The Advertising
Dictionary
Eighty-one functions make up a full-spectrum agency. Here is every one of them defined - what it is, what it covers, and how you should be measuring it. Free to read, free to search, nothing to download.
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The dictionary covers the eighty-one functions an agency performs. If what you are looking for is not here, it is a question worth asking a person rather than a search box.
01Section A · Business, Client and Strategic Leadership
Agency Leadership and Business Development
The governing function of the agency: setting its strategic direction, deciding which work it accepts, securing new clients, and holding accountability for the agency's own commercial health and reputation.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers agency positioning, service architecture, new business pursuit, pitch leadership, client portfolio composition, pricing policy, partnership decisions and organisational design. Excludes the delivery of client work itself, and excludes day-to-day account handling (Function 2), which it oversees but does not perform.
How it is measured
Win rate and cost of pursuit; average client tenure; revenue and margin per client; proportion of revenue from retained versus project work; concentration risk across the portfolio; unforced client losses.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
02Section A · Business, Client and Strategic Leadership
Client Servicing and Account Management
The formal relationship-management function between agency and client: translating the client's business requirements into actionable agency assignments, and carrying accountability for what the agency delivers against them.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers brief interpretation, internal coordination, scope and budget management, approval choreography, expectation management, presentation of work, and long-term relationship stewardship. Excludes the creation of strategy (Function 4) or creative work (Section E) - account management commissions and defends that work rather than producing it.
How it is measured
Client retention and tenure; scope adherence and change-order capture rate; on-time and on-budget delivery; approval cycle length; client satisfaction score; account profitability against target.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
03Section A · Business, Client and Strategic Leadership
Business and Commercial Strategy
The diagnostic function that examines the client's underlying commercial problem before any communication strategy is written - establishing whether communication is in fact the correct instrument.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers market entry and expansion, go-to-market and launch strategy, acquisition and retention economics, pricing and proposition analysis, route-to-market, and portfolio review. Excludes full management consultancy - the agency examines the commercial model to the depth required to communicate effectively, not to restructure the client's operations.
How it is measured
Whether the diagnosis correctly predicted where the result would move; commercial outcome achieved against the objective set; proportion of engagements where the eventual solution matched the initial diagnosis.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
04Section A · Business, Client and Strategic Leadership
Strategic Planning
The function that converts a defined business objective into a structured communication approach - establishing who must be influenced, what they currently believe, what they must come to believe, and what stands in the way.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers problem definition, audience identification, barrier and insight development, brand promise and evidence, tone, channel role and measurement criteria. Excludes the creative idea itself (Function 16) - planning defines the problem the idea must solve and judges whether it does.
How it is measured
Whether the campaign moved the belief or behaviour the strategy named; brief stability (a brief rewritten mid-campaign was wrong); creative development cycles required; strategy-to-outcome traceability in reporting.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
05Section B · Research and Market Intelligence
Market Research
The function through which the agency conducts, commissions or interprets research to understand the market the client operates in, so that communication decisions rest on evidence rather than assumption.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers industry and market-size analysis, consumer behaviour and satisfaction studies, brand awareness, perception and recall tracking, competitor and pricing research, media consumption analysis, campaign pre-testing and post-evaluation. Excludes the interpretation of audience motivation at depth (Function 6) and ongoing performance analytics (Function 64).
How it is measured
Whether the research changed a decision; accuracy of predictions against subsequent campaign results; cost per decision informed; reuse rate of archived research.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
06Section B · Research and Market Intelligence
Consumer and Audience Insight
The function that examines the forces shaping attention, preference and action within a defined audience - going beyond demographic classification to motivation, anxiety, identity, culture and context.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers motivations, frustrations and aspirations; identity, values and social influence; cultural context and life stage; category beliefs and rituals; barriers to adoption; the language the audience actually uses. Excludes media consumption planning (Function 25) and the measurement of behaviour after the fact (Function 64).
How it is measured
Whether the insight survived contact with the audience; creative teams' ability to build from it without further briefing; the campaign's effect on the specific belief or behaviour identified; longevity - strong insights outlast the campaigns built on them.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
07Section B · Research and Market Intelligence
Competitive Intelligence
The systematic monitoring and analysis of competitors' communication, positioning, offers and media behaviour, so the agency can find defensible territory rather than duplicating what already exists.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers competitor positioning and messaging, creative and campaign activity, media presence and estimated spend, pricing and promotional behaviour, digital and search visibility, share of voice. Excludes corporate or financial competitive analysis beyond what affects communication, and excludes any unlawful or deceptive acquisition of information.
How it is measured
Distinctiveness of the resulting work against category codes; share of voice achieved against spend; time between a competitor's material move and the agency's awareness of it; instances where intelligence changed a plan.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
08Section C · Brand Strategy and Brand Development
Brand Strategy
The function that defines what a brand stands for, whom it is for, what it promises, why that promise is credible, and how it behaves - creating the durable frame within which all communication operates.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers purpose, positioning, proposition, values, personality, tone, brand promise and supporting evidence, and the brand's competitive territory. Excludes visual identity execution (Function 11) and campaign-level messaging (Function 15), both of which derive from it.
How it is measured
Brand awareness, perception and preference shift over time; price premium sustained; consistency of expression across touchpoints; internal comprehension - staff able to articulate the promise unprompted; longevity before repositioning is required.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
09Section C · Brand Strategy and Brand Development
Brand Architecture
The function that structures the relationships between a portfolio's brands, sub-brands, products and services - determining what carries the parent name, what stands alone, and how each relates to the others.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers portfolio structure and hierarchy, endorsement relationships, naming conventions, migration and rationalisation of acquired or legacy brands, and the rules governing new-entity introduction. Excludes individual brand strategy (Function 8) and naming creation itself (Function 10).
