sample business plan for an advertising agency

Advertising Agency Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their advertising agencies. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a advertising agency business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

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What Is an Advertising Agency Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your advertising agency business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for Your Advertising Agency

If you’re looking to start a advertising agency, or grow your existing ad agency business, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your advertising agency business in order to improve your chances of success. Your advertising agency business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Advertising agencies

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a advertising agency business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the advertising agency will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for social media marketing businesses.

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How to Write a Business Plan for an Ad Agency

If you want to start an advertising agency business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below are links to each section of your advertising agency business plan template:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of advertising agency you are operating and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have an advertising agency that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of advertising agencies?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the advertising industry. Discuss the type of advertising agency you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of advertising agency you are operating and your business model.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of advertising agencies:

• Full-Service Advertising Agency : this type of ad agency performs a variety of client services including digital, traditional, social media, radio and print advertising campaigns.
• Digital Advertising Agency: this type of ad agency focuses on digital marketing and advertising; social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, web design, and SEO.
• Traditional Advertising Agency: this type of ad agency specializes in traditional marketing and advertising campaigns in ways such as radio and television commercials, billboards, magazines, and newspapers advertisements.

In addition to explaining the type of advertising agency business you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of customers served, number of positive reviews, revenue generated from advertising campaigns, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the advertising agency industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the advertising agency industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy, particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your creative agency business plan:

• How big is the advertising agency industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your advertising agency business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your advertising agency business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: start-up companies, large corporations, small businesses and non-profit organizations.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of ad agency business you operate. Clearly, a well-established business looking to expand operations would respond to different marketing promotions than a small start-up, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most advertising agencies primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other advertising agencies.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes marketing agencies, graphic designers and freelancers.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other advertising agencies with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be house flippers located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What types of advertising do they specialize in?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide a wider variety of advertising services?
• Will you provide more team support?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a advertising agency business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of advertising agency company that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to advertising services, will you include public relations and/or social media management services as well?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your advertising agency company. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your advertising agency business located in a busy retail district, a business district, a stand-alone building, etc. Discuss how your location might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your advertising agency marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local websites
• Social media marketing
• Local radio advertising

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your advertising agency business, including marketing your services, obtaining new clients and launching new services.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to have X number marketing campaigns completed, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your business to a new city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your advertising agency business’ ability to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing advertising agencies. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in overseeing advertising campaigns or successfully running their own advertising agency.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you obtain two new clients per month or five? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your advertising agency business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a advertising agency business:

• Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
• Cost of equipment and supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office location lease or sample advertising campaigns.  

Putting together a business plan for your advertising agency is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will have an expert ad agency business plan; download it to PDF to show banks and investors. You will really understand the advertising agency industry, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful advertising agency business.

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Advertising Agency business plan?

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Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   See how Growthink’s professional business plan consulting services can create your business plan for you.

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Advertising Agency Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Advertising Agency Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Advertising Agency business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Advertising Agencies.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Advertising Agency business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

The Premium Advertising Agency is a startup advertising agency located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company is founded by Patricia and Danielle Swanson, sisters who have amassed millions of dollars for their clients over the past ten years while working at a national chain advertising agency. Now that they’ve garnered a positive reputation of securing a high rate of visibility and profitability for their clients, they have decided to form their own company and they’ve invited former clients to join them. They plan on recruiting a highly-effective team of associates to help manage their agency at the highest peak of performance and stellar results for their clients.

The Premium Advertising Agency will provide a comprehensive array of advertising services to a wide variety of companies and entities that need assistance in launching or growing their businesses. The Premium Advertising Agency will be a one-stop shop for everything needed to propel any business to the next level of profitability and exposure to new client bases within their local region. Premium Advertising Agency will be the ultimate choice in Cincinnati for advertising campaigns and services, while also being a moderately-priced agency in the city.

Product Offering

The following are the services that Premium Advertising Agency will provide:

• Full-service digital media marketing
• Targeted traffic campaigns
• Market research
• Strategic traditional advertising campaigns
• Innovative and results-driven solutions
• Social media analytics
• Content creation (website, social media)
• Influencer marketing
• Paid advertising campaigns
• Day to day account management

Customer Focus

Premium Advertising Agency will target small-to-large-sized businesses within the greater Cincinnati region. There is no company that is too small or too large that cannot benefit from a comprehensive and effective advertising promotion or ongoing advertising program. Premium Advertising Agency will target executive board members at networking events. Premium advertising Agency will target diverse, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses.

Premium Advertising Agency will target marketing managers via local and national associations.

Management Team

Premium Advertising Agency will be co-owned and operated by Patricia and Danielle Swanson. They have recruited Jay Jameson to be the Accounts Manager and Lawrence Slater to be the Staff Accountant. In addition, they have recruited Janelle Meredith to be the Human Resources Manager.

Patricia Swanson is a graduate of the University of Ohio, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Digital Marketing. Danielle Swanson is also a graduate of the University of Ohio, where her earned degree was in Business Management. Patricia and Danielle amassed millions of dollars for their clients over the past ten years while working at a national chain advertising agency. Now that they’ve garnered a positive reputation of securing a high rate of visibility and profitability for their clients, they have decided to form their own company and they’ve invited former clients to join them.

Success Factors

Premium Advertising Agency will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly-qualified team at the Premium Advertising Agency
• Comprehensive menu of services, including social media and digital campaigns
• Traditional advertising campaigns with highly-productive and profitable results
• Innovative techniques that solve the difficult advertising issues of today’s consumer groups
• Select marketing and advertising campaigns for startup companies.
• Premium Advertising Agency offers the best pricing packages for full-service, ongoing account maintenance or one-time marketing campaigns. Their pricing structure is the most cost effective when compared to their competition.

Financial Highlights

Premium Advertising Agency is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its Premium Advertising Agency. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Office space build-out: $20,000
• Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $10,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph outlines the financial projections for Premium Advertising Agency.

Company Overview

Who is premium advertising agency.

Premium Advertising Agency is a newly established, full-service advertising agency in Cincinnati, Ohio. Premium Advertising Agency will be the most reliable, effective, and results-driven choice for all businesses in Cincinnati and the surrounding communities. Premium Advertising Agency will provide a comprehensive menu of advertising and marketing services for any business, large or small, to utilize. Their full-service approach includes a comprehensive array of customized campaigns.

