advertising€¦ · · 2013-12-05... influencing our decision to buy a product. nowadays,...

CAREERS360

ADVERTISINGTHE SCIENCE OF INFLUENCING DECISIONS

YOUR QUICK GUIDE TO A COURSE IN

Advertising AdvertisingCourse Review Course Review

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CONTENTS1. Introduction 03

2. Course Structure 05

3. Eligibility Norms 07

4. International Appeal 08

5. What after Graduation? 09

6. Skill-sets Required 11

7. Job Outlook 12

8. Job Roles 14

9. Career Challenges 16

10. Industry Talk 18

11 List of Select Institutes in India and Abroad 19

INTRODUCTION

Remember “Kuch meetha ho jai” com-mercials? Does it urge you to go for chocolate nuggets after meals, replac-

ing your conservative ladoos? This commer-cial used emotional strategy, substituting ladoos with Cadbury’s chocolates for all celebratory occasions. The person lending weight to com-mon desire: none other than Amitabh Bachchan, the charismatic, blockbuster actor. To capture a wider audience, from children to grown-ups, the company’s strategy was star endorsement. No wonder, Cadbury’s sold like, well, hot chocolates. This is the power of advertising!

When you read a newspaper, or watch TV or listen to radio, have you ever noticed how many companies make commercials? Or do you ever recollect the number of advertisements you see in a day? The answer, in all probability, would be in the negative. This is so because advertise-ments permeate our life so much that sometimes we fail to notice them. Still they remain at the

FAST FACTSProgramme: BA in Advertising & Brand Management/BCom (Marketing & Advertising) Select Bachelor’s institutes: IIS University, Jaipur; Loknete Vyankatrao Hiray Mahavidyalaya, Nasik (Most others offer it as electives with BA Journalism) Eligibility: Class 10+2 any stream Duration: Three years Course Fee: @ Rs. 4000 to Rs. 7000 per month Prominent institutions for higher studies: National Institute of Advertising, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi; Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad; Xavier’s Institute of Communications, Mumbai Select Universities Abroad: Leeds Metropolitan University and London College of Communications, UK; Miami Ad School and Michigan State University, US

ADVERTISEMENTS PERMEATE OUR LIFE SO MUCH THAT THEY INFLUENCE OUR DECISION-MAKING IN A BIG WAY

Cover Design: Rajesh Chawla

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All Rights ReservedNo part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Pathfinder Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

Editor: B Mahesh Sarma

Project Editors Dr. Nimesh Chandra, S. Rajaram

Research Shiphony Pavitran Suri, Prerna Singh

Art Director Anshul Sharma

Asst. Art Director Rajesh Chawla

AdvertisingCourse Review

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Advertising Course Review

back of the mind, influencing our decision to buy a product. Nowadays, advertising is not just restricted to consumer goods or services. Even political parties resort to advertising in various ways to garner support of the voters, especially during elections

What is Advertising? It is the art of conveying a message to the masses. It is all about salesmanship. Advertising plays a critical role in marketing various types of products. Media plays a crucial role in advertising products through TV, radio, websites, newspapers, magazines, billboards, hoardings, etc. Advertising is a powerful element in marketing; it plays with minds, changes your outlook about things around. The goal is to boost the company’s revenues.

What draws you to a product or a service? It could be price, as highlighted by Maruti, in its adverts (“Kitna deti hai”) or quality (Volkswagen Polo- “Built to protect”). Or it could be aspiration, (L’Oreal Cosmetics- “Because you are worth it”). If an ad cuts across your yearning - latent or visible - the job is done. Therefore, a unique selling propositioning (USP) is a must in this business. Companies that advertise chase consumers’ loyalty for its brand/s. Advertising, though a crucial element, plays a small role in a company’s over-all existence and growth plan. Companies focus on research, quality, distribu-tion channels, price points, and others. Advertisement budgets get axed first when a company faces financial distress. Though perceived as a glamorous field, advertising is replete with ruthless hard work.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The three-year course provides a thorough grounding in effective advertising skills. You learn everything about research,

strategic planning, client management, creative, media and channel communication skills required in the field advertising field. It prepares students ability for critical thinking and creativ-ity through theory and practice. At the end of the semester, most institutes encourage students to go through internships in advertising agency. The main objective is for you to gain practical skills through early hands-on experience. The main papers include effective communication skills, advertising in contemporary society, copy-writing, advertising design, consumer behaviour, media planning, buying, brand building, financial management for marketing and advertising, advertising ethics, agency management. The course will introduce to the fundamentals of advertising. Usually this includes various types of

THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE COURSE IS FOR YOU TO GAIN PRACTICAL SKILLS THROUGH EARLY HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

Job Roles: Advertising manager, sales manager, public relations director, creative director, copy writer, and marketing communications manager Job areas: Advertising agencies, PR houses, market research organizations TV, film, magazines, newspapers, radio Earning Potential: Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month (for freshers) Top recruiters: Hindustan Thomson Associates, McCann Erickson, Leo Burnett, Grey, R K Swamy - BBDO, Bates, Redifussion Dy and R, Lintas India., Ogilvy & Mather and Mudra Communications.




marketing and market concepts. Characteristics and role of advertising are taught along with impact of advertising. This will also include tools of adver-tisement promotion and methods of communication. Various types of brand-ing a product and methods use are also taught.

