Lahore School of Economics

A distinguished seat of learning known for high-quality teaching and research

How the Ad Agency Works
May 13, 2024

Ms Daniah Ishtiaq, who has some 14 years of experience of working in the advertising industry at Ogilvy, IAL Saatchi & Saatchi, and BBDO visited the Lahore School of Economics on the 13th of May 2024 to deliver a session on ‘How the Ad Agency Works’ to our MBA candidates at the Lahore School of Economics.

Explaining if her business education helped her in her career, she noted that the critical thinking that she developed as a result of the cases she did in her undergraduate and postgraduate programs has helped her in her career. Secondly, when she interacted with the Client on behalf of her Agency, the client trusted her more because of her background in business education. Also, it was easier for her to understand the client-speak around targets etc., something that the ‘creatives’ don’t pick up so quickly and effortlessly.

Who are the key players from both sides when an Ad is made? Ms Daniah said the most important player obviously is the client who is also the most powerful. It is their brand and their money that are on the line, and if the Client kept insisting, the Agency will eventually do what the Client says. From the Agency’s side you have the Account Manager who has a tough job to do because he is under pressure from both sides. You have the Strategist who decodes the brief given by the client so that the Agency better understands (and even the Client better understands) what the Client wants.

Then there is the Creative Director and his or her team who write the scripts and come up with the campaign’s name. The Strategist and the Creative Director work together on most of the project to ensure the work is being done according to the plan. The Art Director and his or her team are the quietest but they have the most workload as they develop storyboards, mood boards and images. Then there is the Digital team who are the youngest in the Agency.

She then explained how the process unfurls when developing an Ad. The Client invites the Agency to discuss the Brief. From the Agency’s side, the Account Manager, the Strategist and the Creative Director will usually go together. They discuss the budget is discussed, and the success parameters are laid out. Mandatories such as some jingles or some sounds that the Client must use are locked.

If it is a new Ad, then the Strategy team will get cracking at translating the Brief and generating insights. If Strategy is not needed then the Agency will go straight to the Creative. Eventually, the baton is passed on by the Strategy team to the Creative team who come up with the campaign idea and the assets. Presentations are made, and if it is a larger company then a storyboard or a moving board is created and sent for preview or even for a LINK test.

Even though some companies might ask for consumer testing of a concept, she personally does not like the idea because it is very difficult for consumers to visualize a finished product in an unfinished state. The final script is sent to the production houses for bids and at least to 2-3 directors for treatment notes. A production house and a director are shortlisted and then a pre-production meeting is held. The shoot is done and the final cut is done. The Ad is launched.

As an advice to all those MBAs who wanted to enter the advertising industry, Ms Daniah suggested that ‘The industry is a business of rejection. Ideas will be rejected. You have to have real passion. You have to be really good in this industry to earn more money. But there are rewards as well.’

The MBA cohort thanked Ms Daniah for a technically sound and informative session on advertising.

Labels: Guest Speaker