Org chart
The client servicing branch is shown in depth, from the head to an account director and the account managers and executives. Creative, media, strategy, production, HR and finance are drawn one level down. People move across accounts, so reporting lines shift with the work.
Levels and designations
| Level | Typical designations | Span of control |
|---|---|---|
| L1 Leadership | Managing Director, CEO | 5 to 7 heads |
| L2 Function heads | Client Servicing Head, Creative Head, Media Head, Strategy Head | 3 to 6 reports |
| L3 Directors | Account Director, Creative Director, Associate Media Director | 3 to 8 staff |
| L4 Managers | Account Manager, Art Director, Media Planner | 1 to 4 executives |
| L5 Executives | Account Executive, Copywriter, Media Executive | no direct reports |
Approval chains
| Request | Approval chain |
|---|---|
| Leave | Account Executive → Account Director → HR Executive |
| Attendance correction | Copywriter → Creative Head → HR Executive |
| Overtime | Account Executive → Account Director → HR Executive |
| Reimbursement | Account Manager → Client Servicing Head → Finance Manager |
| Hiring | Creative Head → Managing Director → HR Executive |
How the structure works
The agency is split between the people who face the client and the people who make the work. Client servicing owns the account: an account director leads managers and executives who take the brief, run the schedule, and carry feedback both ways. Creative turns the brief into ideas, with art directors and copywriters working in pairs under a creative director. Media plans where the message runs and buys the space and airtime. Strategy studies the brand and the audience to sharpen the brief. Production makes the films, artwork and assets. People are staffed onto accounts, so a person may serve two or three clients at once.
How it changes with size
A small agency may be a founder with a couple of account people, a designer and a copywriter, outsourcing media and production. A mid-sized agency builds proper client servicing, creative, media and strategy teams, with directors leading each account. A large network agency adds separate units for digital, social, public relations and design, a dedicated media agency, and group accounts served by teams across offices. Freelancers and production partners scale up around big pitches and shoots. The account remains the unit of work, and the split between servicing and craft holds at every size.
Common problems
Creative work does not fit a nine to six day. Deadlines before a pitch or a launch bring long nights, and pressure comes in waves. People are shared across accounts, so who owns their leave and appraisal can blur. Freelancers work alongside staff but are not on the payroll. Client visits, shoots and events take people out of the office. Attrition among junior staff is high. The steady fixes are output-based expectations rather than strict punch hours, one reporting manager per person even when work is shared, and comp-off for the crunch before deadlines.
- Output-based expectations rather than strict punch hours
- One reporting manager per person even when accounts are shared
- Comp-off for late nights before pitches and launches
- Freelancers recorded separately from payroll staff
Set up this structure in ZeniaHR
- Create departments for Client Servicing, Creative, Media, Strategy, Production, HR and Finance, so staff group by craft and account team.
- Add designations such as Account Executive, Account Manager, Account Director, Copywriter, Art Director and Creative Director, and use grades to hold pay bands.
- Give every person one reporting manager, usually their function director, even when they work across accounts, and an HR partner.
- Set a flexible shift with optional core hours so creative and account teams are measured on output, not strict punch time.
- Use overtime rules with comp-off for the crunch before pitches and launches, and mobile punches for staff at shoots and client visits.
- Keep leave, corrections and overtime on the reporting manager then HR route, and add function heads as reimbursement and hiring approvers.
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Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What is the organizational structure of an advertising agency?
An advertising agency is led by a managing director over client servicing, creative, media and strategy. Client servicing owns accounts through directors, managers and executives. Creative makes the ads with art directors and copywriters, media plans and buys placements, and strategy shapes the brief. Production makes the assets. Large network agencies add units for digital, social and public relations, plus a dedicated media agency.
Who does an account executive report to?
An account executive reports to the account manager or account director for the accounts they serve, who reports to the client servicing head. For leave and attendance corrections in ZeniaHR, the request goes to the executive's reporting manager and then to HR. Because people are shared across accounts, one director is kept as the reporting manager of record.
How do agencies manage deadline crunch and shared staff?
Agencies set a flexible shift with optional core hours, so staff are measured on output rather than strict punch time, and use comp-off for late nights before pitches and launches. Each person keeps one reporting manager even when staffed on several accounts, which keeps leave and reviews with one owner. Staff at shoots and client visits punch on the mobile app.