APPOINTING THE NEW ADVERTISING MANAGER

Harper & Grant is a growing company. A growing firm needs to advertise. Up till now, the Sales Manager. John Martin, has dealt with the advertising. He employs an Advertising Agency to design the advertisements and place, or put, them in certain newspapers or magazines. An Advertising Agency is an organisation which undertakes to handle advertising on behalf of the advertiser. It employs artists, copywriters, etc., who are specialists in the field. Its staff are also specialists in buying space in newspapers, or time on radio and television. They are usually able, therefore, to do a far more professional job than the advertising manager who belongs to a firm and who therefore has a limited experience. However, many firms now employ an advertising manager as well to liaise with the agency.

At Harper & Grant, John Martin is now too busy on the sales side to be able to handle the work involved. He needs an expert to supervise an advertising campaign, check proofs, make sure that the agency use the media which best suit the company's interests. The media (singular: medium) are the various means by which one may advertise, for example in newspapers, magazines, on television, and on hoardings, large display boards, etc.

John Martin also cannot cope with the Increasing public relations work. This side of the business involves contacts with the public at large through newspapers, magazines and television, giving editors correct information about the company and its products when such information is needed. Mr. Grant has agreed that they should appoint a new advertising manager, who will relieve John Martin of this work but still be ultimately responsible to him for advertising. In fact, the new department will be a branch of his Sales Department. However, Mr. Grant is very interested in public relations and insists that the new ad man will be responsible to him for this side of the job. An advertisement has been inserted, put in, in the 'situations vacant' column of several appropriate newspapers, giving details of the new appointment and inviting applications for the job. John Martin has the work of going through the written applications and deciding which of the applicants have the right qualifications for the post. He will then interview the selected applicants from his short list and send his candidate, or candidates, to Mr. Grant for the final interview. (In John Martin's office.)

John Martin: O.K., Sally. I'm ready to see the applicants for the new job. Let's

have the first one in. Who is it?

Sally: It's a Mr. Windsmore.

John: Ask him to come in, will you?

Sally: Mr. Windsmore.

John: Ah, how do you do, Mr. Windsmore.

Windsmore: How do you do.

John: Do sit down.

Windsmore: Thank you.

John: Now, let me explain the job. We plan to increase our advertising quite considerably. At the present moment a firm of advertising agents handles our account, but we haven't been too pleased with results lately and we may give our account to another agency.

Windsmore: What would my work entail?

John: You'd be responsible to me for all advertising and to Mr. Grant for public relations. You would brief the agency, whoever it is, on the kind of advertising campaign we want. You would also be responsible for getting our leaflets, brochures and catalogues designed.

Windsmore: I presume you advertise in the national Press as well as the trade Press?

John: Yes, we do.

Windsmore: Have you thought about advertising on television?

John: We don't think it's a suitable medium for us. Arid it's much too expensive.

Windsmore: I can just imagine a scene with a typist sitting on an old-fashioned typing chair, her back aching, exhausted... Then we show her in one of your chairs, her back properly supported, feeling full of energy, typing twice as quickly...

John: Before you get carried away with your little scene, Mr. Windsmore, I regret to have to tell you again that we are not planning to go into television.

Windsmore: That's a shame? I've been doing a lot of television work lately and it interests me enormously.

John: Then I really don't think that this is quite the right job for you here, Mr. Windsmore. (Mr. Windsmore has gone.)

John: Sally, who's next?

Sally: There are two more. The rest are coming tomorrow. Er... one is a woman.

John: What' Really? There weren't any women applicants.

Sally: Yes. It's J.P.Harvey. The Т is for Joanna.

John: Miss or Mrs.?

Sally: Miss.

John: Where's her letter of application? I can't find it. Has she had any experience? I wonder why I picked her out for an interview?

Sally: Here's her letter.

John: Thanks. Yes, she signs the letter J.P. Harvey. H'm, let's see. Did I make a mistake? I can't think a woman would be likely to have the right qualifications...

Sally: Why not, Mr. Martin? The letter says that she's been an account executive for a year…

John: Oh, yes. Well,well. What's she like, Sally?

Sally: I'll show her in, Mr. Martin, and then you can decide.

(The interview has started.)

John: How did you begin in advertising. Miss Harvey?

Joanna Harvey: I joined a training scheme run by the Palmer & Vincent Agency and stayed with them for a year.

John: That was before you moved to your present agency?

Joanna: That's right. And I've worked with them for the past three years. Last year I became an account executive.

John: What exactly is your work at the moment?

Joanna: Well, I handle quite a number of accounts. I plan the advertising campaign, co-ordinate the work of the visualiser, the copywriter, artists and typographers. I discuss the layout with the clients, check proofs and, sometimes, have to do the work of the specialists when there's a crisis, as there usually is!

John: You seem to have had the right kind of experience. I think you'd do the work well, but... well, all the executives are men and... er...

Joanna: And I always thought industry was so go-ahead and modern?

John: I don't mind telling you you're quite high on my list, but...

Joanna: But you'd prefer a man?

John: No. I was going to say... If only I can convince our Managing Director. I'll do my best.

Peter Wiles (Later): I don't believe it, John! You mean the old man's really appointed the girl? Fantastic! How did you manage to persuade him?

John: I didn't, Peter. She persuaded him herself. He saw the two best candidates, and the girl got the job.

Peter: Splendid! I can't wait to meet her. I say, this firm is looking up!