In short, an undergraduate degree helps to develop your skills in advertis-ing, copywriting, media planning, advertisement management, portfolio planning and campaigns.

ELIGIBILITY NORMS

Two institutes, IIS University, Jaipur and Loknete Vyankatrao Hiray Mahavidya-laya, Nasik offer BA in advertising and

brand management/BCom (Marketing & Advertising) in India. Other universities mainly offer it as an elective (along with BA Journal-ism). For being eligible you must have passed class 10+2 from any stream. Typically, advertis-ing and brand management is a specialised course under BA Mass Communication/Mass Media. So if this area interests you, then you can pick up specialisation at graduate level and later opt for higher studies. Alternatively, you could also apply foreign universities in the UK and US that offer good courses in advertising.

A PASS IN 10+2 IN ANY STREAM MAKES YOU ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR BACHELOR’S IN ADVERTISING



INTERNATIONAL APPEAL

You learn some additional elaborative papers when you pick up reputed uni-versities abroad. Under MS Advertising

at Boston University you learn principles of search engine marketing, fundamentals of crea-tive development along with other universal advertising papers. The main criterion to get into good universities is to have a good IELTS/ TOEFL score. Other major universities include Leeds Metropolitan University, London College of Communications, Miami Ad School, Michi-gan State University, Boston University, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Queens-land University of Technology.

THERE IS A GOOD SCOPE FOR YOU TO APPLY TO FOREIGN UNIVERSI-TIES BUT YOU NEED TO HAVE GOOD SCORE IN IELTS OR TOEFL

WHAT AFTER GRADUATION?

Typically, a 10-month postgraduate diplo-ma in advertising & marketing pro-gramme from prestigious institutes like

Indian Institute of Mass Communication, National Institute of Advertising, Mudra Insti-tute of Communications, garner a lot of attention amongst recruiters.

IIMC conducts an entrance exam for admis-sion to postgraduate diploma in advertising. There is no set pattern for written exam. How-ever, the test takers will be judged on the follow-ing parameters – general awareness, aptitude, brand awareness, analytical and comprehension skills. You must read newspapers, magazines, editorials and articles related to current affairs to ace the exam.

A host of international universities offer Mas-ter’s in Advertising. Some universities offer it in

A NUMBER OF GOOD INSTITUTIONS OFFER MASTER’S AND PG DIPLOMA COURSES IN INDIA WHICH CAN LAND YOU A GOOD JOB




combination with Public Relations. These courses open your mind to the multitude of opportunities available in the field. These universities give you in depth theoretical and practical knowledge in a professional environment with industry interface. Those who postgraduate from abroad are very much in demand in the job market in India.

SKILL-SETS REQUIRED

The advertising career is best for those who are creative, passionate and multi-task. To have people skill is crucial, as

you often have to understand what client needs and also help in effective decision-making. Hav-ing excellent communication, good presentation skill, and team and leadership skills is an asset for the advertising world. Mumbai-based Janak Bhatt, working with Ogilvy as a senior art direc-tor says that ad business is all about ideas. “You need to put an idea that’s relevant to the brand and benefits it,” he underlines. Copywriters employ a host of tactics to grab consumers’ atten-tion. Back in 1950’s, Lifebuoy soap captured an obvious feature in its product and turned into its USP (it declared that Lifebuoy stops body odour. Actually all soaps do, but Lifebuoy got there first and grabbed the claim). German company Volk-swagen used the slogan “Think Small”, to differ-entiate it’s brand from USA-made massive cars.

CREATIVITY IS THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER SKILL IN THIS HIGHLY COMPETITIVE FILED.



