Advertising - Marketing
Career Spotlight: Advertising/Marketing
Average Salary: $50,290
Projected Annual Job Openings: 64,000
Train Online to Become an Advertising Executive - Free Information
Juggernaut Profession:
Advertising is everywhere. It saturates your life in both subliminal and obnoxious, in-your-face ways. The Polo player on your tee-shirt, the Swoosh on your sneakers, or the tranquil glacier lake photograph taped on your water-bottle are all present to establish a recognizable brand for very large and powerful companies. It's no surprise that more people recognize Ronald McDonald than the President of the United States. McDonald's has spent billions of dollars since opening the Golden Arches to create an empire of recognition. That's right, billions. As advertisers find more channels to promote a client's brand, more job openings are created. Right now, advertising is one of the most in-demand jobs for 2008.
What is Advertising?
Advertisers need audiences to promote their brands the same way car manufacturers need road to promote their cars. Advertisers rely on the fact that, one day, you will make a purchasing decision. The advertiser's job is to use billboards, commercials, branding and more recently, guerilla marketing, to establish recognition. A more recognizable, trusted and popular brand will ultimately boost sales and influence your purchasing decision at the cash-register.
How to Advertise?
Advertising agencies have a number of clients they conduct business with. If you go to court for driving under the influence, you need a lawyer; if you want to advertise watches in a magazine, you need an advertising agency. Advertising agencies can be viewed as a third-party service for companies to increase their brand recognition. Most advertising agencies are given loose guidelines to follow from their respective clients allowing for creativity and innovation in creating brand awareness.
What Will a Career in Advertising Be Like?
An early career in advertising will be research-heavy. Many hours are spent acquiring data on patterns of different demographic groups. Advertisers look deeply at who is purchasing a certain product and what types of media they interact with.
You would not try to sell an iPhone to an 80 year-old woman in a nursing home. However, you would want to sell an iPhone to a 20 year-old that is hooked on Facebook, reads tech-websites and is gizmo-crazy. Advertisers will determine where the average buyer hangs out, digests media and how they formulate all levels of decisions. All this research is completed before the creative-process or advertisement creation process even begins. Once the advertiser determines where the customers are, they work to saturate those target-areas with advertisements in print, video, online and in the physical world in which potential buyers exist and live.
A career in advertising will keep you up-to-date on the current trends while also understanding patterns of many demographic groups. You'll learn various platforms that certain demographics associate with and you'll improve your ability to infiltrate those areas with your promotions.
Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, positions in advertising should continue increse over time. Long hours, weekends and working remotely are common during busy times. Personable people are also needed especially when dealing with a demanding client.
