Overview of the role

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

Details of standard

This standard has options. Display duties and KSBs for:

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in the Advertising and Media industry which is worth over £20bn to the UK economy.  People in the industry create messages (campaigns) which are intended to inform or influence the people who receive them. 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, where they always work as part of a team of internal and external people.

The broad purpose of the occupation is helping the day to day progress of the whole advertising process, from receiving the brief from the marketing team, including objectives, budget and timescales, through to the measurement of how effective the advertisement has been. They also understand how the component parts are successfully orchestrated, with effective trade-offs being made as the process continues and evolves. In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with many other people, processes and systems. (For example the client, 3rd party suppliers, the broad team at the agency.) They help campaigns move forward, coping with inevitable set-backs and changes in direction (some at the last minute), whilst showing collaboration and maintaining relationships with all. 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 (creative); the second is the process of distributing the advertisement (media). Apprentices must therefore complete the core apprenticeship and one of these options. It is important that whatever part they specialise in they have an understanding of the ‘other’ part – decisions taken in the creative part of the process have substantive 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 (television/film producers, radio producers, designers, copywriters, art buyers) to assist them in their decision making. This might include providing a briefing regarding competitive brands to assist their decisions. They monitor the progress of the creative producers and evaluate their output, keeping team updated e.g. 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, providing examples of best practice to the creatives.

An Advertising and Media Executive Media Specialist is responsible for: interacting with and getting the best out of automated platforms, using their awareness of what programmatic/automatic buying can do (e.g. evaluate and bid for, in real time, thousands of optional spots e.g. Facebook, TV) and what it cannot do (be certain that spot is the right environment for the message). They understand clients’ marketing objectives and help link to the media where they might place their advertising. They will assist in planning campaigns by providing the team with up to date media metrics.  They are aware of the performance and trends of different media options and take this into account when discussing with the team. They help build and maintain relationships with media owners and use this to help negotiate rates strategically and tactically, conscious of long-term relationships.

Typical job titles include:

Advertising and media creative specialist Advertising and media executive Advertising and media executive media specialist

Core occupation duties

Duty Criteria for measuring performance KSBs

Duty 1 Work as part of a team to receive briefs from the client and help coordinate responses from the agency to feedback to them

Working effectively as part of a team

Timelines clear

Job docs accurate

K1

S1 S2

B1 B2 B3

Duty 2 Assist the account or media manager in monitoring campaign costs and budget plans and prepares budgetary information such as accurate bills, purchase reviews, maintaining and producing expense reports (in accordance with company policy) to help support the process

Accuracy of reports/documents in accordance with company policy and client requirements

K2 K3

S3 S4

B1 B2

Duty 3 Arrange and attend meetings, conferences, seminars, client presentations as required, keeping and disseminating relevant notes

Accurate and timely records and actions

Attention to detail

K4

S5

B2

Duty 4 Support the day to day running of accounts and the seamless management of communication plans, monitoring progress and ensuring others involved in the process are on track, whether peers, senior colleagues or third parties (such as other agencies), understanding everyone’s responsibilities.

Account/campaign kept on track

Actions of peers, senior colleagues and third parties (including suppliers and customers) kept on track

Recognises, listens to and influences people under pressure

Understands and suggests trade-offs between quality, cost and timescales

Prioritises successfully for the optimum outcome for the client and the agency

K5 K6

S6 S7

B5 B6

Duty 5 Check projects to ensure the legal, ethical and regulatory issues for advertising and media have been adhered to

Adheres to the legislative, regulatory and ethical standards, complies with the organisation's policies and procedures

K7

S8

B2 B7

Duty 6 Co-ordinate internal client account status meetings and maintain accurate and timely status reports using e.g. PowerPoint and properly structured emails, showing high attention to detail

Accurate and timely records and actions

Attention to detail

K2

S3

B2 B8

Duty 7 Recognise, listen to and influence people under pressure to help keep campaigns on track, calm situations, and maintaining collaborative and long-term relationships e.g. by managing expectations