JOB OUTLOOK

There are countless career options in advertising. You can join right from advertising agencies, PR houses, market

research organizations TV, film, magazines, newspapers to radio. There are many profes-sionals who get into freelancing services as well. There are multiple work areas in advertising profession – Executive department, which deals with client servicing, market research and media research. They seek business and negotiate the business deal. Creative department through cop-ywriters, scriptwriters, visualisers, creative directors, photographers, typographers, anima-tors visualizes and creates actual ads. And other departments include: Market Research – It sur-veys the market, analyses consumer behaviour about a product or service. They are mostly concerned with collection of data- information about the consumer, the market, and existing competition and so on. Media Planning & Buy-

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES EXIST ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF MEDIA, BUT ADVERTISING AGENCIES ARE THE FIRST STOP.

ing – They are responsible for the planning, scheduling, booking and pur-chase of space and time (in newspapers, magazines, radio and TV, and out-door hoardings).



JOB ROLES

The various roles played by professionals in advertising field are cut across many streams. The most common ones are:

Advertising Copywriter/Creative Director: They are responsible for generating words, slo-gans and audio scripts that accompany advertis-ing visuals.

Market Research Executive: They try to find out what people think and how they behave and why.

Market Research Interviewer: Collects infor-mation on people’s attitudes, experiences and conduct interviews with people and record their responses to give organisations a better under-standing of their target audience’s likes, dislikes and future needs.

AN ADVERTISING GRADUATES GET PLACED ACROSS DOMAINS IN THE INDUSTRY. BUT THE EXACT JOB ROLE DEPENDS ON SPECIALISATION.

Sales Manager: Organises a team of sales representatives and devise strate-gies to maximise sales and customer loyalty. They are employed to sell all sorts of products and services for national retailers or distributors of one or more particular products.

Media Planners: Decide the different media where the advertisements would be featured in order to get maximum viewership.

Media Buyer: Negotiates to buy space in the Press, or time on electronic media at the best rates for which he/she has to understand the buying as well as the latest selling trends.

Pay packetThe pay scales can vary from one advertising agency to another. A fresher can expect a salary between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month in the creative department of the advertising agency. After years of experience, the salary levels reach up to Rs. 50,000 per month and beyond.



CAREER CHALLENGES

Easy as it may sound, it is quite a tough job for ad-makers to crack into ‘the selling point’ in an age where people are spoilt

for choices between similar products. (What makes you pick Kukri from Uncle Chips, Tango, Aliva, Lehar, Cheetos, Hippo, Stax, nutrichoice and a host of other branded and traditional nam-keen - that too from same company or competi-tor’s)?

Advertisements emanate out of hard work. Under tight deadlines. Working in an agency means putting in long hours and gaining expe-rience on–the-job. “You are expected to learn very quickly, there is no concept of a slow induc-tion,” states Malavika Harita, CEO Saatchi and Saatchi. Good communication skills, the ability to think visually and communicate clearly are a must. One has to be resilient and tough. There can be instances where you have worked tooth

ADVERTISING PROFESSIONALS WILL HAVE TO WORK VERY HARD AND DELIVER UNDER TIGHT SCHEDULES.

and nail on a certain campaign but lost bid to your competitor. Or, the client has rejected your campaign. “Advertising has now become more accountable and needs to deliver results,” says Harita. Also remember, she adds, you are in a service business. So you cannot have an ego. At times, when an ad you have worked on doesn’t garner much interest, cultivate a ‘move-on’ tempera-ment.



INDUSTRY TALK

Malavika R Harita,CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi

Works on brands, like Bosch, Reliance Polymers, Infosys, Microsoft, Birla Wellness and Coats amongst others. The IIM-Bangalore alum-

nus who fell in love with advertising in her second year has not yet recovered from its charm. She shares her ad world experience.

Q: What perception did you have of an ad agency when you joined?A: I started my career as a client and then shifted to an agency 10 years down the line because I got bored working on a single brand. I wanted to see how life was on the other side. It was crazy, stimulating and the greatest fun I had ever had.

Q: Advertising is seen as a glamorous field. How accurate is this image?A: Advertising is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. But just under-standing how a piece of communication is changing a consumer mindset is a reward. You don’t mind the long hours and the difficult clients.

Q: What qualities and qualifications do you look for in a B-school hire?A: Most students from the top MBA Institutes do not join an agency because of the starting salary even though they may love the subject. But I have found that those that do are the ones not hung up on money and are looking to do something they love. We look for good communication skills in a candidate.

Best PG Diploma institutes in India National Institute of Advertising, New Delhi

Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi

Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad

Xavier's Institute of Communications, Mumbai

Indira School of Communication (ISC), Tathawade, Pune

Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication, Dwarka, Delhi

Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT), Noida

World’s top institutes offering courses in AdvertisingLeeds Metropolitan University, UK

London College of Communications, UK

Miami Ad School, US

Michigan State University, US

Boston University, US

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology , Australia

Queensland University of Technology , Australia

advertising€¦ · · 2013-12-05... influencing our decision to buy a product. nowadays,...

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