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What do you REALLY want to do in advertising?
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I was wondering over the weekend what I really want to be in advertising. At first I instantly thought ‘creative, creative, creative’ and an art director at that. But then after deeper consideration I remember having to spend a week as a creative during my training. I almost became bored with the freedom. Furthermore, I don’t think I have it in me to be churning out ideas for ads all the time as a full time job. I mean every now and again I’ll have what I consider to be an amazing idea for a random brand inspired by a tune on my ipod and staring out of the bus window, but this is hardly the criteria for a career in idea generating.
TV Producer, that would be pretty cool. Spending most of your time on set or in post production houses. But then the stress of having super pressure timing plans, requiring up to date industrial knowledge of filming as well as having to keep tabs on creatives whilst ensuring they (the most relaxed people in the building) make all their deadlines - nah.
Account Management is my current role as a newly born account executive straight out of my grad trainee egg shell. It’s a great starting point but really isn’t what I think I’ll do forever. Now don’t get me wrong I enjoy it, but like most things, certain aspects I love others aren’t for me. The creative sell I love, the research I love but the hardcore admin element isn’t my cup of tea really.
Account Planning? JACKPOT! This takes everything I love about advertising and sticks it into one job spec. It’s close to the creative development - you plan the brief and brief the creatives but at the same time you’re not locked into a room with someone bashing your brains in to think how it should look, feel and be shot.
You are part of the creative sell within planning. So once account management have had their say you pitch how the campaign WORKS on the consumer i.e. the juicy bit.
Yes there is the element of research to get your head around but once a seasoned planner you design your own research by briefing research agencies on how you would like a tailor made focus group to work, attend and watch and then discuss findings.
To me it just seems the ultimate fusion of creativity, real thinking and innovative reactions. A challenging career really as you become the eyes and ears of the consumer.
How do you get into it then? Well many have come from working in research agencies and these are the ones who can really crunch the stats early on and as a result get to become planners much more quickly. Then there are those like myself who wish and wish and wish to be planners. So they start in the only way you can in advertising - account management and whilst doing so you attach yourself to your team’s planner like a leach, do what you can for them and learn as much as you can from them. Whilst doing so you read the likes of ‘How to Plan Advertising’ (see previous posts) and you get stuck into other books such as ‘Truth, Lies and Advertising’ by Jon Steel. Absorb, absorb, absorb. Also drop to your head of planning ‘would it be possible to have 5 mins to chat about planning’. Then you’ve seeded your interest and you’re building your knowledge base.
Just hope it works as I get back to writing that contact report.
Contributor profile: http://wurk.net/profile/anton
Website: http://advertising.wurk.net/
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January 16, 2006 @ 4:05 pm...
What do I really want to do in advertising?
Good question and probably one that you can really only answer after you’ve spent some time in different parts of an agency.
Me, I’m not sure yet. Like Anton I’m starting on the account exec route.
One of the things that attracted me to advertising originally though was the intelligence and thought that goes in behind some of the industries better work. The psychology of consciously or subconsciously affecting a consumers decision. (Interestingly, not with a bias toward advertising specifically, but any way that would reach a target audience with the right targeted message.)
This would tend to lead me toward planning and yet I would have doubt in my ability to write a concise creative brief on just a page.
I don’t fancy client side though. I like to have a finger in many pies. Not tied down to the same brand.
Then there’s my personal affliction of being told what to do. This has traditionally made me aspire to reach a position of control (management).
I’m thinking that one way of achieving all these things, when I have some more experience, will be to get work in a smaller ad shop. Then I could take on responsibilities in different areas of the business.
I also like the idea of running my own business, being a key shareholder would certainly motivate me more than anything else. Not so much for the money, but the fact that all my hard work is going to come back to me and not disappear into some big conglomerate group.
Well, we shall just have to wait and see. For now it’s back to writing speculative letters and applications.
Enjoy those contact reports!
Tom
P.S. Has anyone read Anton’s biog on the ‘about’ section? Talk about self promotion.
January 16, 2006 @ 4:17 pm...
I’m sure that if you go through account management for X amount of years you’ll gain confidence in the planning field.
Many heavy duty planners have worked in pure research agencies so they have the benefit of a whole pool of knowledge regarding consumer insights.
However, I think I’ll go the long route as opposed to the research agency one.
Everyone talks of the ’start up’ would be interesting to know how many actually get around to living it. The risk can seem quite high when you’re on a salary at the level to go solo.
Client side is a nada for me also.
Hope it works out
p.s. About the about, well it is fact and you gotta be init to win it
January 18, 2006 @ 11:19 am...
After having a little bit of exposure into agencies, asking everyone I know in ads really dumb questions and reading as much as I can about various roles, I’m pretty much set on either getting in through the account exec route and ploughing through the admin crap and becoming a bad ass planner, or approaching one of the more planner centric agencies (DDB for example) and fooling them into letting me get into planning way early (That is the longest sentence ever).
It’s great to dream about being part of a start up but does anyone really know how it’s done? I mean all the crap about raising equity for a loan, getting backers, all the overhead stuff…the list goes on. I’d love to be a part of it, look at how Mother has come from being a startup to where it is now. Like a friend said to me, I wish they’d write a goddam book about how it was done.
Oh and Tommy Boy, ’self promotion?’, do you think that Anton’s gonna write ‘yeah I work in ads, recognise..’ or maybe he, along with virtually every person around would write about what he’s done and how he feels it’s helped him. That’s what I thought. Recognise..
January 19, 2006 @ 11:23 am...
Hi
I’d really like to be part of the creative team within an advertising agency. Account manager or planner don’t really interest me to be completely honest, although I would consider taking that route in order to get into the industry.
How do you become a “Creative” though? Obviously, being “creative” helps, which I believe I am, but I haven’t attended Watford or St. Martins or even enrolled on a creative course. (Business Studies if you’re interested)
I realise it’s hugely competitive, but if anyone has any information I’d be hugely grateful.
Thanks
January 20, 2006 @ 4:42 pm...
Much appreciated support there Sam.
Sean - Have a cycle through the previous posts on this blog. You should find it towards the bottom of the page, look for a book called ‘How To Get into Advertising’. I’d grab that which will be your first step to becoming a creative.
I would suggest going to Watford if this is what you really want to do. Not only will you enjoy it but you’ll get to find you partner as you must apply as a team made up of a copy writer and an art director - you can’t approach an agency as just one or the other.
You’ll also go about preparing and composing your ‘book’ which is your portfolio of ideas and your ticket into an agency.
This is what the head of creative will look through when deciding what team to take on.
You’ll then have to do a stint at an agency as a junior team - this will be hard as in not much money and no real contract - it’s how agencies get a feel for a young team to see if they are right for the agency.
You’ll then start learningthe craft and grow to work closer with your partner and on live briefs.
That’s the way to go I reckon and if you want to do it go for it
January 23, 2006 @ 3:02 pm...
Thanks Tom, some interesting stuff there.
I’ll have to investigate Watford in further detail.