How it is measured
Reduction in customer confusion; cost of brand maintenance across the portfolio; equity retained through migration; speed and cost of introducing new products; internal clarity about what belongs where.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
10Section C · Brand Strategy and Brand Development
Naming and Verbal Identity
The creation of brand, product, service and campaign names, and the definition of the distinctive verbal system - vocabulary, tone, structure and voice - through which the brand consistently speaks.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers name generation and evaluation, linguistic and cultural screening, trademark and domain availability, taglines and endlines, nomenclature systems, and the tone-of-voice guidelines governing all written expression. Excludes individual campaign copywriting (Function 17), which operates within the system this function defines.
How it is measured
Successful registration in all required classes and territories; correct pronunciation and recall in market; absence of cultural incident; consistency of voice across authors and channels; longevity without replacement.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
11Section C · Brand Strategy and Brand Development
Corporate and Visual Identity
The design and codification of the brand's visual system - the logo, colour, typography, imagery, graphic language and application rules through which the brand is recognised across every touchpoint.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers identity design, the full visual system, application across physical and digital touchpoints, and the guidelines governing consistent use. Excludes campaign creative (Section E), which expresses the identity, and packaging structure (Function 12).
How it is measured
Recognition and attribution in market; consistency across touchpoints and territories; reduction in off-guideline usage; asset reuse rate; cost of producing new applications; accessibility compliance.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
12Section C · Brand Strategy and Brand Development
Packaging and Product Design
The design of the physical container, presentation and - where in scope - the form of the product itself, functioning simultaneously as brand expression, regulatory instrument and point-of-sale advertising.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers structural and graphic packaging design, on-pack hierarchy and claims, regulatory and mandatory information, shelf and e-commerce presentation, range architecture, and sustainability considerations. Excludes shopper marketing activity around the pack (Function 50) and print production of the artwork (Function 32).
How it is measured
Shelf standout and findability in test; thumbnail legibility at e-commerce sizes; regulatory incidents (target: zero); artwork error and reprint rate; time and cost per SKU adaptation; sales performance at redesign.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
13Section D · Communication and Campaign Planning
Integrated Marketing Communication Planning
The function that unifies every communication discipline - advertising, digital, performance, public relations, direct, retail, experiential and internal - into a single coherent plan serving one strategy.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers the assignment of roles across all disciplines, sequencing and interdependency, budget allocation between them, message consistency, and the governance that holds them together. Excludes execution within any single discipline, and excludes media buying (Function 26).
How it is measured
Whether the disciplines produced a compound rather than additive effect; message consistency measured across outputs; handoff failures; budget allocation accuracy against realised contribution; total campaign outcome against the single objective.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
14Section D · Communication and Campaign Planning
Campaign Architecture
The structural design of a campaign across the audience journey - defining what happens at awareness, consideration, conversion, retention and advocacy, and what each phase must achieve before the next can work.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers phase definition and objectives, the role of each phase, transition criteria between phases, message and asset requirements per phase, and phase-level measurement. Excludes channel selection detail (Function 25) and creative execution (Section E).
How it is measured
Progression rate between phases; cost per progression; identification of the phase where the journey breaks; whether the architecture correctly predicted where volume would be lost; total conversion against forecast.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
15Section D · Communication and Campaign Planning
Communication Planning
The function that determines what is said, to whom, in what sequence, and through which touchpoints - translating strategy and architecture into a specific message plan.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers message hierarchy and sequencing, audience-segment messaging, touchpoint-level message adaptation, frequency and repetition logic, and the communication calendar. Excludes creative expression (Section E) and media negotiation (Function 26).
How it is measured
Message recall and attribution; comprehension of the core message in tracking; consistency across touchpoints; whether the audience can articulate the proposition; effectiveness of segment variants against control.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
16Section E · Creative Services
Creative Concept Development
The origination of the central creative idea - the single organising thought that makes the strategy memorable, distinctive and capable of being expressed across every channel the campaign requires.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers idea generation, concept development and articulation, internal selection, and the extension of the idea into a system capable of running across channels and over time. Excludes craft execution in individual disciplines (Functions 17-20) and channel adaptation (Function 18's system work).
How it is measured
Attention and recall achieved against category norms; distinctiveness in tracking; whether the idea survived a year without exhaustion; number of channels it extended into without weakening; movement on the behaviour the brief named.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
17Section E · Creative Services
Copywriting
The craft of writing persuasive language across every format the campaign requires - from a headline to a script to a product description - so that it is understood, believed and acted upon.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers headlines, body copy, scripts, digital and social copy, direct response, long-form, product and technical copy, and adaptation across formats and markets. Excludes the verbal identity system (Function 10) within which it operates, and editorial content (Function 23).
How it is measured
Comprehension and message recall; response and conversion rate against control; variant test outcomes; legal and regulatory incidents (target: zero); reduction in revision rounds.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
18Section E · Creative Services
Art Direction
The function responsible for the visual expression of the idea - determining how it looks, what it shows, how image and word work together, and how the visual system holds across every execution.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers visual concept expression, composition, image selection and direction, casting, styling and set direction, typographic expression within the campaign, and the visual consistency system across executions. Excludes identity design (Function 11) and layout production (Function 19).
How it is measured
Visual distinctiveness and brand attribution; consistency across executions and adaptations; attention metrics against category norms; asset reuse and adaptation efficiency; rights incidents (target: zero).
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
19Section E · Creative Services
Graphic Design
The function that applies the visual system to every required format and touchpoint - resolving hierarchy, typography, layout and specification so that each asset is correct, legible and on-brand.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers layout and composition across formats, typographic setting, information hierarchy, adaptation and resizing, artwork preparation, template and system building, and accessibility of visual communication. Excludes the origination of visual concept (Function 18) and identity design (Function 11).
How it is measured
Specification error and rework rate; time and cost per adapted asset; template reuse rate; accessibility compliance; proofing errors reaching public (target: zero).
