I had a friend of mine ask me this weekend, what do advertising people do and how do you know a good advertising person from a bad one? An organization’s reputation, profitability, and even its continued existence can depend on the degree to which its adverting works. Advertising specialists—also referred to as communications specialists and media specialists, among other titles—serve as advocates for businesses and build and maintain positive relationships with positive “customer- friendly” advertising and marketing.  As all businesses recognize the growing importance of good, quality, professional advertising to the success of their business, they increasingly rely on advertising specialists for advice on the strategy.

Advertising specialists handle all areas of external communications like creativity, media planning and buying, production, targeting, campaigns, jingles, strategic planning, market research, and so much more. However, advertising is not only about “telling the organization’s story.” Understanding the attitudes and concerns of consumers is a vital part of the job. Having the right message, a message that people want to hear and to which they can relate, and presenting that message in the best possible “positive” way separates the professional advertising people from the, may we say, not so professional advertising people. Anyone can “say” they are in the advertising business, but a true advertising professional is much more than a “creative genius.” Advertising professionals must deliver results in the form of more sales and more business for their clients. That is the bottom line!