CAREERS IN INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION

Contributed by: Ms Raunica Ahluwalia (ex-MICA) & co-author of Entrepreneural Case Studies , Marketing Communications Industry.

“Careers in Integrated Marketing Communication”
What is Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)?
• IMC is the management of all disciplines of communications in building positive relationships with people and other stakeholders.
• IMC not only combines the marketing communications disciplines of advertising, sales promotions, direct and e-commerce marketing and public relations, event management but also looks into the key aspects of alignment of stakeholders’ internal processes, from product/services development to services delivery to people as consumers.
• The ultimate effect of practices of IMC results in customers demonstrating their appreciation with loyalty to products, services and corporate brands. These loyal customers reward the companies with high retention rates, which in turn translate into companies’ measurable success and improved bottom-line profitability.
Careers in IMC

You can look towards rewarding careers in industry and service sector organizations that are concerned with integrated marketing communications management. These organizations could be operating in the areas of advertising, media, marketing, marketing research, brand consultancy,
direct marketing, public relations, event and entertainment marketing, and also, social and developmental communication. Some of the careers to choose from are:


• Client Servicing & Account Management
• Corporate Communications, Identity and Image Management
• Public relations
• Relationship Management
• Development Communication
• Event Management
• Communications Research
• Strategic Communications
• Corporate Promotions
• Media Planning & Buying
• Media Management
• Customer Services Management
• Strategic Marketing Planning
• Brand & Product Management
• Account Planning
• Marketing Research
• Digital communications
• Direct Marketing
• Retail Management
• Healthcare Communications
• Entertainment Marketing
• Sports Marketing




Key skills for a person seeking career in Integrated Marketing Communications:

• Inquisitiveness
About people and their behaviour, cultures and values, about products and services, their need, why are they bought or not bought, how are they sold and to whom
A career in communications cannot be thought about without a genuine interest in people and surroundings.

• Not for the faint hearted
Continuous deadlines, high pressured environment and working hours stretching to late nights and odd hours to meet the curriculum deadline.

• Communication skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to make a professional presentation that is persuasive yet flexible is what will sail you through this profession.

• Creativity…The soul…The heartbeat…The very air we breathe…
The entire business is driven by the creative expression of the message that your consumer will remember you for. By creativity, we mean ability to think original and diverse.




• I want to start rich !! Forget it.
Perhaps one of the rare careers which is driven by people so passionate for their work that money takes second priority. Be willing to start with a modest pay knowing that as you gain experience and prove your worth, the sky is the limit as far as money is concerned.

• Globally oriented
Communication knows no boundaries. With global marketing and advertising firms, be assured that the world is your domain. This field is one of the most global business career options available.

• Are you a team player?
From team huddles to preparing strategies for your client, the career gives ample opportunities to showcase your ability to work in a team without compromising on individual excellence.

• You have passion
There aren’t many jobs which allow your creativity and strategies to come to life and be seen by millions of people all across the world. Hence jump into this amazingly satisfying career world only if your soul shouts out for it.

Career prospects in different concentrations

When investigating a possible career, it is important to know the positions available in the field and potential career opportunities. This section describes some of the careers and jobs available. In this ever-changing industry, there are job titles and descriptions which are not included but which might open up for the communication graduate with the right skills, knowledge, and experience.

 Account Planning and Management

What is it all about?

Every agency has a Planning & Servicing Department and a Creative Department. While the former is the strategic mind behind the communication, the later deals with the execution in terms of copywriting and art direction. The Account Planning concentration prepares you for the former. The Planning & Servicing departments can either be combined or different depending on the size and working of the agency.

Job Profile

The Account Planner’s role starts when the client gives his brand brief to the agency. The brief states the requirement of the client for devising the communication strategy. The Account Planner is the voice of the consumer. He tries to understand the likes and dislikes of his target audience for the product, how they use it, why or why don’t they use it and tries to generate insights. This insight is then passed on to the Creative Department for creative execution. Eg. The famous “Thanda matlab Coca Cola” campaign was based on the everyday behaviour in our households of offering guests thanda or garam. Coke associated itself with this common term and won the hearts of Indians.
The Client servicing team has direct contact with the client. The team acts as liaison between art department, production department, and client. It is responsible for pitching to new clients, getting the brief, representing client's needs to art and production departments, responsible for meeting client's needs accurately and on time, which calls for closely following the in-house progress of the campaign, and finally providing interpretation support to client at presentations
Skills and talents

• Ability to synthesize
• Excellent observation skills
• A people’s person
• Well organised and able to work to deadlines
• Good communicator and ability to present ideas clearly
• Ability to negotiate
• Good at planning
• Enormous Imaginative and ‘fantasizing’
capability
• Able to juggle several tasks at once
• Capable of managing entire projects and co-coordinating with lots of people
• Initiative
• Open to working odd hours




Career prospects

Most of you will start off in the Advertising agency in Client Servicing team initially to learn the business side of advertising. You can switch to the Planning side or continue in the Servicing team as per your interests and skills within a year and half. Some of you can directly join the planning team also. There is always an opportunity of switching to the client’s company side because of your close contacts with the client and extensive knowledge of his brand. Hence it is a common phenomenon to see Account Planners switching over to become Brand Managers of the brands they were handling in the agency. Account Planners are also very much in demand in the Brand Consultancies.