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
20Section E · Creative Services
Illustration, Animation and Motion Design
The creation of drawn, animated and moving visual assets - from illustration and iconography to motion graphics, title sequences and animated explanation.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers illustration and iconography, 2D and 3D animation, motion graphics, kinetic typography, animated social and display formats, and motion within brand identity systems. Excludes live-action film production (Function 29) and interface motion specification (Function 35).
How it is measured
Completion and view-through rates by format; silent-viewing comprehension; platform technical compliance; production cost per second against benchmark; asset reuse in subsequent campaigns.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
21Section F · Content and Editorial Services
Content Strategy
The function that determines what content a brand should produce, for whom, on what themes, at what cadence and to what commercial end - governing content as an asset system rather than as a stream of posts.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers content pillars and themes, audience and intent mapping, format and channel allocation, cadence and volume planning, content governance, and the content lifecycle from creation to retirement. Excludes content production itself (Function 22) and social platform management (Function 44).
How it is measured
Content contribution to qualified traffic and conversion; cost per asset and per outcome; publishing consistency against plan; content lifespan and refresh efficiency; proportion of inventory actively performing versus dormant.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
22Section F · Content and Editorial Services
Content Creation
The production of the content assets themselves - articles, video, audio, imagery, social assets, guides and any other material through which the brand delivers value or evidence to its audience.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers writing, filming, recording, designing and assembling content assets to brief and specification, at the volume and cadence the content strategy requires. Excludes content strategy (Function 21) and long-form editorial publication (Function 23).
How it is measured
Cost per asset and per outcome; publishing consistency against calendar; engagement and conversion contribution by pillar; approval cycle time; proportion of assets reused or repurposed.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
23Section F · Content and Editorial Services
Editorial and Publication Services
The commissioning, editing and production of substantial published works on a brand's behalf - magazines, reports, journals, annual publications, books and owned editorial platforms.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers editorial direction and commissioning, contributor management, editing and fact-checking, publication design, print and digital production, distribution, and the editorial standards governing all of it. Excludes routine content production (Function 22) and public relations placement (Function 55).
How it is measured
Readership and engagement depth; corrections issued (target: zero); contributor retention and quality; on-schedule publication; commercial return where the title carries revenue; standing of the publication within its field.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
24Section G · Media Planning and Media Buying
Media Strategy
The function that determines how a communication strategy should meet its audience - which channels, at what weight, in what balance between building demand and capturing it, and to what measurable effect.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers channel selection and rationale, the demand-creation versus demand-capture balance, reach and frequency logic, budget split across channels, and the measurement framework media will be judged by. Excludes detailed scheduling (Function 25) and negotiation (Function 26).
How it is measured
Reach and frequency delivered against plan; cost per outcome by channel; contribution to the campaign objective; forecast accuracy; share of voice achieved against spend.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
25Section G · Media Planning and Media Buying
Media Planning
The conversion of media strategy into a specific, costed schedule - which properties, formats, placements and dayparts, at what weight, on what dates, at what price.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers audience data application, vehicle and placement selection, scheduling and flighting, format specification, cost modelling, and the delivery plan against which buying is executed. Excludes strategy (Function 24) and negotiation (Function 26).
How it is measured
Delivery against planned reach, frequency and impressions; cost efficiency against benchmark; forecast accuracy; asset readiness against plan dates; proportion of plan requiring mid-flight correction.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
26Section G · Media Planning and Media Buying
Media Buying
The negotiation, purchase, trafficking and stewardship of media inventory - securing the planned delivery at the best achievable value and ensuring what was bought is what runs.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers negotiation, contracting, insertion and trafficking, campaign activation, delivery stewardship, discrepancy resolution, make-goods, billing reconciliation, and supply-chain transparency. Excludes planning (Function 25) and in-platform performance optimisation (Functions 37, 38).
How it is measured
Delivery against booked; price achieved against benchmark and against plan; viewability, fraud and brand-safety rates; discrepancy value recovered; billing accuracy; zero undisclosed remuneration.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
27Section G · Media Planning and Media Buying
Traditional Media Advertising
Advertising placed in television, radio, print, cinema and out-of-home media - channels characterised by broad reach, high production standards, and comparatively coarse targeting and measurement.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers the specification, placement and stewardship of advertising in these channels, including regional and market variation, clearance requirements, and the specific production and technical standards each demands. Excludes the production itself (Section H) and digital media (Function 28).
How it is measured
Delivery against booked spots, insertions or panels; clearance approval on first submission; missed deadlines (target: zero); reproduction and transmission quality; reach and frequency achieved; recall against category norms.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
28Section G · Media Planning and Media Buying
Digital Media Advertising
Advertising placed across digital environments - display, video, audio, connected television, digital out-of-home, in-app and programmatic inventory - characterised by granular targeting, real-time optimisation and complex supply chains.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers placement across digital inventory, audience targeting and exclusion, programmatic buying, brand safety and fraud control, frequency management across platforms, and creative format compliance. Excludes paid search (Function 37) and paid social (Function 38), which have distinct disciplines.
How it is measured
Cost per outcome; viewability and completion rates; invalid traffic rate; brand safety incidents (target: zero); frequency distribution against target; incremental contribution measured against holdout where possible.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
29Section H · Production Services
Television and Video Production
The production of filmed content - from broadcast commercials to social video and long-form film - encompassing pre-production, shoot and post-production to broadcast or platform standard.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers treatment and director selection, budgeting, casting, location, shoot management, editing, grading, sound, versioning and delivery. Excludes animation (Function 20) and the creative concept (Function 16).
How it is measured
Delivery on budget and on schedule; number of versions delivered against requirement; rights incidents (target: zero); technical rejections at delivery (target: zero); performance of the film against attention and recall benchmarks.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
30Section H · Production Services
Radio and Audio Production
The production of audio content - radio commercials, podcasts, streaming audio advertising, voice assets and sound design - to broadcast and platform standard.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers scripting to duration, voice casting and direction, recording, sound design, music, mixing, and delivery in required formats. Excludes the creative concept (Function 16) and music licensing strategy where handled centrally.
