Here's how you can effectively convey your ideas and strategies in an advertising interview.

In my experience of creating personalized content across radio broadcasting and advertising campaigns, blending experiences and examples can be a challenge. Consumers crave personalized experiences, and advertising is no exception. Leveraging AI and machine learning, brands can tailor ad content and delivery to individual preferences and behaviors. Take Spotify's "Discover Weekly" playlist – it analyzes listening habits to curate a personalized selection of music, creating a sense of discovery and delight for users. This approach fosters deeper brand loyalty and demonstrates the effectiveness of using data to provide truly relevant and meaningful advertising experiences.

Be clear and concise. Explain your ideas in a way that is easy for the interviewer to understand. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that they may not be familiar with. Focus on the results. When discussing your past experience, be sure to highlight the results of your work. Quantify your successes whenever possible. Be passionate. Your enthusiasm for advertising will be contagious. Let the interviewer know that you are excited about the opportunity to work in the industry. Be prepared to answer questions. Be sure to research the advertising agency and the brands they work with before the interview. This will help you to tailor your responses to the specific opportunity.

First is by demonstrating a clear understanding of the products/ brand portfolio, their problems, current brand/ advertising strategies as well as their competitive set and environment. A knowledge of the regulatory or other environmental factors will also be an advantage. Once you have demonstrated a clear knowledge of the present situation eg their share of voice, ad spend etc then you can come up with suggestions as to where they have succeeded or failed as well as possible areas of improvement. Your knowledge of the different advertising approaches, techniques as well as methodologies will also give you an edge in the interview. How you convey these ideas in a non combative or rancorous manner is also very important.

Showcase Value and Impact: Connect your ideas to real-world examples: When discussing your advertising strategies, highlight successful campaigns that align with the agency's work. Tailor your pitch to showcase how your specific skills and strategies can directly contribute to the agency's growth and success. Remember, it's not just about you: While highlighting your skills and experience is important, the key is to demonstrate how you can be a valuable asset to the specific agency and its unique needs. By tailoring your pitch to their brand and showcasing how your strategies can contribute to their success, you'll leave a lasting impression and increase your chances of landing the role.

I often use storytelling to solve and explain myself and my ideas to clients and potential employers, I recall not so long, I used this example of 'Short-Form Video Takes Center Stage': where the dominance of platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels has redefined how we consume content. Short-form video ads are captivating, easily digestible, and perfect for capturing fleeting attention spans. Look at how brands like Duolingo have leveraged TikTok to create engaging language learning content, transforming education into a fun and interactive experience. This trend highlights the need for advertisers to adapt their messaging to fit the fast-paced, mobile-first world we live in.

During an interview, it's crucial to effectively guide the interviewers through your experiences. One effective method is storytelling, especially when they ask for examples of your work, such as a campaign and its outcomes. This is an opportunity to showcase your creative ideas and strategic thinking. I recommend using the "ADD" structure: A - Answer the question directly. D - Dive into a detailed example using storytelling techniques. D - Describe the relevance of your example, connecting the dots to demonstrate its significance for the company. By utilizing this approach, you can engage the interviewers and demonstrate not just your capabilities but also your ability to articulate and connect your experiences to the company's needs.

Yes, one has to be a bit specific before entering into the room for interviews to value the time of the interviewer. It’s better not to get into any personal question, which may divert the concentration. However, the interviewer should feel comfortable with the approach with politeness and smile. Focus on the main point and to get the answer.

Distill the concepts down to the actionable/tangible/measurable. Adjectives are great when they convey meaning and emotional content. Avoid jargon and superfluous description. If it’s not functional from an informational standpoint, omit it. I’ve found that explanations that link the mechanics of the process being described with the emotional benefit of a successful execution are more easily understood, irrespective of complexity. I believe that by addressing the need to understand “why should I care about this complicated concept?” at an emotional level is the difference between satisfying clarity and connection in communication and more typical, cumbersome excess. See what I did there?

I’ve relied on archetypes and norms in design to build a narrative to support concepts without having to say anything. What does this mean specifically? Tone and character of the visual aids greatly influence the perception of written messaging and presentations. For example, what would be more effective in establishing an impression of value and refinement in a presentation about market share: 1 - A pie chart with primary color and clunky type 2- A sleek, minimalist graph design akin to Apple packaging that highlights the key metric with bold black type . It’s not difficult to imagine the difference or the difference in how they’d be perceived. The same is true for imagery, and graphic text. Choose wisely and favor less is more.

Connection with an audience, client, coworker, friend, anyone all boils down to the ability to have empathy and to receive the other person. Receive? Yes. Everyone and every design, every message is broadcasting intention. Make it your objective to confirm you have received and understood what has been sent by the people you want to connect with. The most efficient way I have found to do this is to listen, make note and then share my impression to check if I’ve understood and heard/seen what they intended to convey. It’s so effective you’re going to love it. A fantastic side effect of this process is that it develops empathy, and that is the cornerstone of service.

Use the golden rule to govern your conduct, your effort and your thoughts. Watch how wonderful your results and relationships become. You’ll find out that you are lucky and that people like you. Didn’t learn it? It’s not too late and it’s a classic that’s not going anywhere: “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” Or “Treat others the way you would like to be treated”