Placements and salary

With the increase of channels, radio stations and FM stations all over the country, the need for good professionals in this field is increasing by the day. Some of our regular recruiters’ are-


Mudra Communications; Ogilvy and Mather (O&M); JWT; Lowe; Grey Worldwide; McCann Erickson; Saatchi & Saatchi; Elephant Design; Lemon Communications; Contract Advertising; FCB Ulka; D'Arcy; Masius; Benton & Bowles; Bates; Dentsu ; Young & Rubicam ; Euro RSCG; Leo Burnett; Equus Ads; Enterprise Nexus; Fountainhead

The salary, terms and conditions vary from organisation to organisation. The average salary ranges from Rs. 2.5- 3.0 lakhs per annum, initially increasing to Rs.5 lakhs within 1 ½ years in the job.

 Brand Management

What is it all about?
Why are you ready to pay Rs. 5000 for a Nike shoe but not for the shoe made by your neighbourhood cobbler or even Bata? Well, that’s the power of brand. The single swoosh has made all the difference. As a brand manager of Nike, it is your responsibility to see that the customer prefers buying your brand to your competitor and the image your brand carries in the customer’s mind. And you work towards creating a dominant space in the clutter of competitor products so that your product sells the most.

Job profile

As a brand manager, you are both strategic and tactical. Strategic, because you are responsible for positioning a product, assessing the competition and making future plans. Tactical, because you would be developing promotional campaigns, talking to distributors about your consumer’s reactions and doing the day-to-day sales tracking. You would be working closely with the research, advertising and media agencies handling your brand. Building a strategy for your brand is not an isolated task for the marketing department. Hence, the initial years would involve learning the ropes towards making of your brand, right from production to distribution, sales and promotion. You can’t strategise sitting in air- conditioned cabins and would be expected to tour to be in constant touch with your customers and distributors in the market. You would be the centre of company life because your decisions would directly affect the success of the business.

Skills and talents

• Problem solving and analytical abilities
• Ability to gather, compare and contrast facts
• Aggressive negotiation and selling skills
• Written and oral communication skills
• Good listening and observation skills
• Creativity in terms of thinking beyond the obvious
• Team player
• Leadership skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills


Career Prospects

Product manager, customer services manager, strategic marketing planning manager, sales manager, distribution manager, brand manager, segment manager, advertising manager, promotions manager, marketing communications manager, strategic communications manager.

A career in brand management generally starts as a Management Trainee with a marketing company. The raise and promotions are based upon your performance and capabilities as a manager. In a structured company like Hindustan Levers, the position of a brand manager might be existing. However, in smaller firms, you would be acting the role of a product manager, or marketing manager, though the functions remain the same. Apart from marketing companies, Brand Managers are highly sought in Brand Consultancy firms and in the Account Planning departments of an Advertising agency. After considerable experience you can also opt for going the entrepreneurial way by getting into consultancy on your own.


Placements and salary

IBM; Nike; Uniliver India; Essar Oil; Onida; BPL; Mahindra&Mahindra ; Mckinsey & Co.; Procter and Gamble; Bajaj Auto; GE Capital; AT&T Asia Pacific; Glaxo; SmithKline; BPL; Britannia Industries; Titan; Tata Teleservices; Blowplast; GAIL; ICICI; L'Oreal; Career Launcher; Synapse; IFB; Arvind Brands; Hutch; Pantaloons ; Ugam; Tata Chem; E &Y; Dr Reddy's Lab…etc.

The salary remunerations may range from Rs. 4 lakhs – Rs. 8 lakhs per annum increasing by 10-15 % annually.

 Media Management

What is it all about?
A Media Planner/ Buyer/ Manager is a specialist in the media vehicles used by a communication message. It spreads from traditional media like TV, Radio and print to online promotions, in film advertising, mobile phone advertising, gaming, hoardings and other emerging forms of communication. He understands the strengths and weaknesses of the media vehicles around and is able to innovate and tap new promotion opportunities.

Job profile
The media manager applies statistical models to audience, circulation, and cost figures to minimize media cost and maximize media effectiveness. He manages the purchase and control of large blocks of media time/space, whether in print or broadcast and recommends and allocates this space among clients according to campaign requirements. He also negotiates favorable billing terms for large, repeat, and/or guaranteed space purchases, which translates into more cost-effectiveness for clients and agency.

Skill and talents

• Ability to spot new trends and opportunities
• Proficient in statistical packages and comfortable with numbers
• Good at planning
• Able to juggle several tasks at once
• Capable of managing entire projects and co-coordinating lots of people
• Able to work under deadlines


Career Prospects

Assistant media planner, media planner, media director, media manager are the various terms you would come across. You have options of joining Media Agencies, TV channels, Broadcast media, Advertising agencies, Newspaper houses or specialised media wings like online advertising, movie marketing and mobile phone advertising. The list is never ending because newer media channels are getting added everyday like the recent Camel cart advertising gaining momentum in Gujarat and Rajasthan!!