How it is measured
Recall and attribution in audio-only conditions; comprehension of the call to action; technical compliance at delivery; on-budget production; voice renewal costs anticipated rather than discovered.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
31Section H · Production Services
Photography Production
The commissioning and production of still photography - product, lifestyle, portrait, location and campaign imagery - to the standard and specification the brand requires.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers photographer selection, shoot production, casting, styling, art direction on set, retouching, and the rights and asset management that follow. Excludes art direction origination (Function 18) and image library curation where handled by brand governance (Function 81).
How it is measured
Shot list completion on the day; cost per usable asset; rights coverage matching actual usage; reshoot rate (target: zero); asset reuse across campaigns; archive findability.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
32Section H · Production Services
Print Production
The preparation, specification, proofing and management of physical printed output - publications, collateral, packaging artwork, large format and point of sale - to the correct standard, substrate and cost.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers print specification, artwork preparation and pre-flight, colour management, proofing, supplier selection and management, press attendance, quality control, and delivery logistics. Excludes the design itself (Function 19) and packaging design (Function 12).
How it is measured
Reprint rate (target: zero); colour accuracy against proof; cost against quotation; on-time delivery; wastage and overprint; supplier reliability over time.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
33Section I · Digital Experience and Technology
Website Design and Development
The design, construction and maintenance of the brand's owned web presence - the destination most advertising ultimately drives toward and where the majority of conversion occurs or fails.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers information architecture, design, front-end and back-end development, content management, hosting and performance, security, accessibility, and ongoing maintenance. Excludes interface design method (Function 35), marketing technology integration (Function 36) and conversion optimisation (Function 40).
How it is measured
Conversion rate and task completion; page performance under real network conditions; accessibility conformance; uptime; security incidents (target: zero); time and cost to make routine content changes.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
34Section I · Digital Experience and Technology
Mobile and Application Development
The design, development, release and maintenance of mobile and desktop applications, and of mobile-specific experiences distinct from the web.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers application strategy and justification, design, development, store submission and compliance, release management, push and notification systems, and lifecycle maintenance. Excludes mobile web (Function 33) and messaging automation (Function 48).
How it is measured
Installation-to-active-use ratio; retention at thirty and ninety days; crash-free session rate; store rating; task completion; cost per active user against the alternative of mobile web.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
35Section I · Digital Experience and Technology
User Experience and Interface Design
The discipline that determines how people move through a digital experience - what they encounter, in what order, with what effort - and how the interface communicates and responds.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers research into user behaviour, information architecture, flow and interaction design, interface design and design systems, prototyping, usability testing, and accessibility of interaction. Excludes visual brand identity (Function 11) and conversion rate testing (Function 40), though it directly enables both.
How it is measured
Task completion rate and time; error and abandonment rates; accessibility conformance; support contacts arising from interface confusion; measured improvement against baseline.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
36Section I · Digital Experience and Technology
Marketing Technology
The selection, integration, configuration and governance of the technology stack through which marketing is executed, measured and automated - analytics, tag management, customer data, automation, consent and attribution infrastructure.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers stack architecture, tool selection, integration, tracking and data-layer implementation, consent management, data governance, and the maintenance of measurement integrity. Excludes the analysis performed on the data (Function 64) and CRM operation (Function 47).
How it is measured
Tracking accuracy and completeness; time to detect breakage; consent compliance; data availability for decisions; stack cost against use; proportion of tools actively used.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
37Section J · Performance Marketing
Paid Search Marketing
The purchase of advertising against search queries, capturing existing demand at the moment of expressed intent.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers account structure, keyword and intent strategy, ad copy and extensions, bidding and budget management, landing page alignment, negative keyword management, and shopping and product feed advertising. Excludes organic search (Function 39) and paid social (Function 38).
How it is measured
Cost per acquisition against target derived from margin; profit contribution; impression share on commercially valuable terms; conversion rate by intent tier; incrementality against brand terms that would have converted anyway.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
38Section J · Performance Marketing
Paid Social Media
The purchase of advertising within social platforms, using audience, behavioural and contextual targeting to create as well as capture demand.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers campaign structure, audience building and exclusion, creative strategy for feed environments, bidding and budget, platform-specific format execution, and measurement against incrementality. Excludes organic social (Functions 43-44) and influencer activity (Function 61).
How it is measured
Cost per incremental acquisition; creative performance by variant; frequency distribution; audience saturation; contribution measured against holdout; downstream value rather than platform-reported conversions.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
39Section J · Performance Marketing
Search Engine Optimisation
The discipline of increasing a brand's qualified, non-paid visibility in search so that audiences actively seeking a solution find the client rather than a competitor.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers technical health, content relevance and architecture, on-page optimisation, and authority building through links, citations and entity signals. Excludes paid search (Function 37) and content creation itself (Function 22), which SEO briefs and governs but does not write.
How it is measured
Non-paid visibility and impressions; qualified organic sessions; assisted and last-click conversions from organic; revenue attributed to organic. Ranking position is a diagnostic, not an objective.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
40Section J · Performance Marketing
Conversion-rate Optimisation
The systematic improvement of the proportion of visitors who complete the desired action, through evidence, hypothesis and controlled testing rather than opinion.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers funnel analysis, friction identification, hypothesis development, experiment design and execution, statistical validation, and the implementation of proven improvements. Excludes traffic acquisition (Functions 37-39) and interface design origination (Function 35).
How it is measured
Conversion rate improvement, validated; revenue per visitor; test velocity and win rate; cumulative validated gain; decisions made on evidence rather than opinion.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
41Section J · Performance Marketing
Lead Generation and Sales-funnel Management
The generation, qualification, routing and nurturing of prospective customers, and the management of the path from initial interest to closed sale - including the portion that occurs outside the agency's systems.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers lead capture and offer design, qualification criteria, routing and speed-to-contact, nurture sequences, sales-agency alignment, and funnel-stage measurement through to revenue. Excludes CRM operation (Function 47) and the sales conversation itself.
