Derrick Owens
Advertising: Principles & Practice
COMM 2371
Yao
October 9, 2015
Professional Interview: Seth Wilson, Account Executive
Miller Ad Agency
“The advertising industry, as a whole, has the poorest quality-assurance systems and
turns out the most inconsistent product (their ads and commercials) of any industry in the world”
(Thomas, article). I have decided to do my professional interview assignment over the Miller
Advertising Agency located in Dallas, TX. According to the website, Miller Ad Agency has been
known for its expertise in marketing and advertising with effective methods in creativity and
goal-oriented team members for over 30 years. The agency has experience with shaping a
corporate company and boosting its market share. Every role and position in an ad agency is very
critical in making sure the best possible results are finalized. Positions can range from CEO,
Producer, Media planner, Photographer and even Account Executive. In addition, when looking
into a candidate for a position in an agency, one must consider these things: your special talents
that differentiate you from others, what artistic skills do you possess, and what kind of
experience outside of work or college did you obtain.
Account executive of Miller Ad Agency, Seth Wilson, has had his share of experiences
working in the marketing and advertising field. Account executive is the individual who manages
the interest of a particular client or company. They are the ones who get to know the clients and
meets with them on what creative ideas are needed and how to approach them. Account
executive, or AE, are the face of the agency to the clients, except for the CEO.
The first area I mentioned was experience. I asked Mr. Wilson what was some of the
experiences you have had while working in account services for Miller Ad agency. “My
experience as an account executive has taught me a lot about the details of creating an effective
advertising strategy that builds new business and grows a company as well as how to
communicate on multiple levels,” Seth Wilson replied in the interview. “I’ve experienced big
and small businesses and startup companies. I’ve also experienced office structure and working
in and out of the office or sometimes on the road.” Along with what you’ve experienced at work,
one must understand that having experience through internships and volunteer work stands you
out from the crowd. Having knowledge and experience gives you an advantage when trying to
find professional work. “I prepared for the profession by Majoring in Mass Communications in
college,” Wilson added. “I got into advertising by simply researching ad agencies in the DFW
area and taking interviews where I could get them and where I saw myself fitting in best.”
Advertising agencies must connect with their clients professionally and, at times, at a
personal level. It is very important to understand your client; so in order to put creative methods
together, you will already know focus groups and whatever ideas your clients think are best.
“Outside of work, you also experience the fun perks such taking clients golfing, traveling to fun
locations for ‘work conferences’ or even getting a CBS suite at the stadium for a Dallas
Cowboys game because of how much business we do with them,” said Wilson. “There are a lot
of cool things to experience in this industry.” Once the personal space barrier has been lowered,
the opportunity to establish a strengthened partnership and relationship with the clients has
occurred.
Another area is what determines or inspires an individual into reaching out into the advertising
field. Advertising is a complex mixture of massive creative minds and business men coming
together to help shape the perspective a company visually, or interactively. “Going through
college I began studying graphic design, but quickly realized I wasn’t as much of an artist as I
was business structured,” Seth Wilson replied in a professional interview. “I still appreciate the
creative side of things, but found Advertising and account services a great mix of both creative
and business.” Advertising companies need creative minds in order to attract viewers and new
focus groups associated with the product and business that is being sold or promoted. Having
The next area is what tools and skills are necessary for procedure in an advertising
campaign. As account executive, Wilson named a few things that came to mind.
“Communication, project management, organization, prioritizing deadlines, multi-tasking,
managing daily client needs, advertising strategy, budgeting and sales,” Wilson said. “All these
skills are key in a good account executive.” One must be organized and is ready to comprehend
different tasks in order to gain the best possible result for a project; and in return, one will be
rewarded with great satisfaction with either the client or agency, preferably both.
This in turn leads to the next area, goals and objectives. The next question was in your
field of work, what was your greatest satisfaction or accomplishments. “My most satisfying and
greatest accomplishment as an AE at Miller was being able to take one of my clients (a start-up
app company) and build them into a major competitor in the online market of buying and selling
goods consumer to consumer,” Seth Wilson added. The application proved to be a huge success
and is one of the agencies biggest breakthroughs. The online app, 5 miles App, is an application
that you can download on your phone and is a fun way to find great classifieds in your area.
“We’ve now successfully launched them in several different markets across the county and have
over 2.5 million downloads and counting,” Wilson added.
However, due to the rapid evolution in social media and interaction, communications and
marketing in the advertising industry is sure to evolve as well in the near future. The success of
the 5 miles App proved that mobile interaction and social media has become more powerful over
the years. One thing that Seth is worried that whether or not the agency will still reach to its
target audience. “How we target and speak to consumers… As the latest devices and wearable
technology evolve, I see advertisement shifting toward live real-time interaction with
consumers,” Seth Wilson said. “Targeting based on where we are, what we’re doing, who we’re
with or what we’ve been shopping for online.” With the creation of Hulu Plus and Netflix, the
number of people watching cable television is slowly reducing. It is easier to buy a router and
pay only $7.99 a month for Hulu Plus to catch up on latest shows, than to pay $25 to $50 a
month for cable. However, advertisers can manipulate these new ideas to their advantage by
promoting ads and using media planners to buy time on these video streaming apps.
Advertising is a mix of business-oriented methods and creative ideas coming together to
help shape the perspective between clients, consumers, and marketers. “Advertising has the
power to persuade, the power to influence the mind and shape destiny; it has the power to change
markets and improve profit margins” (Thomas, pg. 1). With the right tools and resources,
agencies, like Miller Ad Agency, can help make a difference in emotional values, positive
reputation, relationships, and many other aspects. Lastly, I asked Mr. Wilson, if you were to give
any advice to the upcoming advertisers or candidates in your field, what advice would you give
them. Seth Wilson replied: “stay focused and organized, but have fun! Don’t sweat the small
stuff. Also, get to know your clients and build a relationship with them outside of daily business.
I find the more you do that, the easier they are to work with and the more you find yourself
motivated to keep doing better for them and driving them to success.”