  Premium Advertising Agency will be able to actively manage every client account, with dedication to the unique needs of each client. The team of professionals are highly qualified and experienced in marketing and advertising across all traditional methods and digital platforms, as well. Premium Advertising Agency removes all the typical headaches and issues of advertising and marketing and ensures effective solutions are provided, while delivering the best customer service at the same time.

Premium Advertising Agency History

Since incorporation, Premium Advertising Agency has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Premium Advertising Agency, LLC to transact business in the state of California.
• Has a contract in place for a 20,000 square foot office in a midtown building.
• Reached out to numerous contacts and former clients to spread the word and follow Premium Advertising Agency to their new location.
• Began recruiting a staff of fifteen account managers and six office personnel to work at Premium Advertising Agency.

Premium Advertising Agency Services

The following will be the services Premium Advertising Agency will provide:

Industry Analysis

The advertising agency industry is expected to grow over the next five years to over $500 billion. The growth will be driven by an increased dependency on social media marketing and various forms of digital campaigns. These will replace some traditional forms of advertising and marketing. The growth will also be driven by an increased number of customers who view the internet for a variety of purposes, where advertisements can be strategically placed to influence buying decisions. The growth will also be driven by the application of technological solutions and invitations to consumers not yet known. The growth will be driven by fewer brick-and-mortar stores and an increase in online purchases and marketing campaigns thus directed. Costs will likely be reduced as digital platforms and consumer invitations will become more plentiful and thus, less expensive to produce.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Premium Advertising Agency will target the businesses in Cincinnati, Ohio. They will target marketing directors and executive personnel of companies. They will target startup companies that are diverse, woman-owned or veteran-owned. They will target associations and trade show events where personal meetings with executives can take place.

Customer Segmentation

Premium Advertising Agency will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Businesses in the Cincinnati, Ohio region.
• Marketing directors
• C-suite executives and decision-makers
• Startup company executives of diverse, woman-owned, or veteran-owned businesses
• Marketing association executives and thought leaders

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Premium Advertising Agency will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Boone & Stratton Advertising

Boone & Stratton Advertising provides comprehensive marketing and advertising services within Cincinnati, Ohio and the surrounding communities. The company is over 100 years old and is entrenched with family members of both original partners, Madison Boone and Jeremy Stratton. The company has 100 advertising managers, who primarily focus on traditional advertising methods in print, telephone, and added-value inserts in publications. The company leases a multi-story building in the downtown area of Cincinnati and is known for the “team spirit” of the advertising account managers and rigorous standards of professionalism required of each by the executive board members.

Although Boone & Stratton Advertising is well-entrenched in the Cincinnati business landscape, the company does not engage in digital marketing or social media outreach campaigns. This leaves the opening for newer, innovative companies to enter their space and engage with their customers, particularly if companies are targeting younger demographic audiences.

SportsSupport Ad Agency

The SportsSupport Ad Agency is a company that focuses on the sports industry throughout the U.S. The Cincinnati location is one of 25 within this national chain advertising agency and the focus for this location is on regional sports clients. The advertising agency has highly-segmented sports apparel clients directed toward outdoor winter activities, as well as spring, summer and fall activities that include boats, fishing and accessory clients for those targeted audience segments. SportsSupport Ad Agency uses social media marketing via popular channels and uses certain channels to conduct surveys or to test product ideas. Most of the campaigns are directed toward the executives within the industries related to sports and their ad budgets for the yearly track of traditional advertisements.

XYZ Digital Promotions

XYZ Digital Promotions is a social media marketing agency located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company targets the brand managers who oversee products that appeal to younger demographic customers. XYZ Digital Promotions claims to effectively enter and invite that target market better than any other advertising agency. XYZ Digital Promotions targets and partners with executives of beer, music festivals, streetwear, and hip hop music labels to bring the message to consumers via structured and direct digital campaigns.

XYZ Digital Promotions was founded in 2020 during the global pandemic. The brand messages offered to consumers were on-point and spoke to their “human condition,” as well as pointing to a variety of products to solve or provide solace for those hard conditions. Campaigns include new music cuts and contain an array of references to popular stars of the year, with memes and graphic art elements to most campaigns. XYZ Digital Promotions is a highly-segmented, successful advertising and marketing company directed to the consumer aged 17-25.

Competitive Advantage

Premium Advertising Agency will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

• Innovative techniques that solve the advertising issues of today’s consumer groups

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Premium Advertising Agency will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Highly-qualified team of skilled employees who are able to provide a comprehensive array of social media campaigns and traditional advertising techniques to ensure successful growth for their clients.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Premium Advertising Agency is as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Premium Advertising Agency has built up an extensive list of contacts and clients over the years by providing exceptional service and expertise to their account clients. Premium Advertising Agency invites former and current clients to follow them to the new company and help spread the word of the Premium Advertising Agency.

Professional Associations and Networking

Premium Advertising Agency will embark on a thorough campaign to network extensively through regional association and business groups. They will also target marketing directors and executive personnel within those same business groups. They will target startup companies that are diverse, woman-owned or veteran-owned.

Website/SEO Marketing

Premium Advertising Agency will fully utilize their website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Premium Advertising Agency provides. The website will also list their contact information. Agency brand managers, and list their top-tier brand alliances. The Premium Advertising Agency’s website presence will engage SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “advertising agency” or “marketing company near me”, Premium Advertising Agency will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Premium Advertising Agency will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive excellent value when purchasing their services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Premium Advertising Agency. Operation Functions:

• Patricia Swanson will be the President and co-owner of the company. Danielle Swanson will be the Vice President and co-owner of the company. They will oversee all staff and manage client relations. Danielle and Patricia have spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
• Jay Jameson, a former associate at their prior employer, will take on the role of the Accounts Manager, directing and assisting Account Representatives.
• Janelle Meredith, a former associate, will be the Administrative Manager, and will manage the office administration, client files, and provide human resources training.
• Lawrence Slater will be the Staff Accountant, providing all client accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.

Milestones:

Premium Advertising Agency will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.

