In today's time, advertising is one of the fastest growing industry in the world, with so many brands and products coming up every year. With so many products in the market comes the need to attract customers, influence, engage and sell your product to the target audience. One can advertise in many forms e.g. print, television, radio, social media etc.
To fulfill the need to sell and communicate with potential customers advertising plays a very crucial role. It is almost impossible to sell products and provide services without advertising. In order for the consumers to purchase products proper information and awareness is needed. This is only possible with the help of advertising.
Advertising does the task of promoting products and services in the most creative and entertaining way. One can advertise in many forms e.g. print, television, radio, social media etc. A creative but effective and clear representation of the product is the key to advertising.
All tasks that an advertising agency is not possible by a person or two. It requires different people with different skills and interests.
If you think you are the most creative, skilled with a
lot of potential and want to work in an ad agency but do not know what kind of
jobs and positions are available here’s a list:
6 Career Options Available in Advertising:
1. Client Servicing Manager
Client servicing can be called the face of the advertising agency or a bridge that connects the agency and the client.
The responsibility of a client servicing manager is cater to the needs of the clients, understand them and then present the need to the creative team. Since client servicing is a representation of the company to the clients, communication skills are a must here.
You can call client servicing and the customer care of the ad agency. The Client servicing manager makes sure the guidelines or needs of the client are followed thoroughly and effectively. The client servicing department is accountable for the entire workflow.
Education required for this position is a degree in
communication, media, advertising or journalism.
2. Media Planning
Media planners guide the advertising agency to invest their money in the right places to get maximum returns as well as reach the right customers.
Media planners essentially select the right medium to advertise effectively in the company’s set budget.
They do the planning, scheduling as well as buying and booking spaces in different media outlets e.g. newspapers, magazines, TV, radio etc.
Other responsibilities that Media planners have are conducting targeted media research, determine media objectives and strategies.
Basic Educational requirement mostly for this position
is an MBA, statistics, market research or math.
3. Copywriter
I made a separate point for copywriter because this position has a lot of scope and copywriters are some of the most important people in the ad agency.
A copy is an essential written text that accompanies the visual elements in an advertisement. A copy can be in the form of headlines, jingles, tag lines, dialogues or a story line for TVC.
A copywriter is a person who writes interesting, creative and out of the box ad copies to persuade a person to buy the advertised product. A copywriter’s job is to convey the company’s message across the customer in such a way that the message is clear and convincing.
A copywriter needs to use words wisely and smartly to lure in customers. A copywriter also needs to carry out research to write effective copies and avoid the legal issues i:e copyright. He/She should also have complete knowledge about the product in order to highlight the key features in the written copy.
You can also work as a freelancer in this field but having a strong and relevant portfolio is a must.
Education required mostly for this position is a degree
in advertising or marketing and writing.
4. Market Research
The market research team conducts researches to understand the market and consumer needs in order to craft better advertisements, ad campaigns and understand consumer behavior.
These researchers provide the creatives and media planner with a base to craft an effective strategy to increase their reach and achieve their goals i:e influencing the consumers. Market researchers are the reason why an ad agency can understand the market needs and structure.
Education required mostly for this position is an MBA,
a degree in statistics, math or marketing.
5. Creative Team
If you ever decide to work in an established ad agency or a small ad agency in general then you will come across the creative team.
A creative team in that department in the ad agency which brings the ideas of the client to life. They essentially are the creative minds of the agency. A creative team or creatives of the ad agency consists of creative directors, graphic designers, editors, artists, copywriters and web developers.
All the members play their own important part in the entire process of making an ad or an ad campaign. All of them collectively work to produce ads for print, media and social media ads and campaigns.
Art director:
Art director coordinates with the copywriter and generates clear and creative ideas and concepts. The art director produces sketches and storyboards as well as coordinates with the rest of the creative team.
The educational requirement for this position is a degree in fine art, visual art or commercial art.
Copywriter:
Writes creative and engaging copies as per as the clients requirement.
Editor:
An editor edits the copy and makes sure that it is free of errors and fulfills the requirement of the client.
Graphic designer and artist:
Graphic designer and artist work on art and illustrations for various ad outlets.
Education required for a graphic designer and an artist is a degree in graphic designing or commercial arts.
Web developer:
The web developer develops a website or a web page as per the requirement of the client and uploads the artwork and designs on the internet. Education required for a web developer is an IT-related degree.
If you happen to work in a big and established ad agency then you’ll need to do only the tasks that you have to do e.g. if you are hired as a web designer then you’ll have to do things related to web designing.
If you happen to work at a small agency then you might have to do other work like client servicing.
Another option is that if you decided not to work for any agency but rather work as a freelancer, that also will fetch work.
As many agencies big or small sometimes or always outsource the creative team services. To be a freelancer you need to have a portfolio to which the agencies can refer too and then heir you.
To be a freelancer you need a portfolio that the advertising
agencies can refer to and the hire you.
6. Human Resources
HR or Human Resources is essential not only in ad agencies but in every organization. HR is in charge of hiring and appointing people as well as firing them.
It doesn't end there as they have a huge responsibility of hiring the right people for the right position. They make sure that all the tasks are carried out perfectly by all the department and that the agency or company follows the guidelines and rules set by the government.
The basic educational requirement for HR is a bachelor
in management studies.
Conclusion
These are just some basic but top career opportunities in the current day and age in advertising but the possibilities in advertising much more than what is mentioned in the above points. It’s up to you to find out which positions suits you and your skills the best.
It may not happen instantly but you are bound to get
stability as the time passes.
Written by - Lirica Machado
Edited by – Adrija Saha
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