Advertising Account Executives
About
Exploring this Job
Read publications like Advertising Age (https://www.adage.com) and Adweek (https://www.adweek.com) to become familiar with advertising issues, trends, successes, and failures. Visit the CLIO Awards Web site (http://www.clios.com). CLIOs are given each year in a broad range of categories, from billboard and poster to radio and television/cinema; the site also has information about advertising and art schools, trade associations, and links to some of the trade magazines of the industry.
To gain practical business experience, become involved with advertising or promotion activities at your school for social events, sports events, political issues, or fund-raising events. If your school newspaper or year-book has paid advertising, offer to work in ad sales.
The competition for entry-level roles at leading advertising agencies is intense. Individuals who meet the criteria should submit their applications directly to the ad agencies they desire to work for. Some school placement offices may assist their students in finding positions. Private employment agencies, newspaper advertisements, and online career sites also offer job listings in this sector.
The Job
Account executives are responsible for monitoring their clients advertising campaigns on a daily basis. The staff involved in this typically consists of a creative director, an art director, a copywriter, researchers, and production specialists, and the account executive oversees all client accounts from start to finish.
Before launching an advertising campaign, a significant amount of preparatory work must be completed. Account executives need to become familiar with their clients products and services, target markets, goals, competitors, and preferred media. They work with the agency team to conduct research and hold initial meetings with clients. They use this information to analyze market potential and present recommendations to the client.
Once an advertising strategy has been determined and all terms have been agreed upon, the agencys creative team produces various ads and ideas to present to the client. The account executive works alongside media buyers, who purchase radio and television time, acquire publication space for advertising in printed publications and online venues, develop a schedule for the project, and ensure that it is within the clients budget.
When the ad campaign has been approved by the client, production can begin. The account executive is responsible for supervising and coordinating the work of copywriters, editors, graphic artists, production specialists, and other employees on the agency team. They also write reports, draft business correspondence, follow up on all client meetings, interact with outside vendors, and ensure that every aspect of the advertising campaign communicates the desired message. The account executive is responsible for ensuring the client is satisfied and may need to modify the campaign, revise cost estimates and event schedules, and redirect the efforts of the creative staff.
In addition to their daily responsibilities, account executives also have to develop and bring in new business, keep up to date with current advertising trends, evaluate the effectiveness of advertising programs, and track sales figures.
Advertising Account Executives can use email and outreach automation tools to effectively communicate with prospects and clients, automatically follow up, and track the effectiveness of their outreach campaigns. These tools are essential for saving time and ensuring consistent communication, as well as critical for nurturing leads and maintaining client relationships.