• 5/1/202X – Finalize contract to lease office space
• 5/15/202X – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for Premium Advertising Agency
• 6/1/202X – Finalize contracts for Premium Advertising Agency clients
• 6/15/202X – Begin networking at industry events
• 6/22/202X – Begin moving into Premium Advertising Agency office
• 7/1/202X – Premium Advertising Agency opens its office for business

Jay Jameson, a former associate at their prior employer, will take on the role of the Accounts Manager, directing and assisting Account Representatives. Janelle Meredith, a former associate, will be the Administrative Manager, and will manage the office administration, client files, and provide human resources training. Lawrence Slater will be the Staff Accountant, providing all client accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Premium Advertising Agency are the fees they will charge to their clients for their advertising and marketing services.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff Premium Advertising Agency. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, office supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Premium Advertising Agency is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its advertising agency. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and association memberships. The breakout of the funding is below:

Key Assumptions

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of Clients Per Month: 35
• Average Revenue per Month: $175,000
• Office Lease per Year: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, advertising agency business plan faqs, what is an advertising agency business plan.

An advertising agency business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your advertising agency business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your Advertising Agency business plan using our Advertising Agency Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Advertising Agency Businesses? 

There are a number of different kinds of advertising agency businesses , some examples include: Full-Service Advertising Agency, Digital Advertising Agency, and Traditional Advertising Agency.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Advertising Agency Business Plan?

Advertising Agency businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start an Advertising Agency Business?

Starting an advertising agency business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop An Advertising Agency Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed advertising agency business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast. 

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your advertising agency business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your advertising agency business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Advertising Agency Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your advertising agency business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your advertising agency business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms.

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations.

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events.

7. Acquire Necessary Advertising Agency Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your advertising agency business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation.

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your advertising agency business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful advertising agency business:

• How to Start an Advertising Agency

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Advertising Agency Business Plan

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Promerit Advertising

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

Promerit Advertising will offer marketing services to companies that are looking to employ email marketing techniques as the cornerstone of their marketing program.  It is estimated that in Year 1, over 250 billion emails will travel across cyberspace.  Email marketing is quickly becoming a cost-effective method to reach a target audience.  According to Jupiter Communication research, email ad-response rates currently averages between five to 15 percent.  At the same time, the report noted that only 15 percent of Web users read all email messages in their entirety.

The potential is there but so is the risk that the target customer will completely reject the advertising.  Email marketing is a science.  There are effective strategies that will assure that the company will reach the greatest number of potential customers.

Promerit Advertising specializes in successful email marketing campaigns.  Its owners, Robert Humphrey and Cheryl Littlejohn have over eight years of experience in email marketing campaigns between them.  Robert was project leader for the successful Buy.com and Verison email marketing campaign.  Cheryl was technical lead of 800.com’s successful email campaign before joining Robert as technical lead of the Verison email campaign.

Promerit Advertising will design, build, test and deploy the email campaign.  It will also report the progress of the campaign in real-time to provide our customers maximum flexibility.  At the end of the campaign, Promerit will analyze its success in order to improve the company’s future campaigns.

1.1 Mission

Promerit Advertising will offer its customers the best methods and tools in planning and implementing a successful email campaign.  Our campaigns will cut through the mumbo jumbo of mass marketing, increase sales, and enhance customer satisfaction with the company.  Promerit Advertising email campaigns will grab readers immediately and drive home the right message to the right audience.  We will exceed our customers’ expectations for campaign returns.

Company Summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">

Promerit Advertising will design, build, test and deploy the email campaign.  It will also report the progress of the campaign in real-time to provide our customers maximum flexibility.  At the end of the campaign, Promerit will analyze its success in order to improve the company’s future campaigns. 

2.1 Company Ownership

Robert Humphrey and Cheryl Littlejohn are the owners of Promerit Advertising.

2.2 Start-up Summary

Robert Humphrey and Cheryl Littlejohn will invest equally in the company.  They will also secure a long-term business loan.  The following table and chart show projected initial start-up costs of Promerit Advertising.

The services offered by Promerit Advertising cover an email marketing project in its entirety, from original concept to post-campaign evaluation.  The service includes the following:

• Design the campaign
• Personalization and targeting
• Email list management
• Building deployment system
• Testing the plan
• Implementing the campaign
• Tracking the campaign’s progress in real-time
• Instant measurability for ROI analysis
• Post-campaign analysis

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

It was recently reported in an eMarketeer online advertising report that online promotions are very powerful with offline companies, as well as online companies.  Though offline companies are offering promotions that necessitate the customer going to one of the company’s stores, consumers feel positive about the online promotions.  This opens up a new avenue for these companies to target customer groups that use computers at work and at home. 

Consumers said they cared mostly about return policies, customer service, and product selection.  A very impressive 94 percent of surveyed users reported they have shopped online before.  About 76 percent of those surveyed said promotions were a positive influence on their buying behavior.  Some 50 percent said online coupons were especially persuasive while 70 percent found offline coupons equally attractive. 

An email campaign can be used to reach target customers no matter how small a company’s Internet presence is, as long as the customer wants the product.

4.1 Market Segmentation

There are two distinct customer groups that Promerit Advertising is focused on:

• Online companies with e-commerce
• Offline companies

4.2 Service Business Analysis

By any measure, the Internet is one of the fastest-growing commercial phenomena ever witnessed by society. Host computers, or servers, have exploded from 3.2 million in 1994 to roughly 79.2 million as of July 2001. During the same time period, the number of websites roared to more than 6 million from only 3,000.

A key factor in the recent growth of the Internet is the popularity of the sub-$1,000 PC. Rapidly falling component prices have allowed PC manufacturers to pass cost savings on to their customers, resulting in a more attractively priced product. Computers sold at or below the $1,000 level have appealed to first-time PC users and lower income families. Because of the more affordable prices, PC penetration in the United States is now approximately 50%, according to Dataquest, a market research firm based in San Jose, California.

The United States accounts for more than half of the world’s total Internet users. When consumers today are asked why they purchased a personal computer, the most common answer is to connect to the Internet to get their email.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

Promerit Advertising’s strategy is to utilize the extensive network of contacts both Robert and Cheryl have with companies already sold on the value of email marketing.  In addition, Promerit will use its internal expertise to launch an email marketing campaign directed at a select group of its target customers. 

5.1 Marketing Strategy

With over two million potential customers, Promerit Advertising will focus an email campaign on a select group of 50,000 businesses each fiscal quarter.  We estimate a five percent response rate to the campaign which will generate 1,250 leads.  These leads will then be used to generate business contacts.  Over the year, we will generate 5,000 leads.

