Sales, marketing and procurement

Advertising and media executive - Advertising & media executive media specialist

Creating messages or campaigns which are intended to inform or influence the people who receive them.

Summary

This occupation is found in the Advertising and Media industry. People in the industry create messages called campaigns to inform or influence the people who receive them. Advertising and Media Agencies exist in every part of the UK and range in size from two people to thousands, however the majority are small to medium sized businesses. 

The broad purpose of the occupation is helping the day to day progress of the advertising process, from receiving the brief to setting budget and timescales. Individuals would also measure how effective the advertisement has been. 

In their daily work, an advertising and media executive will work with many other people for example the client, suppliers, other agencies and the broad team at their agency. It is important they can work well with others and maintain relationships. They help campaigns move forward, coping with set-backs and changes in direction. Usually, they report to an Account or Media Manager.

They usually specialise in one of two parts of the advertising process: the first is the process of producing the advertisement also known as the creative process. The second is the process of distributing the advertisement through media. Apprentices must therefore complete the core apprenticeship and one of the two options advertising or media. It is important that whatever part they specialise in they have an understanding of the other option as decisions taken in the creative part of the process have consequences for the distribution to media part, and vice versa. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for creative or media campaigns.

An Advertising and Media Executive Creative Specialist will be responsible for: working with creative producers to assist them in their decision making. They monitor the progress of the creative producers and evaluate their output, keeping the team updated for example via status reports. They are aware of how the creative work helps the client’s marketing objectives. They also keep abreast of the latest trends within the industry, for example AI, sustainability and diversity providing examples of best practice to the client and team.

 

An Advertising and Media Executive Media Specialist is responsible for: interacting with and getting the best out of automated platforms and programmatic buying to evaluate and bid for, in real time, thousands of optional spots for example on Facebook or TV. They understand clients’ marketing objectives and assist in planning campaigns by providing the team with up to date media metrics so that the advertisement is the best price at right time and place to reach the chosen target.  They are aware of the performance and trends of different media options. They help build and maintain long term relationships with media owners and use this to help negotiate rates. 

 

Typical job titles include

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1:

The role creative and media plays for clients and the links to commercial objectives

K2:

Project management techniques

K3:

The systems and digital technologies that are used in agencies for example Teams, Sage, scheduling tools and Excel

K4:

Methods and approaches for reporting and documentation

K5:

The lifecycle of an advertising campaign

K6:

Roles and services offered by agencies, departments within agencies and their interactions

K7:

The key legal, regulatory and ethical issues for advertising and media, for example sustainability, equity diversity and inclusion, advertising to children, data regulation and Artificial Intelligence

K8:

The commercial dynamics of advertising and media

K9:

Theory and history of advertising including evolving advertising trends. For example how humans make decisions, gender representation and proliferation of media opportunities

K10:

Principles of management and delivery of third parties for example client, supplier and regulatory body

K11:

The value the supply chain can provide

K12:

The digital landscape and how it impacts on any given campaign

K14:

New creative and media, trends for example influencers, virtual reality and Artificial Intelligence

K16:

Understand how the effectiveness of a campaign is measured against the client's business objectives

K17:

Fundamentals of brand building

K18:

Influencing and negotiating techniques

K19:

The media buying process

K20:

Media buying techniques, processes, channels, tools and trends, for example best alternative to a negotiated agreement, how to buy using automated platforms, depth of data and influencer marketing

K21:

Media metrics for example latest Google Adwords, latest viewing figures from Broadcasters Audience Research Board

K22:

Location and timing of media interaction with creative content

K23:

Approaches to the evaluation of media planning and buying, both short- and long-term

K24:

Principles and policies of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace

K25:

Digital tools and software including those used to communicate and interact with a range of key stakeholders

K26:

Policies and procedures relating to environmental impact and sustainability

K27:

Professional communication methods for stakeholders

K28:

Problem solving technique to generate ideas to solve a problem

Technical Educational Products

Reference:
OCC0644B
Status:
Approved occupation imageApproved occupation
Average (median) salary:
£31,041 per year
SOC 2020 code:
3554 Advertising and marketing associate professionals
  • SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
    • 3554/01 Advertising and marketing executives
    • 3554/99 Advertising and marketing associate professionals n.e.c.
    • 3556/01 Brand managers
S1:

Identify the ways in which creative and media can help organisations to achieve corporate objectives

S2:

Objectively structure problems and approaches to solving them

S3:

Manage projects using project management techniques in order to ensure campaigns are on track maintaining relationships

S4:

Use industry recognised systems and technologies that are used in agencies to plan, budget and bill

S5:

Produce communications for example on PowerPoint, emails, minutes and reports using industry terminology and professional language

S6:

Manage and prioritise workload to meet agreed timelines

S7:

Apply knowledge of the interface and the dynamics of the different agencies for a smooth flow of work

S8:

Adhere to legislative regulations that apply in the advertising and media industry

S9:

Upward supplier and client management related to commercial realities for example a new digital opportunity or a TV production problem

S10:

Use negotiating and influencing techniques for example to communicate with different audiences or authorise a late media opportunity

S11:

Delivery of supply chain value, on time

S12:

Deploy digital mediums to guarantee results for example using Google Analytics to check key words

S13:

Communicate with clients and stakeholders accurately and by selecting the appropriate method

S16:

Support stakeholders in obtaining the data they need to complete tasks, for example demographics and metrics.

S18:

Coordinate responses to media owners and intermediaries for example using automated platforms

S19:

Access the metric data and report it to the team

S20:

Provide support to research how the message or creative idea might be best distributed to reach the target audience for example time of day, the right place and make recommendations based on this

S21:

Use digital collaboration tools to work with colleagues and key stakeholders

Technical Educational Products

Reference:
OCC0644B
Status:
Approved occupation imageApproved occupation
Average (median) salary:
£31,041 per year
SOC 2020 code:
3554 Advertising and marketing associate professionals
  • SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
    • 3554/01 Advertising and marketing executives
    • 3554/99 Advertising and marketing associate professionals n.e.c.
    • 3556/01 Brand managers
B1:

Shows attention to detail

B2:

Embraces problems as challenges to be solved

B3:

Engage with different stakeholders professionally demonstrating the values of the organisation

B4:

Exhibits curiosity about the industry, demonstrating a positive approach to learning

B5:

Shows resilience keeps going through difficult situations

B6:

Prioritises sustainable practices for example reducing paper waste, turning off unused lights, car sharing or using public transport to travel for business meetings

Technical Educational Products

Reference:
OCC0644B
Status:
Approved occupation imageApproved occupation
Average (median) salary:
£31,041 per year
SOC 2020 code:
3554 Advertising and marketing associate professionals
  • SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
    • 3554/01 Advertising and marketing executives
    • 3554/99 Advertising and marketing associate professionals n.e.c.
    • 3556/01 Brand managers