Everywhere we turn we are faced with some sort of an advertisement. Products, services, and ideas are more profound than ever due to the easiness of communication from mass mediums. When we stream music online, go to “on demand” for the television shows we missed, or even surf the internet, we are stopped from our entertainment to encounter an advertisement that was carefully and purposely placed there. Although we might dislike waiting to hear our favorite song, our discipline from a Communication major can eventually lead to careers in fields that contribute to such advertisements.
The process of producing an Advertisement takes several different people, with several different talents. Jacquelyn Smith, reporter from Forbes magazine, described how “Marketing and advertising professionals are also responsible for a company’s message and brand image, ”Your brand’s promise, or unique selling proposition, separates it from all the other brand”. Smith featured eight professions in Advertising and Marketing, ranging from the artistic careers of writers, photographers, and graphic designers to more business savvy jobs as marketing manager to sales reps. These eight professions were also broken down by median salary and job out look, which is listed below. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/03/13/the-marketing-and-advertising-jobs-with-the-best-future/
Advertising, Promotions and Marketing Manager
Median Salary: $108,260
Job Outlook: +14%
Advertising Sales Representative
Median Salary: $45,350
Job Outlook: +13%
Film and Video Editor
Median Salary: $45,490
Job Outlook: +4%
Graphic Designer
Median Salary: $43,500
Job Outlook: +13%
Market Research Analyst
Median Salary: $60,570
Job Outlook: +41%
Meeting, Convention and Event Planners
Median Salary: $45,260
Job Outlook: +44%
Photographer
Median Salary: $29,130
Job Outlook: +13%
Writer
Median Salary: $55,420
Job Outlook: +6%
These advertising jobs pertain primarily to traditional forms of advertising (More careers are emerging as online ads get more popular.) All the careers listed show promising median salaries and positive outlooks! One interesting one to think about is the outlook for Advertising Sales Representative. Online only campaigns are becoming widely used by companies everywhere and rightfully so. They have the potential to go viral, reaching millions, all while being virtually free to put out there. This of course is a bit more ideal than paying thousands for fifteen second time slot. But the outlook for Ad Sales is still up 13%. One would think that with all these campaigns going online, the outlook would be less promising. This just goes to show that the advertising industry is full of promise and opportunity! In a world of constant innovation and evolution one must be dynamic within our fields. The use of advanced computer programs helps to aid in the quantification of online data. The interpretation of this Big Data opens up a new field of market analysis.
Austin Johnson, Jade Lester, Jami Rogers, Ty Thomas
IMC Hawks Blog 