Advertising Degree Program and Career Education

Advertising is the communication of a message or the promotion of a product or service to a targeted audience through television commercials, billboards, magazine advertisements, radio commercials, banner ads on Web sites, and various other media. The goal of advertising is to increase awareness of a product and inform a targeted audience of its benefits, thereby increasing sales of the product and ultimately leading to profits for the company.

The field of advertising includes not only determining what types of ads are needed, but also creating ideas for the ads, executing the ads, and selling the ad space. A team of people is required to execute all aspects of a successful ad campaign. That team can include creative directors, copy writers, art directors, and account executives and Web designers, among others.

Professionals in the advertising industry need to be creative thinkers. They need to be effective and persuasive communicators. They must work well both alone and with teams, they must be focused and dedicated, and they must be able to work well under pressure.

Education, Training and Degrees in Advertising

Most positions within advertising require at least a bachelor's degree in advertising, business, marketing, communications, or a similar degree. Courses or degrees in Web design and computer science are also helpful in this day of an increased advertising presence on the Internet. In addition, degrees or courses in psychology or sociology can prove beneficial to advertising specialists, by helping them understand the various factors that affect the buying decisions of consumers.

Some advertising professionals may find further success with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a focus in advertising.

Find more information about online Business degrees, certificates, and diplomas.

Explore Career Opportunities in Advertising

The success of an advertising department or advertising agency depends on the many and varied skills of its team members. As a result, there are many different career options one can choose from within the advertising field. Below are a few of the most common. Below are more details concerning careers within this field.

Advertising Manager
Advertising managers act as a point of contact between the advertising agency and the client. They supervise the advertising staff and may also oversee the in-house creative and media departments.

Account Executive/Manager
Account executives (also known as advertising sales agents or representatives) maintain client accounts by determining a client's needs and making sure their company creates products or services that meet those needs.

Creative Director
Creative directors oversee the development of the subject matter and presentation of the advertising. They oversee the art director, copy chief, and others on the creative staff.

Web Designer (see Web Design in Technology)
Wed designers work in conjunction with the advertising team and under the direction of the creative director to design attractive and functional Web sites and Web campaigns to promote the customer's product.

Graphic Artist
The graphic artist works in conjunction with the advertising team and under the direction of the creative director and copy writer to design attractive and functional advertising graphics for print ad campaigns.


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