5.2 Sales Strategy

Promerit Advertising’s sales strategy is simple.  We will use the email marketing campaign directed at our customer base as a model of what we can accomplish for them.  We anticipate that online companies will be most accessible to our services.  We will be successful with offline companies overtime, but initially sales will be weak with this group.

5.2.1 Sales Forecast

5.3 Competitive Edge

Robert Humphrey has five years of experience in email marketing campaigns and ten years of experience in direct marketing.  He is a graduate of Ohio State University with a BA in marketing.  Robert worked with several advertising companies before arriving at Kemp and Johnson Advertising in 1997.  With Kemp and Johnson, Robert created and grew the Internet marketing group.  Robert was project leader for the successful Buy.com and Verison email marketing campaign. 

Cheryl Littlejohn graduated with a BS in computer science from UCLA in 1996.  She immediately went to work for the Internet start-up Temple Communication as an IT administrator.  She left in 1998 to join the start-up 800.com as the technical lead of its email campaign.  In 2000, she joined Richard’s Internet group at Kemp and Johnson as technical lead of the Verison email marketing campaign.

Email marketing is an emerging marketing tool with few industry experts.  Robert and Cheryl’s accomplishments over the past three years has been singled out by the industry as models for successful email marketing campaigns.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

Robert Humphrey will be responsible for tactical elements of the marketing campaign and Cheryl Littlejohn will manage the technical aspects of the campaign. 

6.1 Personnel Plan

In addition to Robert and Cheryl, there will be three other staff members:

• Secretary/Receptionist
• Salesperson

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

The financial plan is presented in the following topics.

7.1 Break-even Analysis

The monthly sales break-even point is is shown in the table and chart below.

7.2 Projected Profit and Loss

The following table and charts outline the projected profit and loss for three years.  We estimate that the agency will not be profitable until the second year of operation.  Promerit Advertising will then grow by about 9% for the second and third year. 

7.3 Projected Cash Flow

The following table and chart highlight the projected cash flow for three years. 

7.4 Projected Balance Sheet

The table shows projected balance sheet for three years.

7.5 Business Ratios

Business ratios for the years of this plan are shown below.  Industry profile ratios based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code 7311, Advertising Agencies, are shown for comparison.

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Digital Advertising Agency Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Internet Based Industry » Digital Marketing Agency

Are you about starting a starting a digital advertising agency ? If YES, here’s a complete sample digital advertising agency business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE to raise money .

If you have a penchant for advertising, then you may want to start a business that revolves around it. In many countries of the world like America, you are required to be a member of a body, as well as get some certifications in some advertising fields. These hurdles stated, helps you to operate at a much deeper level that stands you out in business.

A Sample Digital Advertising Agency Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

A standard Advertising agency create advertising campaigns for periodicals, newspapers, radio, TV and other media platforms such as social media. Through internal capabilities or delegating, ad agencies provide advice, creative services, account management, production of advertising campaign material and of course media planning and buying like ad placement et al.

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Establishments in the Advertising Agencies industry are responsible for creating advertising campaigns and place the advertisements in periodicals, newspapers, radio, TV and other media outlets such as social media and digital media platforms.

The arrival of new media and, in particular, the trend moving away from traditional media and toward digital and online services, has stimulated a drastic change in advertising strategies. As a matter of fact, loads of traditional advertising agencies have started to specialize in online advertising cum digital marketing so as to stay competitive in the industry.

As a result of this trend, the revenue generated in the industry has grown tremendously over the years. Going forward, the Advertising Agencies industry will continue to experience sustained growth, as the proliferation of digital devices, such as tablets and smartphones, provide new streams of income.

No doubt, the Advertising Agencies industry is in the mature phase of its life cycle and luckily for the industry, the advent of digital media has provided an opportunity for the industry to explore and experience vibrant growth. Of course, the industry is becoming more concentrated, as seen by a few large global firms dominating the market and gaining huge market share of the available market.

The Advertising Agencies Industry is indeed a very large industry and pretty much thriving in all parts of the world especially in developed countries such as united states of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, France and Italy et al.

Statistics has it that in the United States of America alone, there are about 65,454 licensed and registered advertising agencies responsible for employing about 251,296 employees and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $43billion annually with an annual growth rate projected at 3.5 percent. It is important to state that the establishments with lion shares of the available market in this industry are The Omnicom Group Inc., WPP and IPG.

Over and above, advertising agencies cannot be phased out despite the change in advertising approaches and the emergence of new media. It is easier for advertising agencies to leverage on modern technology to reach – out to their target market. As a matter of fact, it is cost effective and far reaching for them to make use of social media platforms to carry out some of their advertising campaigns.

2. Executive Summary

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is a U.S based and world class advertising agency that will be located in Los Angeles – California. We have been able to secure a standard and well – positioned office facility in a central business district in Inglewood.

We are an advertising agency that is set to compete in the highly competitive advertising agencies industry not only in the United States market, but also in the global market because our clientele base will not be restricted to just businesses and organizations in the United States but in the internal market.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. will offer robust advertising services to both corporate organization and individuals. Our core services will revolve around creating advertising campaigns and place the advertisements in periodicals, newspapers, radio, TV and other media outlets such as social media and digital media platforms and other related advertising and media consulting and advisory services.

Our business goal is to become one of the leading advertising agencies in the United States of America with high profile corporate and individual clients scattered all around the globe. Our workers are going to be selected from a pool of talented and highly creative advertising and media experts in and around Los Angeles – California and also from any part of the world as the business grows.

We will make sure that we take all the members of our workforce through the required trainings that will position them to meet the expectation of the company and to compete with leading advertising agencies such as The Omnicom Group Inc., WPP and IPG in the United States and of course throughout the globe.

At Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc., our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s business needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is founded by Lilian Goldberg and her friend and business partner for many years Lesly Henderson. They both graduated from University of California, Beckley with BA in Mass Communications and they have a combine experience that revolves around corporate branding and advertising, market researching, sales, web designing, graphic designing, and business management et al.

3. Our Products and Services

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. was established with the aim of maximizing profits in the Advertising Agencies industry. We want to compete favorably with leading advertising agencies such as The Omnicom Group Inc., WPP and IPG in the United States and of course throughout the globe which is why we have but in place a competent team that will ensure that we meet and even surpass our customers’ expectations.

