Approval
In a Nutshell
Approval is when the client or decision-maker accepts the prepared work. It's the final step needed before the work goes live, to print, or into production. In theory: a decision. In practice: a waiting room.
What It Really Means
Approval is the answer everyone in the agency world waits for but no one gives on time. The work is ready, the team waits, the publishing calendar approaches, the media plan tightens; but the approval might still be "under internal review."
A delayed approval is usually not just a delay. It's followed by urgent tasks, overtime, panic, and unnecessary revisions. Because every decision not made on time eventually returns to the creative team as extra work.
Sometimes approval isn't in one person's hands, but in the hands of an invisible committee. Everyone gives their opinion, no one makes the final decision.
In agency life, approval doesn't mean the work is finished; it means a new waiting period has begun.