Text 10. Advertising as a career in the usa

Advertising is any paid form of presentation and promotion of products, services, or ideas by an identifiable indi­vidual or organization. It flour­ishes mainly in free-market, prof­it-oriented countries. It is one of the most important factors in accelerating the distribution of products and helping to raise the standard of living. Advertising cannot turn a poor product or ser­vice into a good one, but what it can do — and does — is to create an awareness about both old and new products and services. So the three main objectives of advertis­ing are: (1) to produce knowledge about the product or service; (2) to create preference for it; and (3) to stimulate thought and action about it.

Careers in advertising may involve working for advertisers, media, advertising agencies, or suppliers and special services. In the opinion of American special­ists, at most, only 35 colleges and universities in the USA have effective courses in advertising education. Fewer than 10 offer any truly significant amount of graduate work in advertising. However, advertising draws peo­ple from a variety of educational backgrounds.

Advertisers. Most companies that advertise extensively have advertising managers, or brand managers. Since these people help to coordinate the company's advertising program with its sales program and with the company's advertising agency, they must have aptitudes for both advertis­ing and management.

Media. All media uses sales­men to sell advertising space or broadcasting time. Media sales­men must be knowledgeable about business and skilled in salesmanship.

Advertising Agencies. A vari­ety of specialists are required in an advertising agency because it develops advertising programs, prepares advertisements, and places them in the media. Those interested in advertising research and fact gathering should know both statistics and consumer psy­chology. Competence in media planning and evaluation is essen­tial for a career in media. The media buyer must identity and determine the most effective media in which to expose the advertising messages, and pur­chase space or time in these media.

Copywriting requires creative writing skills and the ability to visualize ideas. The copywriter is a developer of advertising ideas and messages.

Layout, typography, and visu­alization are essential for those in art, both for print advertising and for television commercials. Print-production Specialists must know about printing, photoengraving, and typography.

Experience in "show business", dramatics, photography, music, playwriting, and allied fields are excellent backgrounds for the television producer.

Also, every agency needs the account executive to be a media­tor between an advertiser and an agency who should have back­ground in accounting and managerial skills.

Supplies and Special Services.

Positions similar to some of those already described are offered by the following services that sup­port advertising: marketing research organizations, television and radio producers, film produc­ers, art studios, photographers, producers of display materials, typographers, photoengravers, and product and package design­ers.

Job Prospects. More than 0.1 % of the U.S. population work in advertising, but their numbers are expected to grow rapidly. Opportunities for rapid advance­ment are generally greater in advertising than in most other industries. How rapidly a person moves up in responsibilities and pay is based largely on his own efforts, more than on age or length of employment. For women, opportunities in adver­tising — at least in advertising agencies and in retailing — tend to be greater than in most other business enterprises.

EXERCISES

Exercise 1. Ask ten questions to the text.

Exercise 2. Say whether these sentences are true or false and explain why.

1. Advertising is a free form of promotion of products.

2. Advertising is the most important factors in accelerating the distribution of products.

3. Advertising can turn a poor product or ser­vice into a good one.

4. Advertising can persuade people that the poor product is good.

5. According to the author of the text, one of the main objectives of advertis­ing is to deceive people.

6. Nowadays most companies don’t have brand managers.

7. In the USA it’s easy to find a good college to get an advertising education.

8. There are more then 100 colleges and universities in the USA that have effective courses in advertising education.

9. Copywriting doesn’t require creative writing skills.

10. More than 20 % of the U.S. population work in advertising.

11. Their number of people working in advertising is decreasing rapidly.

12. Opportunities for rapid advance­ment are generally smaller in advertising than in other industries.

13. For women, opportunities in adver­tising are not greater than in other business enterprises.

Exercise 3. Match the word from the line with its definition.

Indi­vidual, great, significant, effective, rapid, creative, free-market, special,.

1. an economic system in which prices are not controlled by the government

2. successful, and working in the way that was intended

3. having an important effect or influence

4. happening or done very quickly and in a very short time

5. very large in amount or degree

6. not ordinary or usual, but different in some way and often better or more important

7. involving the use of imagination to produce new ideas or things

8. considered separately from other people or things in the same group

Exercise 4.

A. The word “poor” has a lot of meanings. Match the sentences and the explanations.

1. having very little money and not many possessions

2. not as good as it could be or should be

3. not made of good materials

4. used to show sympathy for someone because they are so unlucky, unhappy etc. (spoken)

5. not good at doing something

6. someone whose health is poor

7. lacking something that is needed

8. the act of finishing a race, competition etc a long way behind the person ahead of you

9. used to say that someone is like a very famous performer, writer etc but is not as good as they are

10. used to say that something can be used for the same purpose as something else, and is much cheaper

1. Her hearing is poor, so speak fairly loudly.

2. Many of the families are desperately poor.

3. Her family were so poor they couldn't afford to buy her new clothes.

4. The jacket was of very poor quality.

5. You poor thing, you've had a hard time of it, haven't you?

6. He's poor at sports.

7. The soil in this area is very poor.

8. My parents are both in rather poor health.

9. The country is poor in natural resources.

10. Poor kid, he's had a rough day.

11. Herring is the poor man's salmon.

12. McLean won easily, and Benson was a poor second.

13. The Socialists came a poor second with 26.5% of the vote.

14. He was the poor man's Elvis Presley.

15. The builders did a really poor job of fixing our roof.

B. In what meaning is “poor” used in the text?

Exercise 5. Insert the correct preposition where needed.

1. This is one … my favourite books.

2. Careers … advertising may involve working for advertisers, media, advertising agencies, or suppliers and special services.

3. They spend equal amounts … time in California and New York.

4. I can't see you … this week.

5. She's very skilled … dealing with the public.

6. The lake has more than 20 varieties … fish.

7. I've always been interested … music.

8. Students will gain competence … a wide range of skills.

9. Can I offer you something … drink?

10. My sister has always wanted to work … advertising.

11. This is an ideal opportunity … save money on a holiday to Crete.

12. Games and songs provide the perfect opportunity … classroom interaction and language development.

13. There are fewer opportunities … new graduates this year.