Collaborative, long term relationships

Manages expectations

Recognises, listens to and influences people under pressure

Shows empathy and patience

K6 K9 K10

S7 S10 S11

B1 B5 B6 B8

Duty 8 Maintain information systems (e.g. client files, job start forms) and (often new) technologies to collate data to ensure the project is delivering what is required and to maintain evidence and a record of this

Assists in ensuring project is delivering what is required as agreed in the brief

Maintains evidence/record of all projects

K8

S9

B2 B9

Duty 9 Chase up 3rd party suppliers, clients and team members e.g. for approvals, quotes, actions

Assists in ensuring project is delivering what is required as agreed in the brief

Maintains evidence/record of all projects e.g. minutes and/or contact reports of decisions

K10

S11

B2 B4 B5

Duty 10 Understand and suggest trade-offs between quality, cost and timescale, prioritising successfully, to help get the best possible outcome in a given set of circumstances e.g. client wants it cheaper

Manages expectations and influences decisions

Shows empathy and patience

Time management

Complies with the organisation's policies and procedures

K5 K8

S6 S9

B1 B5 B9

Duty 11 Ensure the correct signs offs (e.g. for proofs, media plans) are obtained at relevant stages in the project

Maintains audit trail

K6 K11

S7 S12

B1 B2

Duty 12 Carry out relevant market research such as Mintel, Mediatel, Target Group Index (TGI) and digital data to help identify target audience (recognising the consumer journey), advise team on competitor activity, and ensure project reaches key consumer audiences

Using appropriate market research

Helps ensure campaign/projects reaches key audiences

Timely and insightful reporting

K9

S10

B7 B9

Duty 13 Research the client’s business, its industry and challenges in order to assist more senior colleagues to deliver campaigns with a full range of agency services including digital or sell other agency services

Timely and insightful reporting

Attention to detail

K1 K12

S1 S13

B2 B9

Option duties

Advertising & media executive creative specialist duties

Duty Criteria for measuring performance KSBs

Duty 14 Work with creative producers (television/film producers, radio producers, designers, art buyers, copywriters) to assist them in their decision making

Obtains the right data

Keeps the creative producers updated, including latest production and media trends, best practice and advises on this when appropriate

Keeps accurate notes on client requests and decisions about creative work

K13 K14

S14 S15

B2 B7

Duty 15 Provide briefing regarding competitive brands to assist senior colleagues in developing brand strategy

Timely and insightful reporting

K17

S18

B7

Duty 16 Appreciate that the client's business goal is important and assists in making sure that this is reflected in the agency's response to the client need

Assist in making sure the agency's response to the client e.g. the creative idea presented, always reflects that the business goal is paramount, and helps obtain the right data on the effectiveness of the agency in meeting the business goal

K15 K16

S16 S17

B2 B9

Duty 17 Help build and maintain long term relationships with their opposite number at the client and use this to influence the client's decision making

Recognises, listens to and influences people

Understanding win:win to maintain long term relationships

K18

S19

B4 B5

Advertising & media executive media specialist duties

Duty Criteria for measuring performance KSBs

Duty 18 Be up to date with the basics of most media channel options and regulations, including able to interact with automated platforms and use their awareness of programmatic/automatic buying to help evaluate and bid for, in real time, thousands of optional spots e.g. on Facebook or TV

Timely and accurate communication e.g. around media channels and media buying

K20

S21

B7

Duty 19 Understand the client's business objectives and help link to the most appropriate media for the advertising

Uses the right platforms

Evaluate how the message/creative idea is best distributed to the target audience effectively

Obtains the right data

K22 K23

S23 S24

B1 B7

Duty 20 Assist in planning campaigns by providing the team with up to date media metrics

Obtains the right data

Accurate and timely reporting

K21

S22

B2 B9

Duty 21 Help build and maintain relationships with media owners and use this to negotiate rates strategically and tactically, conscious of long term relationships