We will work hard to ensure that Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. do not just work for clients in the United States of America, but also for clients in other parts of the world. Our products and services are listed below;

• Advertising services
• Creative services
• Public relations services
• Media planning, buying & representation
• Creating advertising campaigns
• Disseminating advertising campaigns through available mediums, such as TV and periodicals
• Other related media and advertising advisory and consulting services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to establish a standard and world class advertising agency whose services and brand will not only be accepted in the United States of America, but also in other parts of the world.
• Our mission is to provide professional and highly creative result oriented advertising services and other related advisory and consulting services that will assist businesses, individuals and non-profit organizations in promoting their brands and reaching out to a wide range of potential customers all over the globe.
• We want to build an advertising agency that can favorably compete with other leading brands in the advertising agencies industry.

Our Business Structure

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is a world class advertising agency that intend starting small in Los Angeles – California, but hope to grow big in order to compete favorably with leading advertising agencies such as The Omnicom Group Inc., WPP and IPG in the United States and of course throughout the globe.

We are aware of the importance of building a solid business structure that can support the picture of the kind of world class business we want to own. This is why we are committed to only hiring the best hands within our area of operations.

At Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. we will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, hardworking, and creative, result driven, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more as agreed by the board of trustees of the company. In view of the above, Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer
• Creative Director

Advertising cum Digital Marketing Specialist

Human Resources and Admin Manager

• Sales and Marketing Executive
• Web Designer cum Graphic Artist
• Content Creator / Online Traffic Generator

Client Service Executive

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization

Creative Director:

• Serve as project manager of the organization; works directly with employees
• Responsible for designing advertising concepts and winning business proposals for the organization
• In charge of copy writing and laying out chronological advertisement plans
• Develops strategic plan by studying technological and financial opportunities; presenting assumptions; recommending objectives.
• Accomplishes subsidiary objectives by establishing plans, budgets, and results measurements; allocating resources; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections.
• Coordinates efforts by establishing procurement, production, marketing, field, and technical services policies and practices; coordinating actions with corporate staff.
• Builds company image by collaborating with customers, government, community organizations, and employees; enforcing ethical business practices.
• Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organization standards.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies.
• Make certain that operations and marketing department perform efficiently, coordinate employee efforts, and facilitate communications between management and employees
• Ensures that the organization work in line with international best practices.
• Responsible for handling media planning, buying & representation
• Responsible for creating advertising campaigns
• Responsible for disseminating advertising campaigns through available mediums, such as TV, Radio and periodicals et al
• Responsible for handling core digital services such as banner advertising, video advertising, rich media advertising, sponsorship advertising, classifieds/directories, lead generation, mobile messaging/email, digital display advertising, mobile advertising, social media management
• Handle other related media and advertising advisory and consulting services
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Enhances department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
• Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carrying out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Oversee the smooth running of the daily office.

Sales and Marketing Manager

• Manage external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
• Model demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of development projects.
• Writing winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with organizations’ policy
• Responsible for handling business research, market surveys and feasibility studies for clients
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develop, execute and evaluate new plans for expanding increase sales
• Create new markets cum businesses for the organization
• Empower and motivates the sales team to meet and surpass agreed targets

Accountant / Cashier:

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for Zebra Plus Digital Marketing Consulting™, LLC
• Serves as internal auditor for Zebra Plus Digital Marketing Consulting™, LLC.

Web Designer cum Graphic Designers

• Liaising with clients to determine their requirement and budget
• Responsible for Optimizing Website Functionality for owners of existing websites
• Responsible for Search Engine Optimization Services and Code Writing Services
• Responsible for developing concepts, graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and websites
• Responsible for managing client proposals from typesetting through to design, print and production
• Responsible for preparing drafts or material based on an agreement brief.
• Research and advice the organization on style, genre and other trendy info as it relates to new media and traditional media advertising.

Content Creator / Traffic Generator

• Responsible for creating contents for the organization as it relates to advertising
• Responsible for creating content / buzz words that will help attract traffics
• Responsible for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Responsible for engaging internet users to get help statistics and leads
• Liaising and working effectively With other staff members to generate sales for our clients
• Welcomes clients and potential clients by greeting them in person, online or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the creative director in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries.

6. SWOT Analysis

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring to assist our organization in building a well – structured advertising agency that can favorably compete in the highly competitive advertising agencies industry in the United States and the world at large.

We know that if we get things right before starting our advertising agency, we will not have to struggle before attract loyal clients and building our clientele base cum corporate profile to a level where we can easily breakeven in record time.

We hired the services of Dr. Edwards Christopher, a HR and Business consultant with bias in business structuring to help us conduct SWOT analysis for our company and he did a pretty good job for us. Here is a of the result we got from the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc.;

Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of creative, result driven and highly proficient advertising cum digital marketing expert, a team with excellent qualifications and experience various niche areas in the advertising agencies industry and other related industry.

Aside from the synergy that exist in our carefully selected advertising cum digital marketing experts, our services will be measurable, result driven and guided by best practices in the industry.

As a new advertising agency in Los Angeles – California, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from top profile clients in the already saturated and highly competitive advertising agencies industry; that is perhaps our major weakness.

Another weakness is that we may not have the required cash to pump into promoting our business especially via main stream media (TV, Radio and Newspapers et al) the way we would want to.

• Opportunities:

No doubt, the opportunities available in the advertising agencies industry is massive considering the number of individuals and corporate organizations with active presence on the internet and of course the pretty large numbers of people who visit the internet / social media platforms on a daily basis and own mobile phones / smart phones and other related gadgets.

As a standard and world class advertising agency, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that is available in the industry.

Just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of advertising agency, a digital marketing agency or even a social media marketing company in same location where our target market exist and who may want to adopt same Business model like us.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

It is trendier in recent time to note that, loads of traditional advertising agencies have started to specialize in online advertising cum digital marketing so as to stay competitive in the industry. As a result of this trend, the revenue generated in the industry has grown tremendously over the years.

Going forward, the Advertising Agencies industry will continue to experience sustained growth, as the proliferation of digital devices, such as tablets and smartphones, provide new streams of income.

Another common trend in the advertising agencies industry is that, majority of advertising agencies no longer rely on tradition media for advertisement, they now fully embrace new media. As a result of this trend, they no longer settle for clients within the location where their physical office is located but also from any part of the world.