How it is measured
Cost per qualified lead; lead-to-opportunity and opportunity-to-close rates; speed to first contact; revenue per lead source; proportion of leads worked by sales; forecast accuracy.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
42Section J · Performance Marketing
Affiliate and Partnership Marketing
The recruitment and management of third parties who promote the brand in exchange for commission or agreed value, and the governance of that channel's quality and compliance.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers programme design and commission structure, affiliate recruitment and vetting, tracking and attribution, compliance and brand protection, fraud detection, and partner relationship management. Excludes influencer marketing (Function 61) and strategic corporate partnerships (Function 62).
How it is measured
Incremental revenue rather than attributed revenue; cost of sale against margin; partner compliance rate; fraud detected and prevented; concentration of revenue across partners; programme contribution net of cannibalisation.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
43Section K · Social Media and Online Community Management
Social Media Strategy
The function that determines why a brand is present on social platforms at all, on which of them, to what end, in what voice, and at what commitment of resource.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers platform selection and rationale, the role of organic social within the wider plan, content approach, community and engagement policy, resourcing model and measurement. Excludes paid social (Function 38) and day-to-day management (Function 44).
How it is measured
Performance against the stated purpose; response time against commitment; growth of engaged rather than total audience; contribution to the wider campaign objective; resource cost against return.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
44Section K · Social Media and Online Community Management
Social Media Management
The daily operation of a brand's social presence - publishing, engaging, moderating, responding and escalating - within the strategy and policy defined for it.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers scheduling and publishing, community engagement and response, moderation, customer service handoff, real-time participation and reporting. Excludes content creation at scale (Function 22) and paid amplification (Function 38).
How it is measured
Response time against commitment; resolution before escalation; sentiment trend; issues detected early; engagement quality; recurring themes usefully fed back.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
45Section K · Social Media and Online Community Management
Social Listening and Online Monitoring
The systematic monitoring and analysis of public conversation about a brand, category, competitor or issue - for insight, for early warning, and for measurement.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers query configuration, monitoring across platforms and forums, sentiment and theme analysis, early-warning alerting, and the translation of conversation into insight or action. Excludes engagement itself (Function 44) and formal research (Function 5).
How it is measured
Time between an issue emerging and the client knowing; trend accuracy; insights that changed a decision; false alert rate; issues prevented from escalating.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
46Section L · Direct Marketing and Customer Relationship Communication
Direct Marketing
Communication addressed to identified individuals with the intention of prompting a measurable response - by post, email, telephone, messaging or addressable digital media.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers audience selection and segmentation, offer construction, creative for response, testing methodology, response handling and return per contact. Excludes CRM system operation (Function 47) and automation build (Function 48).
How it is measured
Response rate and contribution per contact against control; cost per acquisition; incremental revenue over holdout; opt-out and complaint rates; list health and decay.
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47Section L · Direct Marketing and Customer Relationship Communication
Customer Relationship Management
The management of the brand's ongoing relationship with known customers - the data, segmentation, contact strategy and lifecycle communication that retain, develop and recover them.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers customer data structure and hygiene, lifecycle and value segmentation, contact strategy and frequency governance, retention and win-back programmes, loyalty mechanics and permission management. Excludes platform build (Function 36) and automation execution (Function 48).
How it is measured
Retention and churn by segment; customer lifetime value; segment migration; contact frequency against governance; permission accuracy; incremental value from lifecycle programmes against holdout.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
48Section L · Direct Marketing and Customer Relationship Communication
Email and Messaging Automation
The construction and operation of automated communication programmes triggered by behaviour, time or data condition, across email, messaging and notification channels.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers programme and journey design, trigger logic, template and content build, deliverability management, testing and ongoing maintenance. Excludes CRM strategy (Function 47) and content creation (Function 22).
How it is measured
Deliverability and inbox placement; engagement and conversion by programme; revenue per recipient; unsubscribe and complaint rates; programme uptime and error rates; content refresh cadence.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
49Section M · Sales Promotion, Retail and Shopper Marketing
Sales Promotions
Time-bound mechanics designed to accelerate purchase - discounts, offers, competitions, sampling, bundling and incentives - together with the legal and commercial governance they require.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers mechanic design, commercial modelling, terms and conditions, regulatory compliance, fulfilment and post-promotion evaluation including cannibalisation. Excludes trade incentives to retailers (Function 51) and loyalty strategy (Function 47).
How it is measured
Incremental volume and profit net of cannibalisation and forward-buying; redemption against forecast; fulfilment timeliness; complaints and regulatory incidents (target: zero); effect on base price expectation afterwards.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
50Section M · Sales Promotion, Retail and Shopper Marketing
Shopper and Retail Marketing
Communication designed to influence behaviour at or near the point of purchase, in physical and digital retail environments, where the shopper's mindset differs from the consumer's.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers shopper insight, point-of-sale communication, in-store and on-shelf activity, retail media, digital shelf and marketplace presentation. Excludes trade negotiation with retailers (Function 51) and packaging design (Function 12).
How it is measured
Rate of sale uplift at participating stores against control; installation compliance rate; digital shelf content completeness and search visibility within the retailer; conversion at the digital shelf; availability and out-of-stock incidence.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
51Section M · Sales Promotion, Retail and Shopper Marketing
Trade Marketing
Communication and incentive directed at the distribution chain - retailers, wholesalers, distributors and their staff - to secure listing, placement, stock, advocacy and support.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers trade communication, sell-in materials, trade incentives and mechanics, distributor and staff training, trade events, and the presentation of the brand's commercial case to its buyers. Excludes consumer promotion (Function 49) and shopper communication (Function 50).
