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Written By Keelyn Cranley
Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash
Your journey with Matchbook Marketing will come to an end just as quickly as it began. Time seems to move faster as a college student and before you know it, you will be reaching beyond student organizations on Mizzou’s campus. When that time comes, you may find yourself considering a path that many Mizzou Strategic Communication alumni have tread before: marketing agencies. However, the search for the perfect role doesn’t end with the decision to join a company outside of academia. While your time at Matchbook may have helped you identify your preferred role, navigating the array of options within a marketing agency can still be a daunting task. To simplify your job search and shed light on the various positions available, we've put together a comprehensive guide featuring typical roles and their descriptions within the dynamic realm of marketing agencies.
CREATIVE DEPARTMENT
Each marketing agency typically has a creative department that consists of copywriters, art directors, and/or graphic designers. The creative team “is responsible for bringing projects to life”. It is important that while staying creative, the creatives keep in mind their ideas need to be able to “drive business objectives”. The best creatives easily decide how to bring a vision to life and have a profound knowledge of marketing.
Responsibilities of a copywriter
Establish or adjust to the unique tone of the company.
Write taglines, website copy, captions etc.
Work with art directors to “create creative solutions to the client’s problems”.
Responsibilities of an art director
Work with the copywriter to create a big idea, then create the visuals in alignment with that idea.
Create color schemes, visuals, and presentations that are consistent with the big picture.
Responsibilities of a graphic designer
Execute and design ideas produced between the art director and copywriting team.
Work on projects such as logos, website design, package design, illustration etc.
STRATEGY
The strategists are also known as planners. They provide the context and research the creatives need to create their vision.
Responsibilities of a strategist
Learn about culture and trends.
Create insights about the target audience that are then used in the creative brief.
Find focus groups and conduct interviews to establish a pattern for research.
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
While many roles can fall under account management, the account service person typically spearheads this team. The account person “is the connection between the agency and the client”.
Responsibilities of an account manager
Communicate with the team and client.
Discuss deadlines and budgets.
Have strong social and communication skills.
Delegates tasks effectively.
OPERATIONS
The operations team keeps projects in order and the other teams on task. The project manager typically spearheads this team.
Responsibilities of a project manager
Create and check on the timeline and schedule.
Keep the project on time and successfully moving forward.
Communicate with different teams and keep each in agreement.
Check for brand guidelines and legal requirements as the project develops.
MEDIA
The media team can consist of a variation of workers but is most often the planners, buyers, and analysts of the agency. People who tend to gravitate toward the media team often play each one of these roles at some point in their careers.
Responsibilities of the media team
Make sure the project is seen by the target audience at the right time.
Work with vendors to purchase ad placements
While these descriptions only skim the surface of the variety of roles one could have at an agency, these are the roles ingrained in an agency that keep the firms running. However, what makes marketing agencies truly exciting is the potential for growth and exploration. If you don’t find your niche right away, it is always possible to transition between roles and experience new responsibilities. Therefore, the possibilities within marketing agencies and the potential to learn within them are endless.
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