Text 5: advertising as a career in the USA

The roots of the modern-day agency can be traced to Volney B. Palmer of Philadelphia. In 1842, Palmer bought large amounts of space in various newspapers at a discount and then resold the space at higher rates to advertisers. The actual ad -the copy, layout, and artwork - was still prepared by the company wishing to advertise; in effect, Palmer was a space broker. That situation changed in the late nineteenth century when the advertising agency of N.W. Ayer & Son was founded. Ayer & Son offered to plan, create, and execute a complete advertising campaign for their customers. By 1900, the advertising agency became the focal point of creative planning, and advertising was firmly established as a profession.

Nowadays careers in advertising involve working for advertisers, media, advertising agencies, or suppliers and special services.

Advertisers. Most companies that advertise extensively have advertising managers, or brand managers. Since these people help to coordinate the company's advertising program with its sales program and with the company's advertising agency, they must have aptitudes for both advertising and management.

Media. All media uses salesmen to sell advertising space or broadcasting time. Media salesmen must be knowledgeable about business and skilled in salesmanship.

Advertising Agencies. A variety of specialists are required in an advertising agency because it develops advertising programs, prepares advertisements, and places them in the media. Those interested in advertising research and fact gathering should know both statistics and consumer psychology. Competence in media planning and evaluation is essential for a career in media. The media buyer must identify and determine the most effective media in which to expose the advertising messages, and purchase space or time in these media.

Copywriting requires creative writing skills and the ability to visualize ideas. The copywriter is a developer of advertising ideas and messages.

Layout, typography, and visualization are essential for those in art, both for print advertising and for television commercials. Print-production specialists must know about printing, photoengraving, and typography.

Experience in "show business", dramatics, photography, music, playwriting, and allied fields are excellent backgrounds for the television producer.

Also, every agency needs the account executive to be a mediator between an advertiser and an agency who should have background in accounting and managerial skills.

Supplies and Special Services. Positions similar to some of those already described are offered by the following services that support advertising: marketing research organizations, television and radio producers, film producers, art studios, photographers, producers of display materials, typographers, photoengravers, and product and package designers.

Job Prospects. More than 0.1% of the U.S. population work in advertising, but their numbers are expected to grow rapidly. Opportunities for rapid advancement are generally greater in advertising than in most other industries. How rapidly a person moves up in responsibilities and pay is based largely on his own efforts, more than on age or length of employment. For women, opportunities in advertising - at least in advertising agencies and in retailing - tend to be greater than in most other business enterprises.

In general the rate of pay is comparable to that of business executives and professional men, such as physicians and lawyers in the same community.

From Dynamics of Mass Communication