How it is measured
Listings secured and retained; distribution and facings achieved; compliance with agreed placement; sell-in to sell-out ratio; trade incentive cost against incremental volume; staff product knowledge where trained.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
52Section N · Experiential Marketing, Events and Activations
Brand Activation
The creation of direct, physical or hybrid encounters between a brand and its audience, designed to produce experience, participation and evidence rather than message alone.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers activation concept and mechanic, location and permissions, staffing and training, build and logistics, participant data capture, safety, and the amplification of the activation beyond those present. Excludes formal event management (Function 53) and sponsorship activation planning (Function 60).
How it is measured
Participation against forecast; quality of interaction and dwell time; data captured with valid consent; amplified reach beyond attendance; cost per meaningful interaction; safety incidents (target: zero); behaviour or belief change measured against control.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
53Section N · Experiential Marketing, Events and Activations
Event Management
The planning, production and delivery of events on a brand's behalf - launches, conferences, roadshows, hospitality, press events and internal gatherings.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers event concept and format, venue and supplier management, programme and speaker management, production and technical delivery, delegate management, and on-site operation. Excludes activations in public space (Function 52) and exhibition stand design (Function 54).
How it is measured
Attendance against registration; the right audience present rather than the largest; objective achieved - leads, coverage, relationships or decisions; delegate feedback; on-budget delivery; content generated and used afterwards.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
54Section N · Experiential Marketing, Events and Activations
Exhibitions and Environmental Branding
The design and production of branded physical environments - exhibition stands, showrooms, retail interiors, workplaces, wayfinding and signage - where the space itself carries the communication.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers spatial design, stand and interior design, wayfinding and signage systems, fabrication and installation, and compliance with venue and building requirements. Excludes point-of-sale materials (Function 50) and event programming (Function 53).
How it is measured
Dwell time and flow against intent; conversations or leads generated per square metre; installation on schedule without incident; cost per use across the asset's life; brand consistency in the environment; accessibility compliance.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
55Section O · Public Relations and Reputation
Public Relations
The management of a brand's relationship with the public through earned rather than purchased attention - securing coverage, commentary and third-party endorsement that carries credibility advertising cannot buy.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers media relations, story development and pitching, press materials, spokesperson management, editorial and broadcast liaison, and earned coverage measurement. Excludes corporate communication (Function 56), crisis (Function 57) and paid placement, which is advertising and must be disclosed as such.
How it is measured
Coverage in target publications rather than total volume; message penetration within coverage; share of voice against competitors; sentiment; corrections required (target: zero); journalist relationship health.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
56Section O · Public Relations and Reputation
Corporate Communication
Communication on behalf of the organisation itself rather than its products - to investors, employees, regulators, partners, communities and the public - concerning its performance, conduct, position and intentions.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers corporate positioning and narrative, annual and sustainability reporting, investor and regulatory communication, executive visibility, corporate responsibility communication and organisational announcements. Excludes product marketing and internal employee communication as an operational discipline (Function 58).
How it is measured
Stakeholder understanding of the corporate position; consistency across statements over time; regulatory compliance (absolute); analyst and investor sentiment where applicable; absence of corrections or restatements; executive reputation.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
57Section O · Public Relations and Reputation
Crisis Communication
The preparation for and management of communication during events that threaten a brand's reputation, operations, relationships or licence to operate.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers crisis preparedness and scenario planning, escalation protocols, holding statements, live crisis management, stakeholder communication under pressure, and post-crisis recovery. Excludes routine issue management and complaint handling (Functions 44, 55).
How it is measured
Time to first holding statement; factual accuracy of all statements; stakeholder prioritisation, particularly of those affected; duration and peak of coverage; reputation recovery trajectory; whether identified failures were actually remedied.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
58Section O · Public Relations and Reputation
Internal Communication
Communication directed at an organisation's own people - to inform, align, engage and equip them, and to ensure that what the brand promises externally is understood and delivered internally.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers internal campaigns, change and transformation communication, leadership communication, employee engagement, internal channels, and the internal launch of external campaigns. Excludes human resources policy and employer brand advertising (Function 72).
How it is measured
Understanding and recall rather than reach; manager confidence in conveying the message; feedback volume and quality; behaviour change; employees learning material news internally rather than externally; engagement and advocacy measures.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
59Section O · Public Relations and Reputation
Public Affairs and Stakeholder Communication
Communication with government, regulators, industry bodies, communities, non-governmental organisations and other institutional stakeholders whose decisions or positions affect the client's operating environment.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers stakeholder mapping and engagement, policy and regulatory communication, consultation responses, community relations, coalition and industry body participation, and the transparent conduct of advocacy. Excludes political campaigning for parties or candidates (Function 75) and corporate disclosure (Function 56).
How it is measured
Regulatory outcomes achieved or adverse outcomes avoided; stakeholder relationship quality; consultation responses acknowledged and cited; compliance with all transparency obligations (absolute); community relations where operations affect them.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
60Section P · Sponsorship, Influencers and Partnerships
Sponsorship Strategy and Management
The identification, negotiation, activation and evaluation of sponsorship - a brand's paid association with a property, event, team, individual or cause.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers property identification and evaluation, rights negotiation, contracting, activation planning and delivery, hospitality and asset use, and return evaluation. Excludes influencer arrangements (Function 61) and non-commercial partnerships (Function 62).
How it is measured
Awareness and association shift among the property's audience; activation reach relative to rights fee; value of rights delivered against contract; commercial outcomes where the sponsorship carries them; risk incidents; whether the association survived the term intact.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
61Section P · Sponsorship, Influencers and Partnerships
Influencer and Creator Marketing
The identification, engagement and management of individuals with independent audiences to communicate on a brand's behalf, under disclosed commercial arrangements.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers creator identification and vetting, negotiation and contracting, briefing, content approval, disclosure compliance, performance measurement and relationship management. Excludes sponsorship of properties (Function 60) and organic advocacy, which cannot be purchased.