Recognises, listens to and influences people

Understanding win:win to maintain long term relationships

K19 K20

S20 S21 S25

B4 B6


KSBs

Knowledge

K1: The role creative and media plays for clients and the links to commercial objectives Back to Duty

K2: Project management techniques Back to Duty

K3: The systems and digital technologies that are used in agencies such as Sage, scheduling tools and Excel Back to Duty

K4: Construction of accurate and timely reports and minutes Back to Duty

K5: The lifecycle of an advertising campaign i.e. what needs to happen when Back to Duty

K6: The different roles performed by different agencies (mainly media and creative), different parts of agencies and the core services of their own organisation Back to Duty

K7: The key legal, regulatory and ethical issues for advertising and media, e.g. advertising to children, data regulation with relevance to advertising, General Data Protection Regulation compliance Back to Duty

K8: The commercial dynamics of advertising and media Back to Duty

K9: The foundation advertising landscape and how it is changing e.g. the impact of digital technology and platforms, the proliferation of options for content and media, the complex consumer journey to purchase, the rise of big data, the corporate landscape, how advertising’s effectiveness is evaluated Back to Duty

K10: Principles of third party (e.g. client, supplier, regulatory body) management and delivery Back to Duty

K11: Understands the value the supply chain can provide e.g. digital marketing Back to Duty

K12: Understands the digital landscape and how it impacts on any given campaign Back to Duty

K13: The creative process/dynamic and how people operate in that environment; how to communicate effectively with each group Back to Duty

K14: New creative and production techniques, tools and trends e.g. using Influencers to reach audiences, using Snapchat Stories, how to use virtual reality, the possible benefits of Artificial Intelligence Back to Duty

K15: Understand the different elements of a creative idea (copy and art direction) and its execution, understanding the relative importance of those different elements, e.g. does a change to the execution change the idea? Back to Duty

K16: Understand how the effectiveness of a campaign is measured against client business objectives Back to Duty

K17: Understand the fundamentals of why brand building is important Back to Duty

K18: How to influence people e.g. listen to them, always try for win:win Back to Duty

K19: The media buying process/dynamic and how people operate and negotiate in that environment Back to Duty

K20: New media buying techniques, tools and trends e.g. new programmatic (automated) media buying platforms; using new digital mediums such as Twitter, Spotify; new data sources from Google and others Back to Duty

K21: Up to date media metrics e.g. latest Google Adwords, latest viewing figures from Broadcasters Audience Research Board Back to Duty

K22: Understands how the location and timing of media interacts with creative content Back to Duty

K23: Understand how media planning and buying is evaluated short and long term Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Identify the ways in which creative and media can help organisations to achieve corporate objectives Back to Duty

S2: Dispassionately structure problems and approaches to solving them Back to Duty

S3: Manage projects using project management techniques in order to ensure campaigns are on track, e.g. accurate timing plans, and they are also successfully managing their to do list Back to Duty

S4: Make use of the systems and technologies that are used in agencies to help plan, budget and bill Back to Duty

S5: Produce professional communication e.g. correct names, spelling, grammar, branding on e.g. PowerPoint, emails, minutes, reports Back to Duty

S6: Manage timelines effectively, prioritising appropriately Back to Duty

S7: Apply knowledge of the interface and the dynamics of the different agencies (mainly media and creative) for a smooth flow of work Back to Duty

S8: Adhere to the legislative regulations that apply in the advertising and media industry plus their own organisational policies and procedures Back to Duty

S9: Demonstrate some upward, some supplier and client management around commercial realities e.g. a new digital opportunity or a TV production problem Back to Duty

S10: Help solve practical and creative problems (e.g. report on consumer habits, gathering useful data around evaluation) within defined budgets and timescales, influencing outcomes without jeopardising relationships Back to Duty

S11: Use third party management techniques combined with interpersonal skills (e.g. active listening, and influencing) to communicate effectively with all, e.g. coordinating response to a client brief Back to Duty

