Differences Among Agencies

Choosing your career path within marketing can be really overwhelming. There are so many options and so many avenues to go down. How do you really know which one will help you achieve your ultimate goal?

Let’s look at the possibilities for pathing.

Digital Agency: This is an advertising agency who is working on email, video, pay-per-click, search engine optimization (SEO), web development, programmatic media buying, social media, app development and online marketplaces (ie Amazon). All of these are digital, and working to create brand awareness by promoting the brand and generating sales. A digital agency is trying to generate traffic and sales for the client, by way of marketing strategy. While copywriting and graphic design can be involved here,

Creative Agency: This is an advertising agency that is focused more on brand design, content creation, and creating a brand’s voice. The mediums this type of agency might focus on are tv/CTV commercials, website design, billboards, magazine ads. Creative agencies are trying to communicate a specific message to their target audiences in an impactful way.

In-House: you either manage everything internally with a team of brand marketers, digital markets, creatives, etc. or you manage projects and performance with your hired agency.

PR Agency: This is what Samantha Jones in Sex in the City does… handles other people’s crisises. This kind of agency represents people, brands, and companies that are in the public eye. Where missteps or misinterpretations can lead to a disaster, publicized good deeds can lead to great opportunity for a rebrand or a good reputation. PR deals with positioning brands to navigate the good, bad and ugly. It can be high-stress, constant work depending on the clients, but you’ll definitely get good at spinning stories in your favor. PR agencies also put on a lot of events so you can see, touch, taste for yourself.

Branding Agency: This is the place to go when you’re a brand or company trying to “find yourself.” This type of agency will help develop strategy to define your brand’s values, communication style, and vision for representation- what are you going to show the world and how are you going to show them? Then comes the fun part- jingles, tag lines, packaging, and logos!

Media Agency: This is an agency that creates media for the creative/digital agencies to use. Some companies will have this in-house (a graphic designer, copywriter, photographer, etc.), but many companies and agencies will look to a media agency to produce digital art, multimedia displays, lighting installations, videos, documentary, podcasts, virtual or augmented reality experiences, etc.

Marketing Agency: This type of agency can have departments that are doing market research, creating a communication strategy, or developing a product. It will mostly focus on strategy: how to reach different kinds of consumers, which tactics will help them understand the brand’s message best, and how to grow and develop the brand.

At the end of the day, all are great options, but Cocoon Career Consulting is here to help you choose the best one for YOU. We want to help you find a place where your skills are utilized and valued, but also one where you can learn and grow. Sometimes, the one you choose initially isn’t your forever home, and that’s ok too. Many people in the marketing industry have tried their hand in more than a few of these to find their sweet spot. Certain skills and interests translate from one to the next, but our goal is to help you find the one to achieve YOUR DREAM JOB!