How it is measured
Engagement quality and sentiment rather than reach alone; conversion or brand lift against control; disclosure compliance (absolute); audience authenticity of selected creators; cost per meaningful outcome; relationship longevity with effective creators.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
62Section P · Sponsorship, Influencers and Partnerships
Strategic Partnerships and Co-branding
The development of commercial relationships between the client's brand and other organisations, in which both contribute and both benefit - co-branded products, joint campaigns, distribution partnerships and cause associations.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers partner identification and evaluation, value exchange design, negotiation and contracting, joint execution, and shared measurement. Excludes sponsorship (Function 60), affiliate arrangements (Function 42) and supplier relationships (Function 78).
How it is measured
Value delivered to both parties against the modelled exchange; audience response to the combination; commercial outcomes; partnership duration and renewal; absence of brand damage from association; clean separation where the partnership ends.
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63Section Q · Data, Analytics and Measurement
Campaign Measurement
The measurement of a campaign's performance across the full chain from delivery to commercial outcome, against criteria established before the campaign began.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers the measurement framework, delivery and engagement metrics, conversion and commercial metrics, brand metrics, and the reporting of performance against objective. Excludes deep analytics (Function 64), attribution modelling (Function 65) and experimentation (Function 66).
How it is measured
Measurement completeness across the chain; reconciliation accuracy; whether measurement identified problems early enough to correct them; decisions made on measured evidence; forecast accuracy improving over successive campaigns.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
64Section Q · Data, Analytics and Measurement
Marketing Analytics
The analysis of marketing and customer data to explain what is happening, why, and what should be done differently - moving from reporting to understanding.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers data preparation and quality, exploratory and diagnostic analysis, segmentation and cohort analysis, forecasting and modelling, and the translation of analysis into recommendation. Excludes measurement reporting (Function 63) and attribution specifically (Function 65).
How it is measured
Decisions changed by analysis; accuracy of predicted effects when implemented; time from question to answer; data quality improvement over time; proportion of analysis acted upon.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
65Section Q · Data, Analytics and Measurement
Attribution and Effectiveness Measurement
The determination of what marketing activity actually caused - separating contribution from coincidence across channels, and establishing the return the client received.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers attribution modelling, incrementality testing, econometric and marketing mix modelling, long- and short-term effect measurement, and return on investment calculation. Excludes platform-reported conversion counting, which is not attribution.
How it is measured
Predictive accuracy of the model against subsequent periods; budget reallocation decisions and their outcomes; consistency across triangulated methods; long-term effects captured rather than ignored; client confidence in the numbers.
Reading it is one thing. Our team will tell you exactly what you should be receiving from this function, what good looks like in your market, and what it costs.
66Section Q · Data, Analytics and Measurement
Testing and Optimisation
The disciplined use of controlled experimentation across creative, media, message, offer and experience to establish what works, rather than assuming it.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers test strategy and prioritisation, experiment design, statistical validity, execution, analysis, and the institutional retention of learning. Excludes conversion optimisation specifically (Function 40), which is one application of this discipline.
How it is measured
Test velocity; proportion of decisions made on tested evidence; cumulative validated improvement; expensive mistakes prevented by negative results; archive use - evidence that the organisation is learning rather than repeating.
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67Section R · Artificial Intelligence and Automation
Ai-assisted Strategy and Research
The application of artificial intelligence to accelerate and deepen research, analysis and strategic development, within a governance framework that preserves accuracy and judgement.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers AI-assisted desk research, data synthesis, audience analysis, scenario modelling, competitive monitoring and strategic hypothesis testing. Excludes AI in creative production (Function 68), customer interaction (Function 69) and media optimisation (Function 70).
How it is measured
Verification failure rate (target: zero reaching client); research depth achieved per hour; decisions informed; errors detected before rather than after delivery; client trust maintained through disclosure.
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68Section R · Artificial Intelligence and Automation
Ai-assisted Creative Production
The use of generative and assistive artificial intelligence in the production of creative work - copy, imagery, video, audio, adaptation and variation - under human direction and review.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers AI-assisted ideation support, drafting, visualisation, asset variation and adaptation, and production acceleration. Excludes the origination of the central idea, which remains a human responsibility, and AI in performance optimisation (Function 70).
How it is measured
Production cost and time reduction; creative quality maintained against pre-AI benchmark; rights and similarity incidents (target: zero); client disclosure compliance; distinctiveness of output in market.
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69Section R · Artificial Intelligence and Automation
Ai-driven Customer Interaction
The deployment of conversational and automated systems that interact directly with customers on the brand's behalf - assistants, chat systems, voice agents and automated response.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers use-case definition, conversational design, knowledge grounding, escalation to humans, disclosure, monitoring and continuous improvement. Excludes internal AI use (Functions 67, 68) and marketing automation (Function 48).
How it is measured
Resolution rate within scope; escalation rate and escalation satisfaction; factual error rate (target: zero); sensitive cases correctly routed; customer satisfaction against human-handled baseline; incidents requiring intervention.
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70Section R · Artificial Intelligence and Automation
Predictive and Personalised Advertising
The use of predictive modelling and automated personalisation to determine what is shown to whom, when, and in what form - at a scale and speed beyond manual execution.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers propensity and value modelling, dynamic creative optimisation, personalised sequencing, automated bidding and audience construction. Excludes CRM segmentation strategy (Function 47) and experimentation (Function 66).
How it is measured
Incremental outcome rather than attributed conversion; personalisation effect against a non-personalised control; complaint and opt-out rates; bias audit results; frequency distribution; absence of discriminatory targeting patterns.
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71Section S · Specialist Advertising Disciplines
Business-to-business Advertising
Advertising directed at organisations rather than individuals, where purchases involve multiple decision-makers, extended timeframes, formal procurement and rational as well as emotional justification.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers buying-committee mapping, technical and commercial messaging, account-based approaches, sales enablement, industry channels and long-cycle nurture. Excludes consumer advertising method and recruitment advertising (Function 72).
How it is measured
Pipeline created and influenced; opportunity-to-close rate; deal size and cycle length; account penetration across the committee; sales team use of provided content; brand awareness among the finite addressable universe.