S12: Ensures the delivery of that supply chain value, on time Back to Duty

S13: Deploy the right digital medium to guarantee the most effective result e.g, using Google Analytics to check key words Back to Duty

S14: Communicate with clients, colleagues, regulatory bodies (such as the Advertising Standards Authority or Clearcast), suppliers (such as photographers or research companies); by phone, in meetings, through presentations, in emails and written documents such as agendas, competitive reviews, proposals, minutes of calls/meetings, status reports. Co-ordinate feedback. Back to Duty

S15: Apply their understanding of creative and production techniques to help the idea appear in the correct format Back to Duty

S16: Apply their understanding of the different elements of a creative idea to help evaluate the different elements and guide the execution phase to protect the most important ones Back to Duty

S17: Help obtain the right data Back to Duty

S18: Able to understand and report differences in ways competitor brands market themselves Back to Duty

S19: Ability to influence people e.g. clients to buy amended creative work or authorise a late invoice Back to Duty

S20: Coordinate responses to media owners and intermediaries (including automated platforms), helping manage all aspects of the process Back to Duty

S21: Apply their knowledge of media buying to communicate with clients, colleagues, regulatory bodies (such as the Advertising Standards Authority), media owners (such as commercial television channels, newspapers/magazines, billboard companies etc.), or media intermediaries/platforms (such as programmatic advertising platforms, Facebook, Google); by phone, in meetings, through presentations, in emails and written documents such as a media plan Back to Duty

S22: How to access the media metric data and report it accurately to the team regularly Back to Duty

S23: Help research how the message/creative idea might be best distributed to reach the target audience in the most effective way e.g. time of day, and make recommendations based on this Back to Duty

S24: Help obtain the right data Back to Duty

S25: How to negotiate for long term relationships Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Flexible problem solver with ability to help the team prioritise effectively Back to Duty

B2: Shows attention to detail Back to Duty

B3: Embraces problems as challenges to be solved, displays 'can-do' attitude Back to Duty

B4: Behaves with versatility and others respond positively to them (they are "likable") Back to Duty

B5: Display empathy and patience with a variety of different personality types and others respond positively to them Back to Duty

B6: Exhibits curiosity about people, their motivations and how to get the best out of them Back to Duty

B7: Exhibits curiosity about the industry, positive approach to learning Back to Duty

B8: Shows resilience (e.g. doesn't take things too personally, keeps going through difficult situations) Back to Duty

B9: Takes responsibility for learning under pressure Back to Duty


Qualifications

English and Maths

Other mandatory qualifications

Option qualification Applicable options

High Level Qualification

IPA Foundation Certificate

Level: 3

  • Advertising & media executive creative specialist
  • Advertising & media executive media specialist

Professional recognition

This standard aligns with the following professional recognition:

  • IPA for Foundation


Additional details

Occupational Level:

3

Duration (months):

18

Review

Status: Approved for delivery (available for starts)
Level: 3
Reference: ST0644
Version: 1.0
Date updated: 08/11/2018
Approved for delivery: 8 November 2018
Route: Sales, marketing and procurement
Typical duration to gateway: 18 months (this does not include EPA period)
Maximum funding: £8000
Options: Advertising & media executive creative specialist, Advertising & media executive media specialist
LARS Code: 373
EQA Provider: Ofqual
Employers involved in creating the standard: 360i, Across The Pond, AMV BBDO, Bray Leino, BBJ&K, Elvis, FCB Inferno, Generation Media, Goodstuff, GreenHouse,Group M, J.Walter Thompson, Karmarama, Leo Burnett, Manning Gottlieb OMD, MBA, MediaCom North, mcgarrybowen, Mindshare, Momentum, M/Six, Mullen Lowe Group, Omnicom Media Group, PHD Media, Posterscope MKTG PSI, Publicis Media, RAPP, The & Partnership, Total Media, VCCP Media

Version log

Version Change detail Earliest start date Latest start date
1.0 Approved for delivery 08/11/2018 Not set

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