Five approaches to organize an integrated marketing communications agency

This study focuses on the organizational structures of a number of advertising agencies that have undertaken the move toward integrated communications. The article delineates and provides a rationale for a taxonomy of organizational structures of advertising agencies known to have produced successful integrated communications campaigns. Five organizational models are identified: (1) a consortium of independent agencies; (2) a consortium with one dominant agency; (3) a corporation with autonomous divisions; (4) a matrix organization; and (5) an integrated organization.