Careers in Advertising Industry

What you should have is a curious bent of mind, sensitive nature clarity of thoughts, interest in working with people, high business interest, creative abilities, ability to withstand criticism, perseverance and enthusiasm as well as a keen sense of humour.

Introduction

The annual expenditure on Advertising has been to the tune of Rs 8000 crores and the figures show an upward trend. USA has projected media spending on advertising only on the Net to approximately $7700 million.
       Growing consumer awareness and marketing targeted at the needs of the consumer has made advertising a very powerful marketing tool. Advertisements are created to attract, modify, change and influence public opinion. The mediums of communication vary as much as the style. The field of advertising has assumed a very dynamic form blending creative skills with marketing strategies.
        The idea of advertising a product originates with the corporate house, business or organization which plans to advertise. The ad-agency creates the ad to suit the needs of the client and the media provides the medium for advertising . The process demands special professional skills. 

Nature of Work
        Various skills are required in the preparation of an Ad. From identifying the purpose of the ad and the clients need, the identification of media, the creative inputs, to the verbal catch phrases all needs skill and expertise.
 

Departments in an Ad Agency

Client Servicing : 

        This department is the front office. When a client approaches an Ad agency all he knows is that he needs a successful ad. The client service seeks to understand the requirement through a thorough study of the client, his product and the market he expects to reach. Client servicing also involves assessment of the media to be used ,cost effectiveness and finally the strategy to be followed from creation to presentation.
The hierarchy in client servicing is as follows :

Account Director
To head the department is the account director or account planner who works for the client on long term planning . In advertising 'the account' is the client. The business of each client with the agency is refered to as an account. The job involves supervision and guidance through the process of the business.

Accounts supervisors
The Account supervisor is the main planning executive for a particular client. He is responsible for all major decisions on a business deal. He supervises his team of executives and works with other department heads to meet schedules. 

Account Executives
Interacting daily with clients the Account executive is responsible for all the details of the account.

Account Trainees
Account trainees assist the acount executives on specific projects.
 

Creative Department

From client servicing to the Creative Department the instructions flow and the ad is written, directed,and illustrated here. This department also coordinates this process through the other departments. The aim most obviously is to create an ad which attracts the attention of the target audience, holds their interest and generates a desire to own the product by impressing the brand name so that the product achieves optimal sales. The people in the creative department are :

Art Director
The art director is responsible for the visual presentation of the ad. He has thorough understanding of the film medium, photography, layout typography, art studio techniques etc.

Copywriter
The copywriter is responsible for all the words and much of the conceptual thinking in a press ad or a television commercial.

Visualiser
Visualisers are the junior most people in the art department. The job entails designing letterheads, brochures, newsletter etc.

Production department

This department produces the ads. Production people are qualified in printing, typography, photography, and other technical processes. 

Media Department
The media department's job is to place the advertisement created by the agency in the most appropriate medium where it is most likely to be seen by the target people. The aim is also to get the best bargain to keep the costs low.

Media executives
Media executives place the advertisements where they will be seen by the target audience keeping the budget in mind.

Media planners
They access up-to-date information about each advertising medium .

Media buyers
They buy advertising time/space for the agency's client.
 

Work Conditions

• Ad agencies have an office environment . Accounts Executives, Account Planners, Media Executives, Art Directors and Copywriters spend most of their working time in agency offices.
• Account executives visit clients and suppliers hence travel extensively. 
• Ad agencies are very busy places and often work is on till late hours.
   

Personal Qualities

• Negotiating skills
• Good communication skills 
• Ability to cope with challenge of competing in the market with other agencies
• Drive and determination
• Physical and mental stamina
• Sensitivity to consumer behaviour and trends 
• Ability to assimilate the clients requirements
• Lucid style of preparing briefs 
• Ability to get along with others 

The creative people 

Good visual ability

Language/artistic skill

Copywriters require literary ability

Understanding what motivates the target audience is important

Writers must be able to work to a brief, within restricted space and in limited time 

Creative self-discipline

Openness to stand criticism 

Job prospects

Job opportunites are in

Advertising agencies

Commercial radio or TV

Print medium

Market research 

Industries and business both private and public

Multinational advertising firms

Advertising/PR department of organisations/business/government.