The truth is that with the advent of the internet, it is now easier for an advertising agency to work for clients in any part of the world. For instance, an advertising agency can be located in the United States of America and have their biggest client in United Arab Emirates or in China. Many thanks to the power of the internet which has brought the world closer to us.

Lastly, the advertising agencies industry will continue to evolve due to the advancement of computer technology and software applications designs et al.

8. Our Target Market

Prior to starting our advertising agency, we are certain that there is a wide range of both corporate and individual clients who cannot successfully run their businesses without the services and support of a standard advertising agencies; a company that can help them reach out to their target market and effectively promote their corporate brand and image.

In view of that, we have created strategies that will enable us reach out to various corporate organizations, non – profits, government agencies and individual who we know can’t afford to do without our services. We have conducted our market research and survey and we will ensure that we meet and surpass the expectations of our clients

Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically market our services to;

• Banks, Insurance Companies and other related Financial Institutions
• Blue Chips Companies
• Corporate Organizations
• Manufacturers and Distributors
• Real Estate Owners, Developers, and Contractors
• Research and Development Companies
• The Government (Public Sector)
• Schools (High Schools, Colleges and Universities)
• Celebrities, Politicians, Public Figures and Public Speakers
• Sport Organizations
• Religious Organizations
• Political Parties
• Television Stations
• Printing Press (Publishing Houses) and Authors
• Branding and Advertising agencies
• Aspiring celebrities
• Entrepreneurs and Start – Ups

Our Competitive Advantage

Surviving in the business world as an advertising agency requires more than, your expertise, knowing how to conduct your business but also how to network with key people that matters; decision makers that can decide who will get a contract or a business deal.

We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the advertising agencies industry means that you are not only expected to be able to deliver consistent and excellent services, but you must be result driven and able to meet set targets. No one would want to continue to hire your services if don’t always meet up with the target sales the organization intends to generate when they hire your services.

Our competitive advantage lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of creative, result driven and highly proficient advertising cum digital marketing experts, a team with excellent qualifications and experience various niche areas in the advertising agencies industry and other related industry.

Lastly, all our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups advertising agencies in the United States) in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the advertising agencies industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to meet and surpass the expectations of all our clients.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. will generate income by offering the following advertising cum digital marketing services and other related services;

• Disseminating advertising campaigns through available mediums, such as TV, radio and periodicals

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, there would always be corporate organizations, government agencies, non – profits and individuals who would need the services of advertising agencies to help them increase sales or promote their brands and corporate image.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is well positioned to take on the available market in advertising agencies industry and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow our advertising agencies to enviable heights.

We have been able to critically examine the advertising agencies marketing space and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection is based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to similar startups in Los Angeles – California.

Below is the sales projection for Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc., it is based on the location of our business and of course the wide range of our media and advertising services we offer and our target market;

• First Fiscal Year-: $200,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $500,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $750,000

N.B : This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same advertising agency services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there is stiffer competition in the advertising agencies industry; hence we have been able to hire some of the best marketing experts to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the advertising agencies industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall business goal of Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc.

Our corporate goal is to grow Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. to become one of the leading advertising agency brands in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in the United States of America but also in other parts of the world.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our advertising agency by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to individuals, corporate organizations, government agencies, non – profits, religious organizations and key stake holders.
• Promptness in bidding for advertising and digital marketing contracts from the government and other cooperate organizations
• Advertise our business in relevant business magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
• List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
• Attend relevant international and local expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver excellent services
• Leverage on the internet to promote our business
• Engage direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our in house brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. We are set to become the number one choice for both corporate clients and individual clients in the whole of the United States and beyond which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our advertising agency.

Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc.;

• Place adverts on both print (newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community based events / programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook , twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our services
• Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations all around Los Angeles – California
• Engage in road show from time to time in targeted neighborhoods
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
• Contact corporate organizations, non – profits and government agencies by calling them up and informing them of Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. and the services we offer
• List Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. in local directories / yellow pages
• Advertise Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site.
• Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our company logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

At Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. we will keep the prices of our services below the average market rate for all of our customers by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance from corporate organizations who would hire our services. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our customers at regular intervals.

We are aware that there are some one – off jobs or government contracts which are always lucrative, we will ensure that we abide by the pricing model that is expected from contractors or organizations that bid for such contracts.

• Payment Options

At Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc., our payment policy will be all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that we will make available to our clients;

• Payment by via bank transfer
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via bank draft
• Payment via mobile money
• Payment with cash

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans with little or no itches. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials so that it will be easier for clients to make payments when necessary.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

It is a known fact that, in setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting a place, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business. The materials and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.

As for the detailed cost analysis for starting a standard advertising agency; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. However, this is what it would cost us to setup Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. in the United of America;

• Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
• The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
• Leasing / renting an office space in a good location in Los Angeles – California that will accommodate the number of employees for at least 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $150,000.
• The cost for furnishing and equipping the office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, servers / internet facility, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $30,000
• The amount required to purchase the needed software applications – $3,500
• Launching an official Website will cost – $500
• The amount need to pay bills and staff members for at least 2 to 3 months – $70,000
• Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $5,000
• Miscellaneous – $5000

Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about two hundred and fifty thousand ( 250,000 ) U.S. dollars to successfully set – up a medium scale but standard advertising agency in the United States of America.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is a business that will be owned, financed and managed by Lilian Goldberg and her friend and business partner for many years Lesly Henderson. They are the sole financial of the business which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital for the business to just three major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings and sale of his stocks
• Generate part of the start – up capital from friends and other extended family members
• Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).

N.B: We have been able to generate about $100,000 (Personal savings $85,000 and soft loan from family members $15,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $150,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

It is an established fact that, the future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our advertising services and other related media and advertising advisory and consulting services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Lemon & Lilac™ Advertising Agency, Inc. will make sure that the right foundation, structures and standard operating processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more as determined by the board of the organization. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check:>Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Securing a standard office facility in a good location in Los Angeles – California: Completed
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the start – up capital from the founders: Completed
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of Logo for the business: Completed
• Secure trademark for our products: In Progress
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the Needed furniture, office equipment, software applications, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In Progress
• Creating Official Website for the business: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in various industries: In Progress

Free Advertising Agency Templates

We’ve collected the most useful free advertising agency templates in several formats. These templates provide a framework for agencies, marketers, brand managers, and more to manage partnerships for optimal performance and business goal alignment.

