How to Answer the Top 10 Advertising Interview Questions

How to Answer the Top Advertising Interview Questions
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During a job interview you are asked a variety of questions such as behavioural and situational, which gauge your workplace performance capabilities and your ability to handle daily work situations. However, a hiring manager also needs to dig deeper and get to know your personal knowledge in your field.

If you are not knowledgeable in how to manage daily tasks specific to your profession, you may not be the most qualified candidate for the job. This article will address the top 10 advertising interview questions and provide sample answers that you can utilize in crafting your own personal responses.

1. 'Can you describe the basic definition of advertising?'

Advertising is the production of advertisements for various products and services. This form of mass communication is targeted to a specific audience.

2. 'How would you describe the qualities of a successful professional advertiser?'

To be successful in advertising, an individual needs to be highly creative and be able to harness their creativity through the implementation of a strategic advertising plan. A successful professional in this field will also have excellent oral and written communication skills and be able to work well with other people.

3. 'What factors are important in choosing your promotional media venue?'

Budget is a main factor regarding which media venue you utilize in your promotional ventures. Where your target audience “resides” online is another factor in whether or not you focus mainly on social media marketing techniques. Previous advertising campaign success records should also be considered, as well as the geographical locations of your audience.

4. 'What factors do you consider when defining your target market?'

There are several factors to consider when defining your target market, such as age of the consumer and working or non-working class status. It is also important to consider your target’s socio-economic status and their specific regions. Depending on the product or service, religion and community involvement can also play a role in defining your target market.

5. 'How do you measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign?'

An increase in sales and brand awareness, are two factors that directly measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. The basic formula to consider in measuring a campaign’s effectiveness is calculating your revenue plus the return on investment (ROI). For specific steps in measuring the effectiveness, you can also conduct end of campaign surveys. With regard to increased sales, you will notice an increase in website visitors and conversion rate.

6. 'What steps would you take to create an effective advertising campaign?'

You need to start the process by writing a comprehensive marketing plan that includes a specific advertising budget. You need to identify your target audience and also select the appropriate advertising medium. Your plan should ascertain risks, the estimated return on investment and have a review process put into place.

7. 'What types of media advertising are available today?'

There are a wide variety of media advertising options available for today’s advertising professional. Media advertising through radio, TV, cinema, newspapers and magazines are time-tested and trusted popular venues. Advertisers can also utilize direct response advertising, as well as online advertising on websites and blogs. Outdoor advertising is still utilized through billboards and posters. Trade promotions and trade journal advertising are other avenues for advertising to a specific target market. Consumer promotions, event sponsorship, direct mailings and the use of brochures and sales literature can also be utilized.

8. 'Do you think online advertising is effective?'

Especially in the last 15 years, the Internet has played a major role in offering a wide variety of opportunities for advertisers to advertise their products and services. Many forms of advertising (such as blogging and social media marketing) are free online tools that can be used to reach a wide target market. PDF files of brochures can be uploaded to websites for consumers to download. Newsletters can be emailed to a large target audience. Webinars can be hosted to reach a wide variety of consumers.

9. 'How would you define an unfair or deceptive advertisement?'

If an advertiser uses advertising that violates any public policy or consumer rights, that action is considered “unfair advertising”. “False advertising” is when an advertiser uses false or misleading information in their advertising content.

10. 'If you ran out of ideas for a new advertisement, what would you do?'

There are a few different initial options to take if you run out of ideas for a new advertisement. You could start the creative process by completing public opinion surveys. Another option is to attend a trade show in your market and ascertain what the competition is doing in their current advertising. That could generate new ideas for your own advertising. You could also ask your customers to complete a survey regarding what types of advertising best connects with them.

Being prepared for your next job interview is important. Review these top 10 questions and sample answers and craft some of your own responses beforehand.