Careers360 quick guide to advertising

1. CAREERS360
ADVERTISINGTHE SCIENCE OF INFLUENCING DECISIONS
YOUR QUICK GUIDE
TO A COURSE IN

2. Advertising AdvertisingCourse Review Course Review
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CONTENTS
1. Introduction03
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’ssoldlike,well,hotchocolates.
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-
mentspermeateourlifesomuchthatsometimes
we fail to notice them. Still they remain at the
FAST FACTS
Programme: 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 BAJournalism)
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
Copyright © Pathfinder Publishing Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
All Rights Reserved
No 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

3. AdvertisingCourse Review
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Advertising Course Review
back of the mind, influencing our decision to buy a product. Nowadays,
advertisingisnotjustrestrictedtoconsumergoodsorservices.Evenpolitical
parties resort to advertising in various ways to garner support of the voters,
especially during elections
What is Advertising?
Itistheartofconveyingamessagetothemasses.Itisallaboutsalesmanship.
Advertisingplaysacriticalroleinmarketingvarioustypesofproducts.Media
plays a crucial role in advertising products through TV, radio, websites,
newspapers, magazines, billboards, hoardings, etc. Advertising is a powerful
elementinmarketing;itplayswithminds,changesyouroutlookaboutthings
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
jobisdone.Therefore,auniquesellingpropositioning(USP)isamustinthis
business. Companiesthatadvertisechaseconsumers’loyaltyforitsbrand/s.
Advertising, though a crucial element, plays a small role in a company’s over-
allexistenceandgrowthplan.Companiesfocusonresearch,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
Thethree-yearcourseprovidesathorough
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,advertisingincontemporarysociety,copy-
writing,advertisingdesign,consumerbehaviour,
mediaplanning,buying,brandbuilding,financial
management for marketing and advertising,
advertising ethics, agency management. The
course will introduce to the fundamentals of
advertising.Usuallythisincludesvarioustypesof
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.

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marketing and market concepts. Characteristics and role of advertising are
taught along with impact of advertising. This will also include tools of adver-
tisementpromotionandmethodsofcommunication.Varioustypesofbrand-
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

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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
advertisingpapers.Themaincriteriontogetinto
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
MelbourneInstituteofTechnologyandQueens-
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-
tuteofCommunications,garneralotofattention
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

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Advertising Course Review
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-
ingexcellentcommunication,goodpresentation
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
employahostoftacticstograbconsumers’atten-
tion. Back in 1950’s, Lifebuoy soap captured an
obvious feature in its product and turned into its
USP(itdeclaredthatLifebuoystopsbodyodour.
Actually all soaps do, but Lifebuoy got there first
and grabbed the claim). German company Volk-
swagen used the slogan “Think Small”, to differ-
entiateit’sbrandfromUSA-mademassivecars.
CREATIVITY IS THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER SKILL IN
THIS HIGHLY COMPETITIVE FILED.

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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
businessdeal.Creativedepartmentthroughcop-
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).

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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 packet
Thepayscalescanvaryfromoneadvertisingagencytoanother.Afreshercan
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.

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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
hasrejectedyourcampaign.“Advertisinghasnowbecomemoreaccountable
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
haveworkedondoesn’tgarnermuchinterest,cultivatea‘move-on’tempera-
ment.

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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: Istartedmycareerasaclientandthenshiftedtoanagency10yearsdown
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:MoststudentsfromthetopMBAInstitutesdonotjoinanagencybecause
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
somethingtheylove.Welookforgoodcommunicationskillsinacandidate.
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 inAdvertising
Leeds 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