By Joe Weller | December 15, 2023

Simple Advertising Agency Creative Brief Template

This easy-to-use template guides you through defining the critical elements of your advertising project — from the client details and brand identity to the campaign objective and core message. With designated sections for comments and approvals, this template ensures clarity and consistency across your team, simplifying project sign-offs and enhancing collaboration.

Download Template for

Microsoft Word      Google Docs

Basic Advertising Agency Campaign Brief Template

Maximize your advertising campaign's potential with this basic campaign brief template, available with or without sample data. The template guides you through every critical aspect of campaign planning, from an in-depth client overview to a comprehensive summary of the project objectives, audience targeting, strategy, scheduling, budgeting, and competitive analysis.

Download Template with Sample Copy for

Microsoft Word      Adobe PDF      Google Docs  

Download Blank Template for

Advertising Agency Business Plan Template

This detailed template, available with or without sample data, covers essential components, such as a business summary, a situational analysis, core and marketing capabilities, strategic goals, and a focused marketing strategy. With sections dedicated to performance standards and financial planning, you can set clear benchmarks and track progress.

Microsoft Word    Adobe PDF    Google Docs

Advertising Agency Marketing Plan Template

Maximize your brand's potential by using this marketing plan template. With this tool, you can articulate a robust advertising strategy, insightful analytics, impactful content, and social media initiatives. Set in a monthly framework, this template lets you coordinate your marketing efforts across various platforms, propelling your campaigns to new heights.

Excel → Smartsheet

Advertising Agency RFP Template

Available with or without sample data, the template blends ready-to-use text and adaptable, fillable sections, so it’s ideal for agencies seeking to increase efficiency without sacrificing impact.

Download Template with Sample Data for

Microsoft Word   Adobe PDF    Google Docs Download Blank Template for

Microsoft Word   Adobe PDF    Google Docs

AI vs. creativity. Allies or adversaries?

Explore AI’s impact on creativity in a thought-provoking webinar featuring creative and marketing leaders from Agency FIFTY3, Puke Rainbows Creative, and Smartsheet. Delve into practical and ethical aspects of applying AI to creativity and its potential implications for the future.

Advertising Agency Proposal Presentation Template

Illuminate your agency's insights with slides dedicated to your situation analysis, array of services, transparent cost investment details, and timelines. Download with or without sample data.

PowerPoint   Google Slides

Advertising Agency Invoice Template

Available with or without sample data, use this template to itemize services, such as market research, creative design, and digital marketing. This tool automatically calculates totals.

Excel   Google Sheets

Advertising Agency Scope of Work Template

This template, available with or without sample data, guides you through each step of planning complex marketing campaigns by providing a clear framework for all involved parties.

Microsoft Word   Adobe PDF   Google Docs

Advertising Agency Cost Estimate Template

With columns for item names, quantities, prices, and totals, this template simplifies advertising-estimation. It automatically adds up costs, so you can present clients with accurate budget predictions.

Advertising Agency Campaign Template

Optimize your multichannel advertising strategy with this template. As you input each advertising element's forecasted and actual results, the template calculates the total response rate and cost.

Excel   Google Sheets  

Advertising Agency Campaign Timeline Template

This template offers a blueprint, guiding you from the conception to culmination of a campaign. For those seeking inspiration, the sample version is pre-filled with a timeline of an example campaign.

Excel   PowerPoint  

Excel   PowerPoint

Advertising Agency Campaign Presentation Template

Use this template, available in both a blank version and a pre-filled sample version, to detail target audiences, unique offerings, business and marketing goals, strategic actions, and KPIs.

Advertising Agency Monthly Client Report Template

Use this visually dynamic template to showcase advertising success by including the reach by channel, overall campaign effectiveness, conversion rate, customer acquisition, and lead generation.

Advertising Agency Dashboard Template

Complete with interactive CPA and CPC bar graphs, an acquisitions distribution chart, and a detailed CTR comparison across campaigns, this dashboard transforms data into actionable insights.

Advertising Agency Status Report Template

The template simplifies the reporting process with activity, status, ownership, and key date columns for each advertising campaign. The tool includes sample activity phases for a structured overview.

Streamline and Elevate Your Advertising Processes with Smartsheet

The best marketing teams know the importance of effective campaign management, consistent creative operations, and powerful event logistics -- and Smartsheet helps you deliver on all three so you can be more effective and achieve more. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed.

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Improve your marketing efforts and deliver best-in-class campaigns.

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Must-have Advertising Agency Business Plan Templates with Examples and Samples

Taranjeet Singh

In the fast-paced world of advertising, success hinges on strategy and precision. It's a place where creativity meets business acumen, and every campaign, big or small, requires proper planning. To thrive in this dynamic industry, having a solid advertising agency business plan is not just a luxury; it's an absolute necessity.

According to a recent American Association of Advertising Agencies survey, 8 of 10 advertising agencies that invest time and effort into crafting a well-structured business plan experience higher growth rates and better overall performance. This statistic underscores the significance of a solid plan in a field where fierce competition and client demands are ever-evolving.

Elevate your business to new heights with our proven digital marketing strategy templates .

But here's the challenge: creating a comprehensive advertising agency business plan from scratch can be daunting. It involves weaving together market research, financial projections, marketing strategies, and more. That's where our 100% customizable Must-Have Advertising Agency Business Plan Templates come into play.

These templates aren't just any run-of-the-mill slides; they are carefully crafted, professionally designed, and strategically structured to help you nail that pitch and secure the client of your dreams.

Get your advertising campaign off to a great start with our advertising proposal templates .

In the world of advertising, presentation is everything. Your pitch needs to captivate, convince, and leave a lasting impression. With our collection of advertising agency business plan PowerPoint templates, you have the power to do just that. Whether you're a seasoned ad agency pro or just starting your journey in the industry, these templates are your shortcut to success.

In this blog, we will explore the world of these game-changing templates, their features, their benefits, and how they can elevate your advertising agency's game. 

Let's begin!

Template 1: One Pager for Digital Advertising Agency Business Plan Slide

This single-page PowerPoint template is a concise and comprehensive tool designed to streamline your digital advertising agency's strategic planning process. It offers a straightforward and highly organized format, enabling you to present crucial information with clarity and efficiency.

