ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the advertising landscape and industry structure. It explains some of the key stakeholders who operate in the sector and, in particular, the role and responsibility of the advertiser, advertising agency and the media owner. Consideration is given to reasons why advertisers choose to use the services of advertising agencies and examines why some advertisers prefer instead to in-house or on-site their agency. The advantages and disadvantages of the different agency models are explored. The different types of advertising agency are also discussed and the top ten agency holding groups identified. Some of the current industry issues such as the gendered nature of creative departments and client-agency relationships are also highlighted.
