Team structure: which model to choose for an advertising agency
Like any other business, an advertising agency’s success depends on well-organised processes. An essential part of this is the team structure, its well-thought-out hierarchy and division of responsibilities. This ensures good communication within the company and high-quality services for clients.
Team structuring involves dividing and grouping people according to their responsibilities. It also allows you to define each specialist’s role and subordination levels. There are two types of structures:
- Mechanical, which helps create formal relationships within the workforce and centralises leadership.
- The organisational structure helps to improve communication between departments. It also aims to create a more democratic relationship with management to speed up problem-solving.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both options. The choice of one or the other structure depends on the company’s characteristics and objectives.
Organisational type models
There are several models of organisation, the most common of which are the following.
- The traditional model is the one most often in use for work organisation in large companies with a wide range of services. It can make it easier to manage a large number of employees. The key point in this case is the centralisation of authority. In addition to the head of the agency, it is important to identify several departments and managers for them. A large company needs the following departments:
- creative;
- client;
- production;
- financial.
The traditional model has some drawbacks. The first is the disjointed nature of the departments. This structure type is unsuitable for companies that work with the same client in several areas.
- The matrix model also involves the creation of departments and their management. However, this structure is quite flexible and encourages better communication between departments. This system is ideal for companies that offer a full range of services. The disadvantage of this model can be problems for the team in terms of subordination and grouping of employees. It is essential to clarify who people should focus on – the project manager or the department manager.
- Capsule system. This model aims to simplify the approval process by reducing the number of management positions. This, in turn, increases responsibility within the team, which helps to optimise productivity.
Hierarchical differences
The type of agency influences the structure of the team. For example, if a company specialises exclusively in SEO, it will be sufficient to create 3 departments:
- content Marketing;
- project management;
- technical.
In this case, the traditional hierarchy model will be effective.
Close communication between different specialists is characteristic of a creative agency. The matrix model will help maintain a certain team composition in each department. At the same time, it does not limit their interaction.
A geographical structure will be the optimal solution for companies with several offices. This structure involves centralisation based on location, which helps to improve efficiency within each office. However, it is also vital to ensure effective communication and interaction between different regions.
