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A Marketing Career or Advertising Career? An Online College Degree Can Help You Make That Choice |
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By Fran Walker
fran.walker@hqpublications.com
First Stop Columnist
Many creative students dream of a glamorous career in advertising, but a marketing career can be equally rewarding. Ask any marketing consultant - behind a well-paid career in marketing and advertising there’s a lot of hard work. An online college degree can be a good place to start.
Marketing and Advertising - What’s the Difference?
Advertising tends to conjure up the image of executives brainstorming round a table, glamorous models and exotic shoots; a marketing career, on the other hand, might make you think of someone chasing you down the sidewalk with a questionnaire.
These are, of course, extremes within their own medium. In truth, advertising is one element of the marketing mix - promotion - the other three “p’s” being product, price and place. If all the elements of your marketing mix are in place, advertising need not be too difficult or costly, unless you feel your market demands it.
The Role of the Marketing Consultant
If you are very creative visually or verbally, the idea of the marketing mix and marketing statistics may leave you cold. You may feel a career in advertising is the only option. But behind every strong advertising campaign is a good marketing consultant or marketing team.
You can take an online college degrees devoted solely to advertising, but you need some idea of marketing to get the whole picture. Whatever your particular talent and ambitions, you need to recognize that marketing and advertising go hand in hand, and that a marketing consultant must combine strategy with creativity.
But Can a Marketing Career be Exciting?
If your company has a marketing consultant, take a look at the car they drive! Marketing also goes hand in hand with public relations and event management, both well-paid careers, offering you the chance to mix with a wide range of interesting, even famous people, if you work hard enough.
Marketing and advertising can be exciting - but there are no quick fixes. Whichever future you choose, an online college degree in marketing and/or advertising is definitely the place to start.
About the Author
Fran Walker is a freelance writer, editor and researcher specializing in educational, health, safety and domestic issues. Previously, she spent five years in marketing in the self-help, health and health and safety sectors before leaving to start a family. She now edits and writes content for the U.K. Health and Safety Executive. Fran graduated in 1993 with a degree in English Literature.
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