Marketing Jobs: Agency vs. Corporate – What’s the Difference?

When pursuing a career in Marketing you have the choice of either working at an agency or corporate. But what do these words mean? And what are the differences between the two?

What is an Agency Role and What is a Corporate Role?

An agency is a company that provides marketing services to a variety of businesses. Their clients can range from supermarkets and restaurants to retail stores. A corporate marketing role is when you’re hired by a specific company and work only for that company. Instead of a variety of clients your only client would be the company itself.

But the benefits, culture and salary vary for both these roles.

Let’s dive in:

Agencies

Agencies are typically more fast-paced. You work on a variety of projects for a variety of brands. It’s an amazing learning experience. However agencies are noted for being stressful with long hours and in the word of one marketer “they suck the life out of you”. This is not to discourage you. Personally I would LOVE to gain agency experience. But agencies are also noted for low pay especially in the beginning stages.

When it comes to promotions, agencies provide you with the opportunity to work your way up to a leadership position. 

Lots of people start their careers in agencies and then work their way to a corporate role. This is an excellent way to pick up skills quickly. It is also an easier transition to go from agency to corporate as opposed to corporate (with no agency experience) to agency.

Corporate

Corporate roles are much more stable. You work for one company or brand, promoting only their products. It is also much slower-paced. Whereas an agency needs things yesterday, corporate might take longer for approval on projects and resources. However corporate roles allow you exposure to the entire business. You gain an understanding of the entire business model which is a great asset for a marketer. However there is a lack of variety. You work on the same projects for the same products.

In my last corporate role, I got to a point where I was able to project manage almost on autopilot because the projects were all so repetitive.

Corporate provides a better salary however your career progression might be slower. I say might because I know corporate environments that promote their marketers yearly and I know of businesses who take at least 3 to 5 years for a promotion. It all depends on the business itself.

One of the benefits of corporate (especially for those who have worked agency side) is the standard 8 to 5 hours. This allows for a greater work-life balance. Corporates also offer benefits (yay gym membership)

Both corporate and agency have their own perks and pitfalls. The choice on what is right for you depends on your personality and goals.

As a corporate marketer I do feel robbed of the agency experience but I am grateful that my marketing roles did include a variety of projects and experience.