Advertising Specialist
Ngaio Pānui Toko
This job is sometimes referred to by alternative titles
Advertising specialists discuss clients' requirements, and plan, prepare and present advertising campaigns to sell products or services.
Pay
Advertising specialists usually earn
$43K-$100K per year
Source: Statistics New Zealand, ‘2013 Census’, 2015.
Job opportunities
Vocational pathwaysPay
Pay for advertising specialists varies, depending on experience and the size of the agency they work for.
According to the 2013 Census, advertising specialists usually earn between $43,000 and $100,000 a year.
Source: Statistics New Zealand, ‘2013 Census’, 2015.
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the figures and diagrams in our job information)
What you will do
Advertising specialists may do some or all of the following:
- source new clients
- discuss with the client their product, what kind of advertising they want, and what medium to use
- research the product, client or service
- think up advertising ideas for print, television or direct mail in partnership with a copywriter and other members of the creative team
- help prepare advertising campaigns
- present drafts and ideas to the client
- negotiate contracts with people involved in the advertising process such as photographers, talent (people featuring in advertisements), television directors and other production workers
- co-ordinate the production of the advertising.
Skills and knowledge
Advertising specialists need to have:
- knowledge of advertising and promotional methods, and how to target specific audiences
- the ability to come up with new marketing and advertising ideas, and opportunities for clients
- an understanding of market research.
Working conditions
Advertising specialists:
- usually work long hours, which may include early mornings, evenings and weekends
- usually work in offices
- often work in stressful conditions, as they have tight deadlines
- may travel locally and nationally to photographers' studios and film companies, or to attend photo shoots and visit clients.
What's the job really like?
Shelley Dalton - Advertising Specialist
Passion for the language
"I’m mad on the English language," laughs Shelley Dalton, advertising account director at a large communications agency. "That’s why this is a good industry for me, because it’s all about using language to persuade people."
It’s all about originality
"It’s my job to put together advertising to persuade customers to choose my clients’ products and services. And that can be hard because nowadays clients constantly want new and original advertising solutions. What was a wacky and innovative way to communicate two years ago is boring now. You just can’t be behind the eight ball. My kids think I’m so up with technology and things, but I have to be."
Shelley says the biggest challenge can be motivating her clients to try out her innovative ideas when they aren’t completely convinced. "It can be so scary nudging, pushing and edging clients to step outside their comfort zones, because you’re probably out of your own comfort zone as well!"
No place for shrinking violets
"You need to be hungry for new ideas and have a bit of passion. There’s no place for a mouse in this business. You have to be upbeat, positive and enthusiastic. It’s up, up, all the time and that’s why I love it. You can’t get bored."
Entry requirements
To become an advertising specialist you need to have excellent design skills, creative ability and experience in marketing and advertising. You also need to have a portfolio of your work as most employers want to see this.
Some employers also require a relevant tertiary qualification, such as a degree or diploma in advertising, marketing, sales, communications, graphic design or media studies.
Secondary education
A tertiary entrance qualification is needed to enter further training. Useful subjects at school include English, art, art history, maths with statistics, or economics.
Personal requirements
Advertising specialists need to:
- be creative
- be observant, with an eye for detail
- have good listening and negotiation skills
- have analytical skills for determining clients' needs
- be good at managing time, planning and budgeting
- have excellent communication skills for presenting and selling ideas to clients.
You need to be a people-person, and able to get along with many different personalities, because you're not always going to click with a client you are meeting for the first time.
Emma Fannin - Advertising Account Manager
Useful experience
Useful experience for advertising specialists includes:
- work in radio, television or newspapers
- work as a graphic designer or artist
- any art or design work
- typographical work
- business management
- sales and marketing
- public relations.
Find out more about training
- New Zealand Marketing Association
- (09) 361 7760 - marketing@marketing.org.nz - www.marketing.org.nz
- Public Relations Institute of NZ (PRiNZ)
- (09) 358 9808 - national_office@prinz.org.nz - www.prinz.org.nz/
What are the chances of getting a job?
Number of advertising specialists growing
Employment in marketing and advertising is growing. According to Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) figures, the number of online job vacancies for marketing and advertising professionals increased by 13.4% from June 2013 to June 2014.
MBIE forecasts strong demand for people in advertising and marketing over the next five to ten years.
Qualifications in advertising and voluntary work help
Your chances of finding entry-level work are best if you have a tertiary qualification in advertising. Voluntary work experience at an advertising agency also helps, as you not only gain experience but it can help you to build contacts in the industry.
Advertising specialists commonly based at advertising agencies
Most advertising specialists work for advertising agencies or are self-employed.
Advertising agencies range from small businesses that employ a few people, to large companies that may employ more than 200 people.
Sources
- Department of Labour, ‘2003-2014 Occupation Data’ (prepared for Careers New Zealand), 2014.
- Monera, N, communications & administration executive, Communication Agencies New Zealand (CAANZ), Careers NZ interview, February 2015.
- Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, ‘Occupational Outlook, 2015’, accessed February 2015.
Progression and specialisations
Advertising specialists may be self-employed or work for advertising agencies.
They may also specialise in an area of advertising such as:
- Advertising Account Manager
- Advertising account managers discuss clients' requirements, and plan advertising and promotional campaigns to sell products or services.
- Advertising Art Director
- Advertising art directors develop advertising concepts and execute them in print or television to sell a client's product or service. They also pull together a number of people to work on the production of the advertising, and give direction on how the final product should look.
- Media Manager
- Media managers are responsible for planning and buying TV, print and other media required for advertising campaigns.
Advertising specialists help prepare advertising campaigns
Last updated 19 August 2017