Advertising Specialist
Ngaio Pānui Toko
Alternative titles for this job
Advertising specialists create, co-ordinate, plan and implement advertising campaigns to sell products or services for clients.
Pay
Advertising specialists usually earn
$44K-$150K per year
Source: The Creative Store, 2021.
Job opportunities
Vocational PathwaysPay
Pay for advertising specialists varies depending on the type of work they do.
- Account executives usually earn between $44,000 and $55,000
- Account managers usually earn between $55,000 and $100,000 a year.
- Media buyers usually earn between $50,000 and $120,000.
- Media planners usually earn between $65,000 and $100,000.
- Advertising art directors can earn between $65,000 and $150,000.
Sources: The Creative Store, 'New Zealand Salary Survey 2021', 2021.
- PAYE.net.nz website - use this calculator to convert pay and salary information
- Employment New Zealand website - information about minimum wage rates
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our pay information)
What you will do
Advertising specialists may do some or all of the following:
- liaise between the client and the advertising agency
- brief the creative team (who create the visual concepts) on advertising campaigns
- develop creative concepts that fit the client's brief
- present campaign ideas back to the client
- develop media plans for campaigns
- prepare media budgets
- reserve and book media spaces for advertising
- co-ordinate the day-to-day campaign work
- ensure work is delivered on time and on budget
- monitor media and campaign progress and report back to the client.
Skills and knowledge
Advertising specialists need to have knowledge of:
- digital and non-digital media platforms
- digital marketing tools
- developing creative ideas that appeal to a specific audience
- planning and implementing campaigns and strategies
- budgeting.
Working conditions
Advertising specialists:
- usually work regular business hours, but may also work evenings and weekends
- usually work in offices
- may travel locally and nationally to attend photo and video shoots, or to visit clients.
Entry requirements
There are no specific requirements to become an advertising specialist. However, many employers prefer to hire advertising specialists who have a degree or diploma in areas such as advertising, marketing, sales, communications, graphic design or media studies.
Secondary education
No specific secondary education is required for this job, but NCEA Level 3 English, media studies, business studies, and design and visual communication are useful.
Personal requirements
Advertising specialists need to be:
- creative
- excellent communicators
- observant, with an eye for detail
- good listeners and negotiators
- analytical
- highly organised with strong time management and planning skills.
Useful experience
Useful experience for advertising specialists includes:
- work in radio, television or news
- work as a graphic designer
- business management
- sales and marketing
- public relations.
Find out more about training
- Commercial Communications Council
- (09) 303 0435 - office@commscouncil.nz - www.commscouncil.nz
- New Zealand Marketing Association
- (09) 361 7760 - marketing@marketing.org.nz - www.marketing.org.nz
What are the chances of getting a job?
High competition for advertising specialist roles
There is high competition for advertising specialist jobs due to limited vacancies and a moderate staff turnover rate. Advertising specialists usually start in entry level-roles and work their way up.
According to the Census, 1,665 advertising specialists worked in New Zealand in 2018.
Finding advertising specialist work
You can approach agencies directly to enquire about available work. If you are a graduate, you can increase your chances of securing advertising specialist work by doing internships or relevant voluntary work.
Commercial Communications Council graduate programme
The Commercial Communications Council runs an annual graduate programme that employs recent graduates wanting to enter the advertising industry. The types of roles available cover the different areas of advertising.
Most advertising specialists work for agencies
Most advertising specialists work for advertising agencies. Agencies range from small businesses to large companies that may employ more than 200 people. Advertising specialists can also work for media companies.
Sources
- Commerical Communications Council website, accessed February 2021, (www.commscouncil.nz).
- Smith, M, industry development director, Commercial Communications Council, careers.govt.nz interview, February 2021.
- Stats NZ, '2018 Census Data', 2019.
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our job opportunities information)
Progression and specialisations
Advertising specialists may progress into managerial roles or related positions in marketing, communications or sales.
They may also become copywriters or artistic directors.
- Artistic director job information
- Communications professional job information
- Copywriter job information
- Marketing specialist job information
- Sales and marketing manager job information
Advertising specialists may specialise in a number of roles including:
- Advertising art director
- Advertising art directors give direction for all visual aspects of an advertising campaign.
- Account management
- Account managers are the client's representative within the advertising agency and the agency's representative for the client.
- Media planning or buying
- Media planners and buyers negotiate deals with television, radio, print, or digital for efficient delivery of advertising messages.
- Producer
- Producers coordinate and oversee the production of TV, radio, print and digital campaigns.
Advertising specialists develop creative concepts to fit a client's brief
Last updated 16 January 2023