An advertising broker is a business professional who works with clients to match them with the best possible advertising partners, allowing them to get the most out of their advertising campaigns. The ad broker, like any other type of brokerage, assists clients in assessing their needs, making recommendations on how to proceed, and then finalizing the business connections required to make the advertising campaign work. Brokers of this type may work with a variety of media or specialize in a specific type of media, such as print publications or online advertisements.
The advertising broker’s job usually starts with assisting clients in determining what types of advertising strategies would best help them reach their target audiences while staying within their advertising budget. This frequently necessitates the client and broker spending time together exploring various options based on the company’s size, type, and goals. Once both the advertising broker and the customer have a clear understanding, it is possible to start evaluating different advertising options and identifying advertisers and marketers who are highly likely to be a good fit for the customer.
An advertising broker is likely to have established relationships with a number of different advertising agencies that handle a variety of media. This is frequently in the broker’s clientele’s best interests, as he or she will already be aware of what each of those advertisers can offer in terms of marketing opportunities. Rather than having to devote time and other resources to finding the right advertising agency or agencies to work with, the broker serves as the means of identifying the right partners sooner rather than later, a service that often saves the company a great deal of money over the long term.
After assisting in the formation of a relationship between an agency and a client, the advertising broker’s level of involvement varies. In some cases, the broker remains a key point of contact throughout the relationship, frequently acting as the client’s agent when it comes to communicating the client’s needs to the advertising agency. At other times, the broker simply brings the parties together, establishes the client-agency contractual relationship, and then exits the partnership. The advertising broker may receive a single commission for orchestrating the relationship, or ongoing commissions in exchange for remaining an integral part of the relationship, depending on the nature of the arrangement.