How do I get your attention?
As I was pondering what to write about this week, I realized that the Philippine Advertising Ad Congress may already be in its final stages. Hence, I am using this medium to show how much I respect the people who work the longest hours — the account managers. I used to work with them everyday, and credit should be given where credit is due.
For one, they own the unenviable task of trying to convince advertisers that that their medium is the best vehicle to hitting the right demographic. Not only do they have to deal with demanding clients, they have to compete with others who are willing to go as far as they are just to “close the deal”. I actually know someone who had to pick up his client’s kids from school just to get on the latter’s good side. You get the point.
Secondly, and in my experience, the industry also has a huge dependency on personal relationships. How can you vie for advertising spend if your competitor has a direct line to a media buyer’s personal cellphone number? You can have all the connections you want, but the truth of the matter is, someone who is related to a former colleague’s sister’s husband will always have the inside track. You can also see yourself as the most likeable person in the world, but that decision is not entirely up to you.
Lastly, anyone who has made the commitment to be a part of the advertising industry has one way or another given up a huge chunk of his/her personal life. Whether it’s that dinner you missed because of a pending approval, or going through that 12-hour day because of a rush project, all the back and forth on the road, the pressure of an advertising career will beat you down.
Truth of the matter is, the advertising industry can also be unpredictable. What I mentioned above may even have no bearing at all. I have been in New York for almost a month now, and my move made me realize that while there are many similarities, there are generalizations and unsaid truths that can be said about the advertising industry in the Philippines.
Let’s go on ahead and talk about a few “Advertiser Tiers”.
I’m a Best Buy guy, but Circuit City was also a top of mind brand when it came to electronics, DVDs, or gaming purchases. Only last week, we were looking at their site as a benchmark for one of our ongoing projects. Check out their official announcement