How to Get a Job in Research

Research is the biggest thing to hit advertising since hair dye. It's fast becoming one of the most important departments in an agency. Millions upon millions of dollars are spent on research each year. It's used for everything: for finding out just what benefit a product or service has that would appeal to a consumer, for finding out just what kind of consumers would find that product or service appealing, for learning everything there is to know about that consumer. Is he male, female, or both? How old is that consumer? Where does he/she live? And, more important than anything else, what motivates that consumer? Research must even figure out the best way to reach that consumer, be it through television, radio, outdoor boards, newspapers, magazines, skywriting, or anything else.

Research is also responsible for testing. They test everything: concepts, copy, layouts, anything at all that has to do with an advertisement. It's up to research to find out whether consumers like an ad or not, whether they would read it or not, and whether they would respond to it or not. And they do it all before the advertisement has been produced, and before very much of the budget has been spent.

After research has found the product benefit, the people to sell that product to, and the best media to use in researching those people, and after they've proven that consumers would respond to a particular advertising message, research can also be responsible for monitoring the degree of success of the advertising program.



With all these responsibilities, it should come as no surprise that they are rarely all carried out by the same people. This means that you could enjoy a career in product research and development, in market research, and in monitoring (or tracking) ad campaigns to see how well they're accepted by and responded to by the consumer.

There are some agencies that have product research and development professionals on staff. There are also firms that do nothing but product research and development. There are agencies that have market research people on staff, and firms that don't do anything except market research for agencies and clients. Some agencies have a media research department. And there are companies that do nothing but media research. A few agencies track their own campaigns, but most have it done for them by outfits which specialize in that area. All of which makes a point. You can enjoy a very long and lucrative career in advertising research without ever being employed by an advertiser or advertising agency.

Wherever he decides to seek employment though, a beginner in research must be satisfied with starting out at the lowliest of positions and earning a salary commensurate with that position. Most beginners in research start out between $8,000 and $13,000 a year. Anyone who wants to get into research needs an insatiable desire to compile, organize, and analyze detailed facts and figures of all kinds.

Advertising research is one of the areas that requires a college degree. That degree could be in a number of different areas. As a prospective researcher, you could concentrate your studies in psychology, but like everyone else in this business, you should get as broad an advertising background as you can. Take courses in marketing, merchandising, and even promotions, if you can find any. Learning a little about design and film production isn't essential for someone in advertising research, but if you've got an interest in these areas and the opportunity to develop that interest presents itself, it won't hurt to take advantage of it.

There are many possible summer jobs that can help you prepare yourself for a career in research. Maybe you can get on an agency's internship program. If not, try any research firm, no matter what kind of research it specializes in, even if it's a different branch of research from the one in which you want to specialize. Even the lowliest of trainee positions will give you a chance to learn about methodology and techniques.

Where do you find research firms? Virtually anywhere you find agencies, because the two of them feed off each other. Just check the Yellow Pages under "Research" and start dialing. Ask for the president or general manager. When you connect with someone who'll speak to you, set up an appointment and see if you get lucky.

Another place for a would-be researcher to look for summer employment is with an advertiser. Most large advertisers use research extensively, and they often have their own research departments. They sometimes even have several divisions within their research departments. They'll almost always have a product research and development staff, and in some cases they'll also be involved in both media and market research, too.

If you can work with a large advertiser over a summer or two, you'll be way ahead of the competition when it comes time to look for a full-time position.

If you can't get a summer job in any of the aforementioned businesses, try newspapers, magazines, and radio and television stations. They sometimes have research departments, and there-fore may be able to afford you the opportunity to learn. If you still don't hit pay dirt, try getting a summer job with an agency in any capacity whatsoever. It wouldn't be as good as a job with an agency, advertiser, or research firm, but it would give you the chance to learn. It would certainly be better for you than painting curbs for the city.