Placements and salary
Some of the regular media recruiters from MICA are


CNBC; Sony Entertainment; Zee TV; TAM Media; Mindshare; Carat Media; The Economic Times; Prime Time Media; Business Standard; The Economic Times; Indian Express; India Today; Aaj Tak; Hindustan Times; The Hindu; The Times of India; Dainik Jagran; Evalue Serve; TAM; ABP; NDTV; Group M; Hindu; Carat; Star Com; TOI; Star TV…etc.

The salary packages in media are comparable to advertising agencies. The average salary ranges from Rs. 2.5 – 3 lakhs per annum increasing upto Rs. 5 lakhs within 1 ½ years in the job.

 Marketing Research

What is it all about?

Marketing Researchers figure out what drives people to buy the Pulsars, Pepsis and Perks. They are applied consumer behaviouralists, combining quantitative data with their understanding of how markets work to better promote a product. They use tools like statistical analysis packages, group discussions, surveys and product tests to help achieve success of a product. E.g. If Bajaj wants to launch a new bike for women, it would like to conduct market research which could tell the company whether there is a market for that product, what features of bike women would prefer, at what price and so on.

Job profile
The positions in research: research project director, research account executive, associate research director, advertising research director, research department manager
A marketing researcher is an expert in statistical applications, mathematical modeling, project design, and methodology. His tasks include: establishing research methods, designing formats for data gathering and analysis; collecting consumer data; checking consumer reactions to new products; developing and implementing procedures for promotions; measuring the effectiveness of the promotional techniques; gathering data on competitors and analyzing their methods and strategies.
Skills and talents


• Strong data management skills
• Comfort with analyzing large data is desired
• Ability to ‘scanalyze’
• Good people skills
• Ability to see beyond the obvious
• A patient and calm temperament
• Ability to work under pressure
• Structured and methodological approach


Career Prospects

Market Researchers can carve out their careers inside a corporation, media houses, market research agencies or fields driven by research like NGOs and Developmental Communication firms. They can also choose consulting practice as a solo practitioner, for corporates and agencies.

Placements and salary


TNS Global; AC Nielsen; IMRB; IMRB (PQR); NFO MBL; ORG-MARG; Quantum Research; Pathfinders; Gallup; Blackstone Research; Research International; Indica Research


The salary packages in research are comparable to advertising agencies. The average salary ranges from Rs. 3 – 4 lakhs per annum .You can end up earning upto Rs.5 lakhs within 1 ½ years in the job.

Other Programmes
1. Public Relations and Event Management
The programme amalgamates disciplines of Management and Mass Communications with a focus on management aspects of Public Relations and Events. The main objective of the programme is to develop students into high-caliber professionals in Integrated Marketing Communications for careers in Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Event Management and Marketing Communications functions.

Placements and Careers Opportunities

Students may find career opportunities in the field of public relations, event management, corporate communications and entertainment marketing companies. They can also find opportunities in marketing companies and other communications-driven businesses. The entrepreneuring ones can look forward to be self-employed in the field of PR & Events.

Some of the organizations where the students have been placed are:
The PR Practice; Corporate Voice Weber Shandwick; Rediffusion DY & R; O & M Live; Showtime Events; Bacardi Rum; Roger Pereira Communications; Maruti Udyog Ltd; Hanmer & Partners PR; Adfactors PR; Zydus Cadila Healthcare; Leo Entertainment; Herbertsons; Jindal Stainless Steel, IPAN, Wizcraft International; Showtime Events; Vaishnavi PR; B 4 U Television Network; BUZZ; Perfect Relations; The Practice; Castrol; Procam International Ltd


2. Broadcast Management
The learning process involves advanced training in theories and applications in Broadcasting Management. The Programme specifically aims to equip students with required conceptual, behavioural and technical skills through classroom training and hands-on experience in the Industry to become an effective professional in Broadcasting Management.
Placement and Career Opportunities
The students may find entry-level managerial positions in the areas of programming, programme co-ordination, production, media sales and marketing. The last batch has been placed in companies like:
Radio Mid-Day West (India);NDTV Media; Zee; Alpha TV Gujarati; Banyan Tree Communications ; Balaji Telefilms; UTV; Zee Telefilms; SET Discovery; Radio Today (Delhi) Broadcasting; Zee News; B4U; Star India; Star News; NDTV; Hungama TV; UTV; Radio Mirchi; Aaj Tak
3. Design Management
It educates about the effective utilization of design by fusion with the right marketing strategy to reach the ultimate goal of the intended business strategy. The main objective of this programme is to provide students the skills, creativity and knowledge to exploit the value of the design process in business as break-through results can happen when both are wisely integrated.
Placement and Career Opportunities
The students may find entry-level managerial positions in the areas of designing and consultation in marketing, advertising, publication and design firms. The last batch has been placed in companies like:
Alia Group; Tata Motors; Ray+Keshavan; Imagequity; Vyas Giannetti Creative; Tessaract Design; Southern Spice Music; Ramms India; Metric Consultancy; Elephant Design; Synapse; FCB-ULKA; Lowe Lintas; MART; Sri Design Studio; Pantaloons