Career In Advertising

21-07-2018 16:27:15 11072

One of the few careers where the taste of freshness can be felt every day is the advertising industry.

A career in advertising is synonymous to flexible working hours and a daily grind to meet the deadlines. From working long hours, last minute improvisations on a high profile campaign to dealing with fierce competition, the advertising business is meant for those who strive to be the best consistently. No two days would ever be the same as this is one industry that comes with the promise of constant evolution and steady change. As the consumer behaviour changes, so will the face of the industry which requires one to constantly learn new skills to be on top of the game.

The advertisement industry is one industry where the outputs that one provides, can build or break things in an instant. The high impact advertising firms can charge a lot of money and can keep increasing their fees as the times change and the confidence and skills build up. This is as good as being a model or a public figure and increasing the fees based on demand. This is the biggest lure of the advertisement industry. If you like to be creative, are good at it or make yourself good at it, and are agile enough to provide the outputs at the time and place required, you are worth a lot for any firm and any firm would want to be in your good books, rather than it being the other way round. Some good communication skills always take you wider and deeper with your network connections around the industry domain.

In these times of changing dynamics, if you wish to pursue a career in advertising, it is vital to understand the nature of this industry which has undergone tremendous changes. In the past, advertising agencies provided various services under a single roof. This trend has seen a dramatic shift in the landscape where a key factor in this process has been the rapid expansion and fragmentation of media, especially the proliferation of cable and digital channels. Advertising agencies are responsible for producing the core idea of the marketing campaign which is then put into manifestation using a series of advertisements addressing that idea via different media platforms. Hence the relation between the marketing team of any firm and the advertising agencies essentially dictates the future of a product, and that's where lies an amazing opportunity to advertise and create business.

The most common tool utilised in this effort is television commercials, radio and print media. However, the recent explosion of digital media platforms have radically transformed the nature of traditional advertising agencies. Social media has proven to be the main driver of growth in the digital ad network, powered by the ever increasing accessibility to smart phones. Availability of high speed networks at a lower cost aid a huge impact on the efficiency of digital media, supporting growth. The introduction of artificial intelligence to bring relevant ads to a customer at as many places as can be, be it mobile phone apps, social media platforms, custom software, desktop applications, web pages and others, has changed the advertisement game and created revenue for the advertisement hosting agencies (such as Google Ads) as well as the advertisement creators. Digital media no longer forms a mere medium but something the entire business relies upon. It impacts every business and consumer behaviour.

The money that the firms pay to advertisement agencies also attracts a lot of expectations, for example, the advertisements need to result in an increased sale or at least some increased traffic at the firm's site (web or physical, brick and mortar sites). For this, there are some recognised skills which can be taught through a curriculum and there are many colleges and universities which teach it as a full-fledged major course and provide a degree for the same, which helps the students embark upon their journey of learning and application in this field.

To pursue a career in advertising, a student may take up any stream of interest for his or her Class 12 examinations. A Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution is required, where most students prefer choosing Journalism courses. On the completion of your Undergraduate degree, students can pursue post graduate or Diploma in the field of advertising.

Eligibility for most of the post graduate courses in advertising is minimum 50% marks in Undergraduate degree. Admission is based on entrance exam followed by an interview session. Here's a list of some of the top colleges in India which offer courses in Advertising:

Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi
Mudra Institute of Communi-cations (MICA), Gujarat
Xaiver Institute of Communication, Mumbai
Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune
Massco Media, New Delhi
National Institutes of Advertising, New Delhi
Institute of Mass Communication Film and Television Studies, Kolkata
Indian Film & Television Institute, Uttar Pradesh

As a professional, starting to build a career in this industry requires a certain level of prerequisite skill set. These range from having strong communication, interpersonal and intra personal skills, public speaking and customer relations to event management, content creation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) among many others. This list is not exhaustive but is crucial to understand the nature and work environment of this fast paced industry. To get into specific departments of an advertising agency, one can choose among the following courses:

Media - Journalism or Mass Communication
Studio -Degree in Fine Arts
Films - Specialisation in Audio Visuals
Client Servicing - MBA or Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing

Taking into account the stiff competition, along with a specialisation this field, internship experiences can prove to be the key for unlocking the door in this industry. Flair for language and excellent communication skills are important factors for breaking into the realm of advertising. The lucrative job opportunities that are offered can largely be categorised into two broad areas -
Executive Job Positions- This includes Client servicing, Market research, Media Research etc. It is the responsibility of the Executive Department to understand the requirement of the client, seek new opportunities in business and retain existing clients. This Department decides upon the appropriate media to be selected, analyses timing, placement of adverts and negotiates on the financial aspect of the deal.

Creative Job Positions- It is the responsibility of the Creative team to produce and deliver the actual advertisement in various media formats. The Creative team includes Copywriters, Scriptwriters, Visualizers, Creative Directors, Photographers.

In the light of a slow-down in the global economy, the jobless growth witnessed by India makes it imperative for students to decide on career options which are more likely to harness into fruitful job opportunities. From this perspective, the nature of the advertising industry is such that it perennially demands talent. The various job prospects include positions that require expertise in Creative art, Design, Animation, Multi-media, Marketing, Photography, Content, Media Planning etc. It is critical to note that this industry has a voracious appetite for creative abilities and innovative bend of mind over academic knowledge and degrees.

A major advantage of pursuing advertising as a career is that it encompasses a lot of opportunities, from digital media, design, and print to social media marketing. Advertising companies use multifaceted talents and ideas to deliver successful campaigns. With massive development witnessed in the electronic media sector, the Indian advertising industry has evolved from a small scale business to a full-fledged flourishing industry which now forms a crucial part of tertiary sector employment. It is estimated that by 2018, the share of ad spend in India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be around 0.45 per cent. World's largest media agency network, Group M in its latest report predicts a 13% advertising growth for domestic markets. Owing to consistent growth in advertising expenditure, the Indian ad market is expected to touch Rs 1 trillion figure by 2022. According to Dentsu Aegis Network President, Kartik Iyer, "In India, the significant improve-ment in availability of high-speed networks at a lower cost is making a huge impact in the efficiency metrics of digital media. This will continue and therefore will support the faster growth of digital advertising."

In spite of the global financial meltdown, the Indian economy is on a move and with this, the advertising industry is on a continuous trail of expansion. With e-commerce gaining more popularity in the country the advertising and marketing industries are expected to enjoy a good run. Steady growth and development in corporate has led to a consecutive boom in the industry. Recently, the Government of India and Canada have signed an audiovisual co-production deal whereby producers from both countries will be able to harness their technical, creative, economic resources and facilitate exchange of culture and artistic growth between the two countries. The advertising industry offers a fast paced life rewarded with glamorous social events amongst many other perks. Advertising agencies are constantly on the lookout for people with a creative streak, effective communication skills. With a plethora of services like client media planning, creative conceptualisation, market research, public relations amongst many others, the Indian advertising industry has successfully carved a niche of its own on the global platform and shall continue to make progress in the near future.