Study Options
The field of advertising is open to students who have passed from Art Schools, Management Schools, Design Schools, graduates from reputed institutes with a rich co-curricular record and those from advertising courses or mass communication courses. 
 

Client servicing 
The job needs business skills hence graduates from any stream with some training in business administration are generally preferred. Marketing diploma holders work in client servicing. An advertising qualification too is useful. 

Copywriters and Art Directors 
At entry level a copy test evaluates command over written English,and tests the ability to think. A good copywriter must know more than one language. Copywriters are identified on the basis of their talent than qualification. The Art Director and his team are selected from Art Schools or Design Institutes. Bachelor of Applied Art course cover mediums like photography, graphics, and visual communication. Courses in Multimedia and mass communication are also useful.

Media Planners and Buyers 
Courses in management, advertising, marketing, public relations are useful for this department.

Production
The production team comes from Art Schools and film and TV training institutions. 
 

Courses

One-year postgraduate diploma course in advertising

Institution	Course	Eligibility & Selection
Indian Institute of Mass communication,JNU Campus, New Delhi 110067	Diploma in advertising	Graduation written test and interview
Rajendra Prasad Institute of Communication and Management,Kulpati K.M.Munshi Marg, Mumbai 400007	Diploma in advertising	Graduation
Bhavan's College of Communication and Management,Mumbai 400007	Diploma in advertising,photography	Graduation
Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan,Mehta Sadan, Kasturba Gandhi Marg,New Delhi 110001	Diploma in advertising,photography	Graduation
Vidya Gauri,Neelkanth Marg, Khanpur, Ahmedabad	Diploma in marketing,journalism, business	Graduation
School of Communication and Management Studies, Thevar House, Cochin 682133	Diploma in advertising	Graduation
Sophia BKS Polytechnic Pedder Road, Mumbai 400 026	Diploma in advertising	Graduation
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, VL MehtaRoad, Ville Parle, Mumbai	PG Diploma in Advertising and communication	Graduation with 50 %
Xaviers Institute of Communication,Mumbai	Diploma in advertising with 60%	10 + 2
Wigan & Leigh College, 401-402 Skipper Corner, 88 Nehru Place, New Delhi	Postgraduate diploma in Advertising and Marketing Communication	Graduation
Wigan & Leigh College, 401-402 Skipper Corner, 88 Nehru Place, New Delhi	Postgraduate diploma in Advertising and Marketing Communication	Graduation
National Institute of Advertising Society for Education and Development of Adver tising & Communication (SEDAC) Mohammadpur, New Delhi	2 years PG Diploma in Marketing Communication Management	Graduates in Advertising Test in March
Delhi School of Communication, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi	2 year PG diploma in	GMAT,G-IND OMATorMAT scores
Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, Delhi	New 1 yr PG Diploma in Advertising & Photography	Graduation
Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Ravindranath Tagore Marg, Indore 452001 (MP)	1 yr. PG diploma in Graduation 169,  a) Advertising & Photography b) Advertising & Public Graduation Relations
Guru Jambeshwar University, Hissar, Haryana 125001	1 yr PG diploma in Advertising & Public Relations	Graduation
National Instt. of Advertising,1 Deen Dayal Upadhayay Marg, New Delhi 110002	2 yrs PG Diploma in Marketing Communications Management	Graduation

Note :

Bhartiya Vidhya Bhavan has branches in many towns in the country. They offer a diploma course in advertising and photography for graduates. The Institutes are called Bhavan's College of Communication and Management. These are at Chandigarh, Cochin, Calcutta, Delhi, Mumbai, Guntur, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kakinada, Nagpur, Vishakhapatnam.

Professional in service training is imparted by Advertising Agencies' Association of India (AAAI), Maker Towers, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai.

Degree courses in advertising

Eligibility : 10+2

EASTERN REGION
Dibrugarh University
Assam
Manipur University
Imphal 795003
University of Calcutta
North Bengal University

NORTHERN REGION
University of Delhi
Punjab University
Rohilkhand University
Maharishi Dayanand University
Magadha University
Patna University
Jiwaji University
Rani Durgavati Vishwavidhyalaya

WESTERN REGION
University of Mumbai
University of Poona
Mumbai University
University of Rajasthan

SOUTHERN REGION
Karnataka University
Bharathiar University
University of Chennai
Madurai Kamaraj University
University of Calicut
Osmania University