Advertising & Promotions Manager

Female advertising and promotions manager leans over a table in a bright office to study advertisement options
Career Clusters: Marketing

What you need to know

Overview

Advertising managers create interest among potential buyers of a product or service. They do this for a department, for an entire organization, or on a project basis (referred to as an account).

Promotions managers direct programs that combine advertising with purchasing incentives to increase sales. Often, the programs use direct mail, inserts in newspapers, Internet advertisements, in-store displays, product endorsements, or special events to target customers.

What does an advertising & promotions manager do?

Many advertising and promotions managers are employed in advertising agencies or in corporate or regional managing offices. Their jobs can often be stressful, particularly near deadlines. Additionally, they may travel to meet with clients or media representatives.

Some of the things advertising and promotions managers might do:

  • Plan and prepare advertising and promotional material to increase sales of products or services, working with customers, company officials, sales departments, and advertising agencies
  • Evaluate the look and feel of websites used in campaigns or layouts, which are sketches or plans for an advertisement
  • Assist with annual budget development
  • Confer with department heads or staff to discuss topics such as contracts, selection of advertising media, or product to be advertised
  • Coordinate with the media to disseminate advertising
  • Create media notices about events
  • Monitor and analyze sales promotion results to determine cost effectiveness of promotion campaigns

Watch this video to learn more about what our advertising and promotions manager role models do in their careers:

What skills are needed?
  • Analytical skills: Advertising and promotions managers must be able to analyze industry trends to determine the most promising strategies for their organization.
  • Communication skills: Managers must be able to communicate effectively with a broad-based team made up of other managers or staff members during the advertising, promotions, and marketing process. They must also be able to communicate persuasively with the public.
  • Creativity: Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to generate new and imaginative ideas.
  • Decision-Making skills: Managers often must choose between competing advertising and marketing strategies put forward by staff.
  • Interpersonal skills: Managers must deal with a range of people in different roles, both inside and outside the organization.
  • Organizational skills: Advertising and promotions managers must manage their time and budget efficiently while directing and motivating staff members.

Watch this video to learn more from our advertising and promotions manager role models:

What is the pay?

The average pay for advertising and promotions managers in the United States was $127,083 in May 2022 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The specific pay depends on factors such as level of experience, education and training, geographic location, and specific industry.

What is the career outlook?

About 34,000 openings for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Overall employment of advertising and promotions managers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is faster than the average growth rate for all occupations.

The demand for advertising and promotions managers is expected to be concentrated in industries that rely on these workers to create digital media campaigns that target customers through the use of websites, social media, or live chats.

What education is required?

A bachelor’s degree is required for most advertising and promotions management positions. For advertising management positions, some employers prefer a bachelor’s degree in advertising or journalism. A relevant course of study might include classes in marketing, consumer behavior, market research, sales, communication methods and technology, visual arts, art history, and photography.

Discover some of the courses you will take pursuing a degree in Marketing.

Watch this video to learn more from our advertising and promotions manager role models: