day in the life

In an advertising agency the Account Executive reports to an Account Manager who usually reports to an Account Director. The exec acts as the initial link between the agency and the client. Generally speaking, an exec will work on three or four non-competing accounts putting together proposals for new campaigns working out their costs, benefits and timetables.

Once a proposal has been agreed the exec will either manage these projects or work with a dedicated agency project manager depending on the agency and size of the project.

An Account Executive must be numerate, articulate, analytical; able to prioritise and communicate at all levels. They must have an eye for detail and be able to up with the ‘big picture.’ They must be able command the attention of and listen to; media planners, creative directors and outside suppliers such as printers event organisers and of course, the clients’ marketing services and product managers.

Advertising Art Directors and Copywriters are also known as ‘creatives,’ they produce the ideas and concepts for advertising campaigns which work across television, radio, posters, press, direct mail and the internet including viral marketing and sites such as You Tube, Face Book or Second Life.

Art Directors usually work in partnership with a Copywriter as a ‘team’ and provide the visual ideas for a campaign.

Typical Duties:

• Being briefed by the account management team to discuss the clients’ needs and wants.
• Researching the market and audience for the product or service.
• Generating creative ideas and concepts then fine tuning them with the agency Creative Director and maybe the account management team before presentation to the clients.
• Producing storyboards for TV advertisements or scamps for print to inspire the client.
• Commissioning and overseeing photographers, artists or film companies & sourcing locations for potential photo shoots.
• Editing the raw material to produce the finished product.

Advertising copywriters usually work with one Art Director as a ‘team’ to generate original ideas for advertising campaigns. They are similar to song writing duos like Lennon and McCartney or comedy writers such as Dalton and Simpson

The copywriter provides the words and the Art Director the pictures. Words include slogans, messages headlines and straplines. Sometimes the concept is driven by the words and the visual side follows and other times it is the other way round. Material written includes; posters, press, leaflets, brochures, radio and TV scripts.

The work will vary but will probably include:

• Being briefed by the account handlers resulting in brainstorming sessions.
• Detailed work with the Art Director to convert the concept into detailed workable ads with copy and pictures working in harmony in whatever media are chosen.
• Making presentations to clients and using their feedback to amend and develop campaign material further.
• Overseeing campaigns through the production stage to completion and casting for TV and radio ads.
• Liaising with internal and external suppliers such as production companies, photographers, typographers, designers and printers.
• Keeping up to date with popular culture and trends as well as being creative for several campaigns at once, under pressure and to tight deadlines.

Marketing Executives work ‘inhouse’ i.e. not for an agency. They can work on: planning, advertising, promotion, public/media relations, product development, distribution, sponsorship and research. The role is often challenging, varied and exciting.

Marketing Executives may also be known as Marketing Assistants or Co-ordinators.

Tasks typically involve working with suppliers, outside agencies, colleagues in other departments and other marketing colleagues such as Product Managers;

Activities might include:

• Placing adverts; writing and distributing press releases; preparing photo shoots; writing and proofreading marketing materials.
• Liaising with designers and printers; maintaining and updating mailing databases; events and exhibitions.
• Carrying out market research and customer surveys to assess demand, brand positioning and awareness.
• Monitoring competitor activity.

A Press Officer is the media contact for his or her employer.

Typical work activities include:

• Pre-planning coping strategies in case of various unforeseen catastrophes occurring and educating senior staff as to their existence.
• Training senior staff on how to cope with the media if professional help is not to hand;
• Planning and implementing an annual round of press related activities to raise awareness of the company.
• Writing press releases and news articles.
• Monitoring and liaising with the media, arranging press conferences, news briefings, media interviews, visits and public events.
• Attending committee meetings and debates, keeping up to date with current issues and public opinions.

A Press Officer may also accompany senior staff on high profile meetings, visits or conferences.

PR Account Executives work for agencies. They strive to establish good will and understanding for their clients and in some cases alter laws or gain permission for their clients to operate in a particular way. A good example of changing the is the campaign to legalize Sunday shopping

PR Account Executives monitor the publicity that is generated on behalf of their clients, as well as liaising on an everyday basis with the client to update and report on the success of the publicity.

An PR Account Executive must have excellent skills in writing, organising, public speaking be able to source all manner of specialists. They may be called upon to ghost write a newsletter for a chairman, organise a press launch of a new product, lobby some MP’s or organise a fund raising event for Africa on behalf of their client. They have to be intelligent, resilient and above all versatile

PR agencies often specialise in areas such as consumer, business-to-business, financial and healthcare.

Day to day the typical PR Account Executive will:

• Liaise with clients and media.
• Build relations with journalists so they understand which journalist is best for a particular story.
• Develop client proposals and implement the PR activity.
• Prepare regular client reports and attend client meetings to assess the progress of the PR campaign.
• Research, write and distribute press releases to targeted media.

Graphic Designers provide visual means to communicate a message, the correct images, colours and typography must be selected. They work to a brief agreed with the client or account manager developing creative ideas that work in a range of media. If the employer is an advertising agency the original concepts may come from a creative team and the graphic designer makes them work in a variety of media such as newspaper ads, the internet, magazines, posters and so on.

The work is demanding and requires creativity, an eye for detail, the determination to keep up to date with technical developments and the ability to work as part of a team.

First and foremost managing jobs as priorities constantly change:

• Meeting clients or account managers to take a brief.
• Developing a concept to suit their purpose.
• Developing design solutions thinking creatively to produce new ideas and concepts.
• Presenting to clients or account managers.
• Working with a wide range of media, including photography and computer-aided design (CAD).
• Keeping up to date in IT.
• Sourcing relevant freelancers when required.
• Working as part of a team with printers, copywriters, photographers, other designers, account executives, web developers and marketing specialists.

The cost of media, particularly TV can take the lion’s share of any budget so it is vital to select the right media to engage the target audience and then develop the creative campaign in harmony with the media.

Some agencies combine the roles of planner and media buyer.

Media planners maximise the effectiveness of advertising by selecting the best media for the campaign through combining creative thinking with factual analysis and knowledge of media to identify the best way to build the client's brand. They work with radio, the press, television and, increasingly, new media, such as digital media, text messaging and the internet. Tasks include:

• Liaising with the creative agency team, clients and consumers to develop media strategies and campaigns.
• Making decisions on the best form of media for specific clients and campaigns, as well as the most effective timing and location.
• Making good contacts with media owners.
• Managing client relationships.
• Developing evaluation techniques for campaigns.

Media buyers are responsible for purchasing space for clients to advertise in newspapers, magazines and posters and on radio, television, cinema and the internet.

They advise clients on the optimum media mix to best advertise the product or service to reach the highest number of people in the target audience at the lowest possible cost. They may work across a range of media or specialise in one particular area. Tasks include:

• Identifying the target audience.
• Keeping up to date with industry data, including distribution figures for newspapers and magazines and audience figures for TV and radio.
• Monitoring buying strategies.
• Liaising and building relationships with clients and media sales companies.
• Negotiating with media sales.
• Collecting and analysing sales and consumer data.
• Ensuring that the adverts run accurately so the desired media message is seen and heard by consumers.
• Undertaking research using a wide range of specialist media resources.
• Reporting to clients and producing spending updates throughout the campaign.
• Monitoring the effectiveness of the campaign. This data can also be used to monitor future campaigns.
• Supporting the media manager and other colleagues.