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72Section S · Specialist Advertising Disciplines
Recruitment and Employer Brand Advertising
Communication designed to attract, persuade and retain talent - positioning the organisation as an employer and supporting specific recruitment requirements.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers employer value proposition, careers communication and channels, role-specific recruitment advertising, candidate experience communication, and internal advocacy. Excludes internal communication generally (Function 58) and human resources policy.
How it is measured
Quality of hire; retention at six and twelve months; application completion rate; time to hire; offer acceptance; candidate experience feedback including from rejected candidates; diversity of applicant pool.
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73Section S · Specialist Advertising Disciplines
Government and Public-sector Advertising
Advertising for government departments, agencies and public bodies - informing citizens, changing behaviour, and delivering public policy objectives under public accountability.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers public information campaigns, service awareness, policy communication, compliance communication, and the procurement, accessibility and accountability requirements specific to public work. Excludes political party advertising (Function 75) and social change campaigns run by non-governmental bodies (Function 74).
How it is measured
Behaviour change or service uptake against objective; comprehension across all audience groups including the least served; accessibility compliance; reach among hard-to-reach populations; cost per outcome; audit outcomes.
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74Section S · Specialist Advertising Disciplines
Social and Behavioural Change Communication
Communication designed to change behaviours affecting health, safety, environment, finance or social outcomes - where the objective is a durable change in what people do rather than what they buy.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers behavioural diagnosis, intervention design, message framing, community and peer approaches, and the ethical conduct of persuasion aimed at behaviour. Excludes commercial advertising and government information campaigns specifically (Function 73).
How it is measured
Actual behaviour change, measured over years; durability after the campaign ends; reach among the most affected rather than the most reachable; unintended consequences including stigma; support service demand and capacity; equity of effect across groups.
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75Section S · Specialist Advertising Disciplines
Political and Advocacy Communication
Communication on behalf of political parties, candidates, campaigns, causes or advocacy organisations, seeking to influence opinion, votes or policy.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers campaign strategy and messaging, advocacy communication, electoral advertising, and the regulatory, disclosure and ethical framework governing it. Excludes government information (Function 73) and public affairs on behalf of commercial clients (Function 59).
How it is measured
Compliance with all electoral and disclosure requirements (absolute); factual accuracy of every claim; campaign objectives where lawfully pursued; absence of misinformation; the agency's own integrity and staff position maintained.
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76Section T · Governance, Compliance and Delivery Management
Project and Traffic Management
The function that moves work through the agency - scheduling, resourcing, sequencing, tracking and unblocking it - so that what was promised is delivered on time, to specification and within the resource assumed.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers work management systems, scheduling and stage gates, capacity and resource planning, scope change control, and delivery tracking. Excludes client relationship management (Function 2) and financial control (Function 77).
How it is measured
On-time delivery rate; scope change capture and recovery; utilisation against target; rework rate; gate compliance; accuracy of estimates against actuals over time.
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77Section T · Governance, Compliance and Delivery Management
Financial and Budget Management
The commercial control of the agency's work - estimating, budgeting, tracking, invoicing and reconciling both the client's marketing investment and the agency's own profitability.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers estimating and quotation, budget tracking, working media versus fee separation, supplier cost management, invoicing and cash flow, time and utilisation recording, and account profitability. Excludes the client's own financial management and media reconciliation detail (Function 26).
How it is measured
Account profitability against target; estimate accuracy against actual; utilisation; debtor days; scope changes captured and billed; cash position; write-offs.
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78Section T · Governance, Compliance and Delivery Management
Procurement and Supplier Management
The identification, appointment, briefing and management of the external specialists through which the agency delivers work it does not perform internally.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers supplier network development, vetting and onboarding, competitive quotation, briefing, performance management, and commercial and ethical compliance across the supply chain. Excludes media inventory purchase (Function 26) and partnership development (Function 62).
How it is measured
Supplier delivery on time and to brief; cost against benchmark; quality and rework rates; compliance documentation currency; payment terms met; network depth against the categories the agency needs.
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79Section T · Governance, Compliance and Delivery Management
Legal, Regulatory and Ethical Compliance
The function ensuring that everything the agency produces and does complies with advertising law, sector regulation, data protection, competition rules and the agency's own ethical standards.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers advertising standards and codes, sector-specific regulation, data protection and privacy, competition and consumer law, claim substantiation, AI governance, and the agency's ethical position on work it will and will not do. Excludes intellectual property specifically (Function 80).
How it is measured
Regulatory complaints and rulings (target: zero upheld); pre-clearance first-time approval rate; substantiation completeness; data protection incidents; training currency; consistency of ethical policy application.
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80Section T · Governance, Compliance and Delivery Management
Intellectual Property and Usage Rights
The management of ownership, licensing and permitted use of everything the agency creates or incorporates - including who owns the work, what may be used where, for how long, and what happens when the relationship ends.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers copyright and ownership in created work, licensing of music, imagery, fonts, stock and talent, trademark clearance, usage terms and renewals, and rights on termination. Excludes general compliance (Function 79) and naming clearance specifically (Function 10).
How it is measured
Rights incidents and infringement claims (target: zero); expiries anticipated rather than breached; register completeness; reuse enabled without additional cost through correct initial scoping; clean rights position at termination.
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81Section T · Governance, Compliance and Delivery Management
Quality Assurance and Brand Governance
The function that ensures everything leaving the agency meets the required standard, and that the brand is applied consistently and correctly across every output, market and supplier over time.
Scope and measurement
What it covers
Covers the multi-layer review system, brand guideline governance, asset management, market and supplier compliance, and the continuous protection of standards as volume and distribution increase. Excludes the individual disciplines' own craft standards, which it verifies rather than performs.
How it is measured
Errors reaching public (target: zero); launch checklist completion; brand consistency in live audits; review cycle time; recurring error patterns eliminated; asset library use versus off-library asset creation.
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