it support services for agencies

The unique business technology needs of advertising and marketing agencies

Consumer behavior has changed drastically in the wake of new and innovative technologies. People are now constantly on the go and almost always online. As the attention span of consumers continues to shorten, brands are having more difficulty getting noticed. To keep up with the times, advertising and marketing agencies are banking on technology more than ever as an integral part of their operations. But compared to other industries, their technology requirements are quite distinct.

They tend to use Macs rather than PCs

When it comes to the great debate of Mac versus PC, most creative agencies are Mac fans. Apple’s emphasis on aesthetics and ease of use has captured the hearts of artists and creatives. Accounts teams have also leveraged on the perceived premium status of Macs to impress clients.

Managing Macs requires a different mindset. First of all, unlike PCs, both Mac’s hardware and software come from one supplier, Apple. This means that, in terms of purchasing, users can only choose from Apple’s limited offerings: MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and iMac Pro. They cannot create a custom build or choose from an array of manufacturers.

When it comes to repair and maintenance, not all IT folks can service Macs since only Apple or an authorized party can obtain Mac parts. Macs also commonly use customized tools for deployment, software distribution, and client management.

They require more powerful tools

Since advertising and marketing agencies produce high-resolution content such as videos, print ads, and billboards, they need high-performing computers that will be able to support the heavy computing requirements of creative software, such as Adobe Creative Suite, without processing lags or hanging. This means they need powerful graphics cards, processors, memory sticks, and hard drive storage. Those that work with cloud services or transfer files online also need increased internet bandwidth.

They need enhanced cybersecurity

Cybercriminals love targeting advertising and marketing agencies because of the confidential data, such as private customer information and unpublished creative content, that they deal with on behalf of their clients. Hacking incidents not only damage marketing agencies’ reputation, but they also put those agencies’ customers in danger.

Creative agencies need to go beyond basic cybersecurity measures like using strong passwords. Some of the things agencies can do include providing cybersecurity training for their staff, using encryption tools to safeguard the sharing of sensitive information, and investing in 24/7 monitoring for potential threats and vulnerabilities.

They use a lot of technologies

Nowadays, advertising and marketing agencies are not just expected to be creative, they also need to be technologically advanced. Some examples of this are;

  • They utilize a lot of data tools to analyze consumer behavior and ad performance.
  • They connect to ad exchanges to target specific audiences and buy digital ads across several websites.
  • They use the latest cloud platforms to gain a competitive advantage and service their customers.
  • They experiment with new hardware like beacons to conduct location-based marketing.

Because they use such a wide array of technologies to service their clients, they tend to be more demanding than most businesses when it comes to IT support.

Frontline, LLC recognizes that advertising and marketing agencies require tailored IT solutions to cope with the changing business landscape. Contact us to find out what we can do to help you make your clients look great.