Comments on: So You Want My Job: Advertising Executive

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:25:41 +0000

Excellent interview. Questions were well thought out and covered great content.

By: marcus

marcus — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:05:45 +0000

Interesting interview…Though I still prefer the creative side to advertising, and thank the fates every morning that I’m not on the account side of things. We still get to drink at work, and our schmoozing is kept at a minimum…

By: Andrea Dickson

Andrea Dickson — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:23:23 +0000

Ha! If there are no martinis involved, I don’t want your job! Take that!

I love your point about writing effectively – that’s what the industry is all about: effective communication. It’s a tough skill to hone. I thought I was particularly good at it, but I struggle to edit my own work down from wordy, tangent filled narratives to helpful tips for readers. I wish more people would learn the art of brevity!

By: Tyler Gurry

Tyler Gurry — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:21:11 +0000

Wow. I have tried finding someone to have this very conversation with for year. I am also going to school for Mass Communications Electronic/Print Media with a minor in graphic design, but have often wondered if I should change my degree because what I really want to do is Advertising. Thank you for the insight. Any more advice?

By: Elias Bear

Elias Bear — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:50:30 +0000

Nice article, advertising is a fine balance of both selling and telling a story. You can’t entice buyers without a call to action and that is generally more effective in the form of a story or theme that captivates the buyer. The sell can happen in the story and is accomplished without the buyer even knowing what they are drawn to.

Of course if we are talking about quick call to action web ads then the story needs to be truncated in order to effectively make your call to action heard, semantics really.

Anyway Mike and AOM nice article and Yancey, thank you for making me think about it from both sides. Check out Mike’s facebook page also, it’s nice to see the inner workings of the firm on a social platform vs. them pushing their clients and client hunting. http://www.facebook.com/pulpandwire nice work everyone!

By: Yancey Foster

Yancey Foster — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:01:19 +0000

Great interview and an interesting career field.

I do disagree with this statement:

“Advertising, and really all of marketing, be it design, production, packaging, promotions…it’s all about telling stories. Learning to tell effective stories that an audience can relate to is crucial.”

Advertising is about selling. It’s not about telling stories that people can relate to or winning advertising awards. It’s about the company making a profit using salesmanship in print. Finding a need, articulating the solution to the need, and providing the solution.

Anything else is public relations.

By: Lena

Lena — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:46:56 +0000

I love the comment on the importance of good, professional graphic design. You wouldn’t attend a job interview in sweat pants. You wouldn’t go on a first date straight from playing basketball without showering. If you want to be taken seriously, dress like it. Same goes for your company. That’s one of the things good graphic design can do.

I used this same analogy during my company’s rebranding to help explain why it was so necessary.

By: Jason Stambaugh

Jason Stambaugh — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:25:49 +0000

I hear ya on the worst part of your job. It is really tough when you are expected to hit a bullseye when the customer hasn’t even decided where to put the target. However, in design and creative work, it comes with the territory.

By: Lowdown

Lowdown — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 03:43:01 +0000

Interesting article on a career for which I was always curious. Not to be overly analytical, but in the paragraph in which you complain about the the quality of writing you routinely see, you state that you can’t “underestimate” the importance of effective writing. Didn’t you mean “overestimate”?

By: Travis

Travis — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 01:15:46 +0000

As an account type, i agree with Michael when he says that the value of good design is sometimes misunderstood. The same is true for good writing. I had great experience as a copyeditor before coming to an agency and it comes in handy in nearly every client relationship.