Make your right career in advertising

Rahul Kapoor - Televisionpoint.com | New Delhi
The advertising industry is driven by one key resource-people. As benchmarks continue to evolve in this industry and challenges multiply the expectations from the people who drive this business are fast changing.

Industry Overview
The advertising industry as a whole entails creative thinking and business acumen in equal measures. While it is imperative to have one of these skills to be suitably absorbed in this industry a person who is adept at both definitely commands an edge.

Talking about the trends that are characterising the Indian advertising industry today, P V Narayanmurthy, strategic communications consultant at National Institute of Design (NIA), says, "Fragmentation is a visible trend that is surfacing in this industry. As more and more media vehicles are being launched, advertising audiences are getting fragmented. Fragmentation is not just happening across vehicles but across media forms."

"Traditionally, media connoted print, television, cinema, radio and outdoors. This traditional definition has undergone a sea change. Today almost anything that can reach and influence consumers is defined as media. Moreover, no discussion of media is complete without digital and mobile media." Narayanmurthy says.

According to Narayanmurthy, media convergence is another over-riding trend that has posed fresh challenges to the advertising fraternity. "For instance unlike a few years back today news is not just viewed on television sets at prime time. It is received on digital platforms, mobile phones and Out of Home (OOH) sites, among others. Therefore, while trying to reach audiences in the news environment, all these forms must be taken into account and integrated communication plans have to be developed."

Narayanmurthy feels that the growth of digital technology has also influenced the advertising industry in a big way. "Currently most communication programmes employ the digital route as an addition to their core communication strategy," he informs.

However, going forward with the growing prominence of digital media and its ability to achieve economies of scale it will form part of the core communication strategy. "Other media forms will have to adapt suitably to complement digital communication strategies," he adds.

All these trends will further accentuate in the future, posing even greater challenges for marketers and communication professionals. Around 60 per cent of all media is likely to be digital in just a few years, therefore, increasing fragmentation and convergence, he revealed.

Talking about the altered dynamics of the advertising industry as a consequence of the ongoing economic recession Namrata Suri, founder director, NIA, says, "Today with a squeeze on client budgets advertising firms are having to justify the returns on every rupee. Deadlines and targets are getting steeper than before. This has translated to greater performance pressure within advertising firms."

Adding to this, Narayanmurthy says, "The advertising industry is dependent on the marketing industry and, hence, it has been hit quite acutely during the time of recession. When companies are curtailing marketing budgets the first cut effected is invariably the advertising budget.

But the advertising industry needs to surface over this problem and it has reason to do so. Numerous market surveys and studies have established that marketers on the contrary should advertise more during recessions. However, few marketers are actually doing this."

Career Prospects
Career opportunities exist in advertising and public relations agencies, in the abounding media industry and in corporate houses. "Since promotions are relatively faster in this industry and people move to the second or third rungs of the ladder quite early there is a growing need for people especially at entry levels," opines Suri.

Talking about the various divisions in the advertising industry and the attendant skill sets required for each Suri informs, "In the managerial side there is brand planning and product management and account planning and management both of which require proficiency in strategic thinking and management skills."

Suri adds, "Then there is event management that requires quick thinking and hard work and the retail and direct marketing and sales division that requires perseverance and commitment to targets. In the media buying and media planning department there is scope for people who are adept at number crunching. Then there is the media sales division where people with a good power of persuasion and strong people skills are required."

Suri informs that in the creative side there is the copy writing department and the audio visual production department. "Many advertising firms also have departments specialising in graphic and communication design. In addition all advertising firms have a market research department that analyses facts and data."