

Key figures about Adintime

• An annual revenue of 10 million euros
• Assistance to over 200 advertisers
• Over 1,500 campaigns
• Coverage of 2,000 media outlets in France and abroad

>>>Explore Adintime's study on the cost of an advertising campaign.