This department of an agency is responsible for making sure that the print advertisements the agency has created are completed on time and are placed on schedule. In most agencies the Traffic Coordinator works on a project basis. That means that he or she is responsible for certain accounts assigned to him or her by the traffic manager. This is initiated at the beginning of an advertisement campaign before an ad has been created. The Traffic Coordinator is responsible for scheduling and overseeing the work flow of print ads and other print promotional materials. He or she interfaces with other members of the agency on a regular basis, checking the progress of projects and coordinating the placement of advertisements and printed materials.
The Traffic Coordinator is required to keep schedules of all advertisements for which he or she is responsible and to track their progress. The individual is responsible for the ads he or she is assigned from inception until completion and often placement. Once an advertisement is assigned to the Traffic Coordinator, he or she will usually give it a work order number.
This is done in order to keep track of the project. The Traffic Coordinator is responsible for knowing approximately how long the ad will take to complete. He or she is then required to follow the project from step to step to make sure that it is on schedule. For instance, the individual checks with the creative director to see what the estimated time frame is for a specific ad. The coordinator then checks with the copywriter to see if the copy is completed, and with the art director and/or artists to see if the graphics and design are done. If any of these individuals has not completed the project, the Traffic Coordinator must persuade and prod them to finish. In many agencies the Traffic Coordinator is referred to as a professional pest. He or she will not go away until the project is completed.
The Traffic Coordinator also works with the production department, account executives, and outside vendors such as printers and photographers. The individual must know how to time projects so that even in an emergency they will be on schedule. For example, the Traffic Coordinator must allow extra time in case clients are not pleased with the way an ad looks, or artwork gets lost, or the copywriter can’t develop satisfactory copy. The most important part of the job is knowing how to plan and schedule time and projects effectively.
Depending on the agency and its structure, the Traffic Coordinator may be also responsible for reserving space in various media for ad placement. The individual is required to phone publications to find out when deadlines are for the specific issue. He or she is responsible for making sure that the assigned ad is completed in time to be placed. The Traffic Coordinator may personally deliver the ad or arrange to have it delivered.
Timing is everything in the Traffic Coordinator position. If he or she does not get an advertisement completed and moved to where it is scheduled to be placed on time, the ad will miss the publication deadline. This would mean that after everyone’s hard work the ad will not be placed in the correct issue of the newspaper or magazine. There is a tremendous amount of pressure and stress in this job. The individual is always in a position where he or she must keep tabs on other people’s work and timetables. There will also be constant deadlines to meet.
The Traffic Coordinator is responsible directly to the traffic manager. The individual works normal business hours unless a project is near deadline and must be completed. He or she may then be required to stay late and work overtime.
Earnings vary for Traffic Coordinators depending on their responsibilities and experience. Other variables include the size and location of the agency. Salaries can range from $23,000 at a small agency to $46,000 or more at a larger one. Individuals working in major cities earn more than those in less metropolitan areas. The highest salaries usually go to individuals working in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Most employees at agencies are also offered benefit packages to augment their earnings.
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