Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Professionals in advertising, marketing and public relations develop and implement communication, promotion and/or fundraising strategies. This group also includes entertainment, literary and sports agents.
Those who specialize in advertising, marketing and public relations:
- Analyze communications needs, including advertising
- Develop advertising, marketing and communications plans
- Publicize activities and events
- Maintain media relations
They may be self-employed or work for marketing and consulting firms, advertising and public relations agencies, corporations, associations, governments, museums and galleries, social agencies and other organizations.
Entertainment, literary and sports agents source and negotiate paid opportunities for their clients, arrange media interviews and manage social media. They generally work on commission based on a percentage of their clients’ earnings.
Job Titles
Duties
Professionals in advertising, marketing and public relations:
- Assess characteristics of products or services to be promoted
- Research, plan and evaluate communications activities
- Advise clients on marketing, advertising or sales promotion opportunities and strategies
- Develop and implement advertising campaigns for traditional, digital and social media
- Measure and report on outcomes of marketing and advertising campaigns
- Develop and maintain social media accounts, including managing customer reviews and testimonials
- Develop, implement and evaluate communications strategies and programs
- Conduct public opinion and attitude surveys to identify the interests and concerns of key groups served by their organization or clients
- Prepare or oversee preparation of reports, briefs, speeches, presentations, websites and news releases
- Develop and organize workshops, meetings, ceremonies and other events for publicity, fundraising and information purposes
- Arrange interviews and news conferences
- Act as a spokesperson for an organization and answer written and oral inquiries
- Assist in the preparation of brochures, reports, newsletters and other material
Agents represent and act as an agent for literary, sports and entertainment talent.
- Literary agents represent authors and writers
- Performance agents represent singers, musicians, actors or other performers
- Sports agents represent athletes or sports teams
Agents source and negotiate paid opportunities for their clients, arrange media interviews and manage social media. They also negotiate and prepare or oversee preparation of sports, literary, performance or other contracts.
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
20,420% Employed Full Time
56%Work usually takes place in a conventional indoor setting. Advertising, marketing and public relations professionals may travel to clients’ places of business for meetings and presentations.
Agents may accompany clients to performing facilities, presentation or sports venues.
Career Pathways
Progression to managerial positions in advertising, public relations, communications and fundraising is possible with additional training and experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Professionals in advertising, marketing and public relations usually have a university degree or college diploma in business marketing, public relations, communications, journalism, museology or a discipline related to a particular subject matter. Social media knowledge and skills are critical.
Some employers of public relations practitioners may also require an APR (Accredited in Public Relations) designation.
Some literary, sports and entertainment agents have education or experience in business management, sports management, the entertainment industry or law.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Marketing
- Communication/Media Studies
- Journalism
- Public Relations
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Convincing others to change their mind or behaviour.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
20,420Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 180 | 0.9% |
| Kootenay | 320 | 1.6% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 15,305 | 75.0% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 95 | 0.5% |
| Northeast | 100 | 0.5% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 1,525 | 7.5% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 2,905 | 14.2% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
8,640Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 30 | -0.1% |
| Kootenay | 90 | 0.6% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 6,800 | 1.9% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | -1.1% |
| Northeast | 10 | -0.2% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 660 | 1.6% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 1,050 | 1.1% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 3,830 |
| Information, Culture and Recreation | 710 |
| Retail Trade | 650 |
| Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 640 |
| Educational Services | 550 |
Insights from Industry
Traditional print media is on the decline as social and digital media use grows.
Resources
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Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS)www.cprs.ca
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Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) – Certificationswww.cprs.ca/Certifications
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see a day in the life of an advertising marketer.
Watch the video below to see a day in the life of an advertising marketer.
