The survey was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing marketing, advertising, creative and web professionals on a project basis. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes 250 telephone interviews -- 125 with advertising executives with the nation's 2,000 largest advertising agencies and 125 with senior marketing executives with the nation's 2,000 largest companies.
Advertising and marketing executives were asked, "Do you think a career in advertising or marketing is more or less demanding compared to 10 years ago?" Their responses:
Much more demanding 53%
Somewhat more demanding 32%
Neither more nor less demanding 10%
Somewhat less demanding 2%
Much less demanding 2%
Don't know 1%
100%
Advertising and marketing executives also were asked, "What would you say is your greatest career challenge?" Their responses:
Balancing work and personal obligations 32%
Staying current on industry trends or technologies 28%
Keeping motivated/inspired on the job 16%
Measuring the success of your team 15%
Don't know/other 9%
100%
"The media environment has become more fragmented, and advertising and marketing executives must be able to use a broader array of tools -- from social media to branded entertainment -- to reach target audiences," said Dave Willmer, executive director of The Creative Group. "This is an industry with a constant learning curve, and staying relevant means being adaptable."
Willmer added that technology may contribute to the challenge many face when balancing personal and professional obligations. "There's a greater expectation that people will be accessible around the clock," he said. "While it's useful to be able to check in from just about anywhere using cell phones and PDAs, these devices can make it difficult to disconnect and unwind."
The Creative Group has offices in major markets across the United States and in Canada, and offers online job search services at http://www.creativegroup.com.
