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Shopping center/mall advertising manager
The advertising manager working in a shopping center or mall is responsible for planning, developing, and implementing advertising campaigns and individual ads for the facility. He or she may work with the mall’s promotion director if there is one, the public relations manager, corporate headquarters of stores in the mall, private shop owners, and the shopping managers and owners. The advertising manager is responsible for planning and developing the annual advertising budget for the mall. When doing this, he or she will call and write to the media to get rate sheets, demographics, and informational sheets. The individual also meets with various representatives of the advertising media to learn more about their publications or broadcast stations. As people often come from long distances to shop, the Mall Advertising Manager must decide where his or her advertising dollar would be best spent. Choices might include local or regional newspapers, magazines and other publications, television stations, radio stations, cable stations, and billboards.
After the ad manager has developed the budget, he or she takes it to either the mall marketing director (if there is one), the mall management, or the mall owners for review. If the budget is acceptable, there is no problem. If it comes in too high, the individual must make adjustments. The advertising manager must also develop ad campaigns for the entire year. These campaigns sometimes include advertising for individual holidays, promotions, special events, and sales programs.
Shopping centers and stores feel that as long as they have people walking and browsing, they will have shoppers. They may not make immediate purchases but will buy at some later date. The advertising manager works with the marketing, promotional, and public relations departments to come up with ads and campaigns that will help make as many people as possible aware of what the mall offers. The objective is to attract shoppers and browsers. The individual often works with the corporate headquarters of stores and private shops in the mall to put together group or cooperative ads. These are advertisements in which a number of mall stores will advertise special sales together at a given time. There might also be some occasions when the mall puts ads in publications advertising all of its stores, shops, and food locations.
The advertising manager may be required to put together a shopper’s guide of all the businesses located in the mall. The individual may have to contact corporate headquarters of chain or national stores to do this, as many of the stores cannot advertise without corporate permission. The individual might also help stores design ads for the guide. In some instances, the advertising manager will farm this project out to a local newspaper or magazine publisher who puts the publication together and deals directly with the businesses in the shopping center.
The advertising manager is responsible for advertising all special events and promotions the mall is hosting. These could include craft, antique, and home shows, petting zoos, celebrities, circuses, performers, and demonstrations. The individual may also have to come up with promotions or may just advertise those that either promotion or public relations people have developed. The advertising manager may be required to do actual copywriting, graphics, layout, and production for advertisements or may work with freelance copywriters, graphic artists, and producers. He or she might also lay out rough ideas for advertisements and have the publication’s or broadcast station’s advertising department put the ads together.
He or she is responsible for deciding what media to place ads in or on, what section of a publication to have ads inserted in, and when to schedule broadcast commercials. The advertising manager is responsible for making sure all advertisements and commercials have accurate copy and graphics and are mailed or delivered to the correct media before deadline. He or she must then track tear sheets, clippings, visual cuts, and audiotapes to make sure that everything has gone according to schedule. The advertising manager is also usually required to check bills for placement, send or authorize payment to the correct party, and keep records.
The advertising manager working in a mall or shopping center generally works normal business hours. The individual may be under pressure at times to finish ads before deadline or to come up with creative concepts for advertising campaigns. Depending on the structure of the shopping center, the individual in this position may be responsible to the marketing director, the mall management, or the owners.
Salaries
Salaries for advertising managers working in malls and shopping centers may range from $24,000 to $48,000 or more annually. Individual salaries depend on the size of the mall, its location and prestige, and the amount of its advertising budget. In some situations the advertising manager receives bonuses when sales increase in a given period. Earnings also depend on the responsibilities and experience of the ad manager. As a rule, the smaller the mall or the less experience the advertising manager has, the lower the salary. Larger shopping centers with bigger annual advertising budgets usually offer higher salaries. Malls with more prestigious stores and shops also usually offer salaries on the higher end of the scale. These positions may augment earnings with liberal fringe benefit packages. In addition, most shopping centers offer employees substantial discounts when making purchases in the mall stores.
Career advancement for advertising managers working in malls or shopping centers is fair. Individuals can move up the ladder of success in a number of ways. The advertising manager may find a similar position in a larger, more prestigious mall. This will result in a larger salary and increased responsibilities. The individual might find work as an advertising manager in another industry. He or she could also become a mall public relations, marketing, or promotion manager or might even move into mall management.
Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits
Advertising managers working in malls and shopping centers should have experience in advertising. This includes knowing how to put together ads as well as understanding how to place them. Knowledge of copywriting, graphics, and layout is necessary. Understanding how to read and interpret rate cards is also a priority. The individual in this position needs to be creative to come up with ad ideas as well as entire campaigns for the mall. The ability to communicate both verbally and on paper is necessary. The ad manager should be able to handle working with many details at one time while dealing with the stress and pressure of developing ads and placing them to meet deadlines. The advertising manager should also have an understanding of the inner workings of the retail industry in order to be able to plan successful, effective ads and campaigns.
Steps to follow
- Obtain advertising experience by working for a local newspaper, magazine, or television or radio station in the advertising department.
- Take as many seminars and courses as you can in advertising, promotion, public relations, or publicity. If you can find seminars in retail management, mall management, or shopping center development, take these, too. These will give you added knowledge in the field as well as helping to build a contact list.
- Larger malls and shopping centers often offer internships in the management office. Others may have summer jobs as assistants.
- Positions are often advertised in the classified sections of newspapers. Look under heading classifications of “Advertising,” “Promotion,” “Malls,” “Shopping Centers,” or “Retail.”
- As there is quite a bit of turnover in these positions, it might be worth your while to send your résumé and a cover letter to a number of malls and shopping centers in the area you are interested in. Ask that your résumé be kept on file. Try to send your letter to the mall owner or developer.
- Shopping center Web sites may also advertise employment opportunities.