An advertising broker is a business professional who works with clients to match them with the best possible advertising partners, making it possible for those clients to obtain the most benefit from their advertising efforts. As with any type of brokerage action, the ad broker helps clients assess their needs, makes suggestions about how to proceed, and then assists in the process of finalizing the business connections needed to make the advertising campaign work. Brokers of this type may work with all types of media, or specialize in brokering only a certain range of media options, such as print publications or online ads.
The role of the advertising broker typically begins by working with clients to determine what types of advertising strategies would help them reach their target audiences efficiently while still keeping within the client’s advertising budget. This often requires that the client and the broker spend some time together exploring different options, based on the size, type, and goals of the company itself. Once there is a clear understanding on the part of both the advertising broker and the customer, it is possible to begin evaluating different advertising options and identify advertisers and marketers that are highly likely to be a good fit for the customer.
It is not unusual for an advertising broker to already have established relationships with a number of different advertising agencies that handle all sorts of media. This is often in the best interests of the broker’s clientele, since he or she will already be aware of what each of those advertisers are capable of providing in the way 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.
The degree of involvement of the advertising broker after helping to establish the relationship between an agency and a client varies. In some cases, the broker remains a key point of contact within that relationship, often serving as an agent of the client in terms of conveying their needs to the advertising agency. At other times, the broker simply brings the parties together, establishes the contractual relationship between the client and the agency, then retires from the partnership. Depending on the nature of the arrangement, the advertising broker may receive a single commission for orchestrating the relationship, or be provided with continuing commissions in return for remaining an integral part of the relationship.
