Creative and digital agencies share some commonalities and often time go hand in hand with one another to execute innovative marketing campaigns. But what’s the difference between the two? Are they interchangeable?
With some thorough research about each respective agency, their accompanying job positions, and responsibilities, we’ve compiled a guide to elucidate the differences between creative and digital agencies alongside what to expect from each.
Keep reading to find out what responsibilities each agency holds that make them distinct and which one is the right fit for you.
What is a Creative Agency?
In short, a creative agency is exactly that, creative. Employees within this organization tend to focus on more interactive, creative aspects for a company, such as advertising, web, and brand design.
The creative agency’s focus mainly centers around the brand and developing campaigns to improve visuals, site efficiency, and bolster the respective company reputation and brand image. More often than not, creative agencies involve a great deal of content creation to accompany the brand.
Content creation can range from advertisements, blog posts, graphic designs, social media posts, and other creative content.
Creative Agency Jobs
Creative agencies offer a broad spectrum of roles from management positions to content creators. Some of the most common creative agency jobs you’ll find include:
- Creative Director
- Designers
- Content Creator
- Accounts Representative
- Design Director
- Copywriter
- Photographer
- Brand Strategist
Main Responsibilities
While a creative agency’s primary focal point is on brand image and creative strategies, there are a few different facets that the agency is responsible for in order to reach its associated goals.
These responsibilities include advertisement production and placement, market research, and branding strategy creation.
Advertisement Production and Placement
Advertising production and placement is a creative aspect typically within an advertising agency. This responsibility requires the creative team to create effective advertisements and strategically implement them on the digital platform or other campaigns, such as newsletters, magazines, social media, or Google Ads.
Market Research
In order for creative agencies to develop or enhance a brand’s image, they must acquire extensive market research.
This involves the workers speaking to employees within the company to get a better sense of the company’s values, and gathering data from the public to inform their decisions about what is successful for the company and what is not.
Branding Strategy Creation
Ultimately, the creative agency aims to bolster a company or organization’s brand image. To do so, the team must strategize a branding campaign. The responsibility includes duties such as revamping or creating social media profiles and implementing a social calendar.
Necessary Skills
While job position responsibilities may differ, the ideal candidate should have the following qualifications to find success within a creative agency role.
- Graphic design experience
- Creative or imaginative mindset
- Understanding of social media and current digital platforms
- The ability to multitask
- Time management and organizational skills
- Strong interpersonal and social skills
What is a Digital Agency?
Similar to a creative agency, a digital agency focuses on brand campaigns. However, rather than fixate on the physical content and design creation, digital agencies create marketing strategies and campaigns and execute them.
As the name implies, a digital agency also primarily focuses on a company or organization’s digital presence. If the company is not digital, the agency introduces different technological tactics to aid in meeting desired goals and strategies.
Ultimately, this means that the agency will oftentimes work with data sets to track a company’s digital performance either for a website, newsletter campaigns, digital marketing, social media, and other digital aspects.
The digital agency will frequently work with the creative agency to complete campaigns because their strategies involve the content that the creative agency creates.
Digital Agency Jobs
Much like a creative agency, digital agencies also offer a range of positions, such as:
- Technology Project Manager
- Web Designer
- Digital Media Manager
- Media Strategist
- PR Coordinator
- SEO Coordinator/Strategist
- UX/UI Designer
- Digital Marketing Specialist
Main Responsibilities
Digital, being such a vague term, encompasses various responsibilities, including website analytics, digital design and development, and media management.
Website Analytics
Digital agencies will use and analyze website data sets, such as Google Analytics, to manage website or application performance. This data allows employees to track site SEO, advertisement success, and specific audience information. The agency will use this focused data to improve the website and make changes as necessary.
App/Website Design and Development
In some cases, digital agencies will actually design a company’s website or other digital platforms. For example, a company hires a digital agency to grow its consumer base. If the establishment doesn’t have one already, the digital agency will develop a digital platform for them to reach new audiences and launch digital marketing campaigns.
Media Management
Media management is kind of like an all-encompassing responsibility of the digital agency. The responsibility includes keeping track of the various marketing campaigns, monitoring advertisements, creating social media marketing campaigns, creating or placing content, and other media-centric strategies.
Necessary Skills
While job position responsibilities may differ, the ideal candidate should have the following qualifications to find success within a digital agency role:
- Experience and understanding of SEO
- Ability to interpret data
- Ability to multitask
- Prior experience working with digital media
- The ability to meet deadlines
- Strong organizational skills
How do the Agencies Differ?
While both creative and digital agencies are a form of media agency, they both have distinctly different goals, responsibilities, and job possibilities. For example, the creative agency will design a newsletter campaign and create the content for it. A digital agency will track the newsletter’s performance.
Think of the two agencies as the before and after for completing digital marketing campaigns. Creative agencies do the creative work while digital agencies perform the more strategic, analytical work. Each one requires a bit of creativity and digital know-how, but, ultimately, the two require different skill sets and responsibilities.
Bluehour Digital offers a wide range of services, including those listed above. To inquire about these services, please contact us today!