Underlying Dimensions and Communications Strategies of the Advertising Agency-Client Relationship

Borrowing concepts from both services and industrial marketing, this paper examines the advertising agency-client relationship, revealing that active relationship management today requires more effort than the traditional account manager-advertising department linkage. Understanding the types of advertising tasks and the roles played by decision-makers allows today's managers to develop appropriate communication strategies important in maintaining this service relationship. Managerial implications and recommendations for other service agencies are discussed as well.