Account management is the responsibility of an advertising account executive. He or she manages the advertising budget and pitches advertising campaigns to clients. Advertising account executives usually work for advertising agencies, but they can also work in large corporations’ advertising departments. They frequently collaborate with the advertising manager of the client or company. Another responsibility is to ensure that the needs of clients are met.
The company that hires the agency to create an advertising campaign is known as the client. The advertising account executive serves as a point of contact between the client and the advertising agency. He or she must create a strategy for the client, but first he or she must conduct preliminary research. He or she may do some of this research deciding on and understanding what market to target and developing a campaign concept, as well as studying the advertising plans of competitors.
The advertising account executive drafts a plan for the client after the preliminary research is completed. The budget and schedule, including how much the campaign will cost and when the advertising will run, are usually included in the plan. The plan may also include sales projections as a result of the campaign, as well as details on where the advertisement will air; for example, television, radio, newspapers, and magazines are all possibilities. The advertising account executive must then sell the idea to the client after the plan and campaign have been developed.
It is critical for the executive to maintain constant contact with his or her clients. The executive is expected to contact his or her clients at least once per day. Furthermore, traveling to meet with clients is a common occurrence in this position. Although account executives are not typically members of the creative team — that is, they do not write the campaign — they do collaborate with them to communicate the client’s requirements.
Prior sales or marketing experience is sometimes sufficient for employment as an advertising account executive, but advertising agencies are increasingly looking for someone with at least a bachelor’s degree. This degree could be in advertising, business administration, liberal arts, or marketing, among other fields. Often, the degree itself is more important than the discipline in which the degree is earned. A master’s degree in business administration may be required some employers.
Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills are among the skills required for this position. Because executives must interact with clients and pitch ideas, they must have strong interpersonal skills as well as a professional appearance and demeanor. It’s also crucial to be able to meet deadlines.