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| The advertising industry is rich in career opportunities, varying from art direction to client relations. To review these various career opportunities, we begin with an analysis of the three main departments which comprise almost all advertising agencies: the account management (also known as client service) department, the creative department, and the media department. | |
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Definitions: |
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Account
Management |
Members
of the account management or
client service department plan
advertising strategies in
collaboration with clients,
mainly the marketing
department of the client. They
supervise the progress and
completion of ad campaigns
based on client needs. They
are responsible for
maintaining the relationship
between the client and the
agency, and liase between the
client and the art and
production departments.
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Creative |
The
creative department is
responsible for the
conceptualization and creation
of advertising material, from
print ads to billboards to
television and radio
commercials. In the creative
process from conceptualization
to design and execution, the
creative team translates the
needs of the client into
visual and/or audio
representation.
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Media |
The
media department determines a
media plan for the client and
buys advertising space in
magazines, newspapers, and
other print media as well as
airtime in television and
radio media based on the
client's advertising strategy
and needs. . |
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Job Titles Include: |
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Assistant
Account Executive Account
Executive |
These
members of the account
management or client service
team are responsible for
managing the firm's
relationship with the client,
developing advertising
strategies, and ensuring that
the client's campaigns and
strategies are conducted
according to the clients'
needs and achieved within the
desired time plan. They are in
constant contact with the
agency's clients, determining
the clients' advertising needs
and conveying this information
to the art and production
departments. They are known to
be the link between the agency
as a while and the client.
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| Junior
Copywriter Copywriter Senior Copywriter |
Copywriters
are responsible for writing
and editing the copy in
advertisements. As members of
the creative team, they
collaborate with art directors
in the conceptualization of
advertising campaigns and the
development of ideas for ad
content.
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| Graphic
Designer Senior Graphic Designer Assistant Art Director Junior Art Director Art Director Senior Art Director |
These
members of the creative
department develop artistic
content for print and
broadcast advertising. Art
directors recommend strategies
for ad campaigns, often
presenting several creative
options for client approval.
They often work with
copywriters developing both
the visual and verbal content
of advertisements. Art
directors are responsible for
supervising ad campaigns from
their beginning to final
production.
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| Assistant
Media Planner Media Planner Media Buyer Media Director Media Manager |
Members
of the media department manage
the purchase of print space in
newspapers and magazines, and
broadcast time on radio and
television for the clients of
the advertising agency. Using
statistical models, they
determine the best media plan
for the client, based on
maximum media effectiveness
for the client. They deal with
media sales representatives
and determine where to place
ads based on the client's
objectives and budgets.
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| Traffic Controller | Many
agencies hire a traffic
controller to manage jobs
given by the client management
to the art and/or production
departments. They are
responsible for coordinating
the internal flow of active
jobs and work closely with
both ends to meet deadlines.
In some major advertising
agencies, it is the traffic
controller's job to contact
the production team to
determine price quotations for
required jobs and communiate
them to the account management
team to get a client's
approval and feedback.
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| Production Manager | The
production manager supervises
the production of print ads
and promotional materials, the
filming of commercials, and
the recording of radio ads.
They are responsible for
dealing with production
agencies and for meeting
deadlines for ad production.
Depending on the structure of
the advertising agency, the
production manager may be a
part of the creative
department. . |
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Featured Employers: |
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Ranked
the top five advertising
agencies worldwide, based on
their 1998 Gross Income($
millions): |
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Education & Skills Profile: |
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Education |
Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Mass Communication, Journalism, English Literature, Business, Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications, or Applied Art (for a position in the creative department). A background in psychology is considered a plus. |
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Enhancement |
Masters degree in Business, Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications, Journalism, Mass Communication, English Literature, or Master of Fine Arts in Art Direction (for creative professionals) |
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Computer Skills |
For creative department positions, knowledge of desktop publishing and graphic design software is essential. Examples of this software include Macromedia Freehand, QuarkXpress, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. Client service department members need to be familiar with Microsoft Powerpoint and other presentation software, and all departments require good Microsoft Office (especially Word and Excel) skills. |
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Experience Required: |
Many advertising jobs, especially those related to client service or graphics, do not require extensive previous experience, as many fresh graduates are hired. In general, a career in account management requires some background experience in marketing, advertising, public relations or sales. Designers and art directors should present a portfolio of previous work and campaigns, in addition to experience in using design software. Media personnel are preferred to have experience in statistics and tabulation. Production managers are required to be highly experienced in pre-press, printing and/or TV and radio production techniques. |
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Additional Skills |
Advertising
people, from art directors to
media buyers, should be highly
creative and innovative.
Copywriters need to have
strong writing and language
skills (fluency in all three
prominent languages of the
Middle East -Arabic, English,
and French- is a big plus).
Designers and art directors
must have strong visual
communication skills,
preferably with an educational
background in art. Account
executives, media buyers, and
production managers must
possess strong interpersonal,
negotiation, and
communications skills, as well
as knowledge of advertising
trends. the account team and
the traffic controller must be
highly organized and efficient
in meeting set deadlines for
delivery of art work. |
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