On the Left of the Template, you can include :

• Business Overview : providing a snapshot of your agency's mission, vision, and core values.
• Services Offered and Pricing : Showcasing your services and pricing structures, helping potential clients understand your value.
• Competitor Analysis : Presenting insights into your competitors, highlighting your unique selling points.
• Projected Balance Sheet : Sharing a glimpse of your financial projections, demonstrating the soundness of your business strategy.

On the Right, you can emphasize:

• Objectives : Defining your agency's short-term and long-term goals, setting the stage for a clear roadmap.
• Target Market : Identifying your ideal clientele and the markets you aim to serve.
• SWOT Analysis : Conducting a thorough SWOT analysis to assess your agency's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Marketing Strategies and Action Plan : Outlining your marketing approaches and the actionable steps to achieve your goals.
• Annual Profit and Loss Statement : Presenting a brief financial summary, giving stakeholders confidence in your agency's profitability.

This premium template is designed for efficiency and simplicity, enabling you to effectively communicate your agency's business plan. Download this tool today and streamline your strategic planning process, setting your digital advertising agency on a path to success. With all the essential information in one place, you can concentrate on executing your strategies and achieving your goals.

Download Now!

Template 2: One-pager for Outdoor Advertising Agency Business Plan Template

This PowerPoint PPT encapsulates the essence of your outdoor advertising agency's strategic vision. In a single page, this PowerPoint template empowers you to articulate key elements crucial for your business's success such as business overview, target market, marketing plan, objectives, etc. You can also focus on other vital factors of your business plan which include: 

• Major Competitors : Analyzing the competitive landscape, identifying key players in the outdoor advertising industry and showcasing how your agency stands out.
• Operational Action Plan : Describing the steps you'll take to execute your strategies and attain your objectives.
• Management Team : Introducing your leadership and key team members, emphasizing their expertise and experience in the field.
• Projected Financial Overview : Providing a glimpse into your agency's financial health, including revenue projections, expenses, and profitability forecasts.

At the end of your presentation, we offer a convenient download option to ensure your stakeholders can access this vital information easily. With our PowerPoint presentation, you'll have a powerful tool to communicate your business vision, strategy, and potential to investors, partners, and clients on a single, efficient page. Download it now to take your outdoor advertising agency to new heights.

Template 3: One-pager Advertisement Agency Start-Up Business Plan Presentation Framework

This one-page PowerPoint template will help you streamline your start-up's key business plan components. In today's fast-paced business world, clarity and brevity are paramount, and our framework delivers just that. This ready to use PPT template clearly highlights the nitty-gritty of a well-curated business plan such as, 

• Executive Summary : Showcasing a compelling snapshot of your agency's mission, vision, and value proposition. 
• Objectives : Setting clear and measurable goals that drive your agency forward. Whether it's market expansion, revenue targets, or customer acquisition, this section helps stakeholders understand your vision.
• Service Offering : Outlining your agency's core services succinctly. From creative advertising campaigns to digital marketing solutions, present a snapshot of what you excel at.
• Marketing Mix : Describing your strategy for product, price, place, and promotion. How will you position your agency in the market? Highlight key differentiators.
• Ownership Structure : Sharing insights into your company's ownership, including any strategic partnerships or investments.
• Media Channels : Presenting the platforms and channels through which you'll connect with your target audience. 
• Management Team : Spotlighting the expertise and experience of your leadership. Showcase your team's capabilities and their roles in driving success.
• Industry Figures : Providing key statistics and insights about the advertising industry. This section underscores the market's potential and your agency's strategic fit.

Simplify your business planning process, enhance your pitch, and download the template today to get started on your journey to advertising success.

Strategic Roadmap to Success

In the dynamic realm of advertising, having a solid plan is the cornerstone of success. Our Business Plan PowerPoint templates empower you to create compelling presentations that resonate with clients and partners. These templates simplify the complex and enhance your agency's professionalism, helping you stand out in a crowded market. Elevate your pitches, win more business, and propel your agency towards lasting success with these indispensable tools.

Moreover, our templates are constantly updated to align with industry trends and design standards, ensuring that your presentations remain fresh and relevant. Invest in your agency's future success today, and watch your business thrive in the ever-evolving advertising landscape. PS: Don't let your competition get ahead of you. Get started on your digital marketing strategy today with our digital marketing templates .

FAQs on Advertising Agency

How profitable is an advertising agency.

The profitability of an advertising agency can vary widely depending on several factors. These include the agency's size, location, reputation, client base, and the effectiveness of its marketing strategies. Advertising agencies can be profitable when they successfully attract and retain a diverse portfolio of clients.

Key revenue sources for advertising agencies include client fees, which can be based on a retainer or project-based model, and commissions or mark-ups on media purchases. Agencies may also generate income through creative services, such as design and copywriting, as well as digital marketing and social media management.

Profit margins can be healthy, especially when agencies manage overhead costs efficiently and maintain long-term client relationships. However, competition in the industry is fierce, and agencies must continually adapt to changing consumer trends and technology.

Overall, an advertising agency's profitability hinges on its ability to consistently deliver effective campaigns, meet client objectives, and manage its finances prudently in a dynamic and competitive market.

What is the business plan of an agency?

An agency's business plan outlines its strategic objectives, operations, and financial projections. It defines the agency's mission, target market, and services offered. The program includes marketing strategies to attract clients, details on team structure and responsibilities, and a budget with revenue forecasts and expenses. It also outlines growth strategies, risk management, and a timeline for achieving goals. A well-crafted business plan is a roadmap for the agency's success, guiding decision-making and helping secure funding or investments if needed.

How do I write a business plan for a marketing agency?

To craft a business plan for a marketing agency:

• Begin with a clear executive summary outlining your agency's mission, services, and target market.
• Detail your market research, competition analysis, and unique selling points.
• Define your organizational structure, team, and financial projections, including income, expenses, and funding requirements.
• Develop a thorough marketing and sales strategy, showcasing your client acquisition and retention approach.
• Provide a roadmap for growth and contingency plans.

A well-structured, compact business plan will guide your agency's success and attract potential investors or clients.

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• Top 10 Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan Templates with Samples and Examples (Editable Word Doc, Excel and PDF Included)

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