Why? Advertisng. Why?

Ring Ring the phone sings, another head hunter. My day wouldn’t be complete until I receive ten more calls just like this one. It’s tough not to be callous and skeptical when most of these opportunities end up with me being more frustrated than where I began my day.

My current situation is a result of today’s economy. I now have to downplay my knowledge of advertising in my interviews, because of the “You’re over qualified” responses that I am receiving. This is scary and a very realistic strategy should I find a job sooner than later.

Being home, I’m not sitting around. I’m researching my advertising field, both online and offline and learning new ways to network and connect social platforms like Facebook and twitter with applications, Google and mobile. Figuring out new ways to improve media and build a stronger more streamlined process that will help advertisers. I will work again and when I do, I will be over qualified.

Advertising is something that has always made clear sense for me and I enjoy helping my clients understand this process. However, I find from my experiences that nobody likes anyone who is more knowledgeable of the advertising process and media than the people you may be working with and/or helping. These are the situations that make you question your ability, your knowledge and media process.

In this economy everyone is protecting themselves, their own positions and their corporate standing within the company. Not to say, this comes as a shock but this is the result as to why advertising media budgets have been cut and slashed by more than 50%; the inability of “higher up’s” to change with the evolution of media.

Usually “higher ups” are someone older and occupy the VP level and higher positions. Through no fault of their own, they simply can not understand media better than the younger teams they are directing and/or managing; a team that is full of youth, ideas and online media knowledge that is built into their DNA.

It’s like Michael Phelps managing a school of fish, telling them what they need to do to swim better and stronger. What might have worked in the past for these “Higher Ups” doesn’t work or apply to the younger generation they are managing/directing or their advertisers. It’s simply out-of -context managing that stunts the results of media advertising performance.

Do not question, or suggest new ideas and out-of-the box strategies, it’s a threat to all things “Higher Ups” value the most, their job. This has been my experience over the last 8 years working within many companies, some fortune 500 companies. Not until, this is dealt with will advertiser’s start to control their overall media success.

…and for those young fish in media who do play ball, and keep their ideas under “control” they will climb that corporate latter, very slowly and achieve the professional success we all strive to achieve every day by the age of 65.

Pick a team, choose a side. Are you a leader or a follower? This is one of the few decisions we, young fish, still have control over.

Good luck and God speed.