Marketing and Advertising Executives Forecast Uptick in Third-Quarter Hiring

Survey by The Creative Group Finds Web Design/Production Skills in Greatest Demand

TORONTO, June 29 /CNW/ - The employment outlook for marketing and advertising professionals is looking up for the coming quarter, according to The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals. Fifteen per cent of marketing and advertising executives interviewed said they plan to increase staff levels in the third quarter of 2010, while 2 per cent anticipate declines. The net 13 per cent increase in projected hiring activity is up seven percentage points from the previous quarter's projection.

The Canadian study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 250 telephone interviews -- 200 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 50 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

Marketing and advertising executives were asked, "Does your company or agency plan to increase or decrease the number of full-time marketing/advertising personnel on your staff during the third quarter of 2010?" Their responses:

    
                     Increase........................... 15%
                     Decrease...........................  2%
                     No change.......................... 79%
                     No answer..........................  4%
                                                        ----
                                                        100%
    

"An improved economic environment has prompted many firms to enhance their digital or social media strategy, requiring additional resources to complete projects," said Lara Dodo, vice president of The Creative Group's Canadian operations. "Often companies lack the internal talent necessary to leverage emerging opportunities and turn to creative professionals on a full-time or interim basis to implement growth strategies."

Marketing and Advertising Specialties in Demand

When executives who intend to hire were asked in which areas they plan to add staff, web design/production ranked first, with 23 per cent of the response, followed by marketing research with 20 per cent. Additionally, 52 per cent of respondents said it's challenging for their firms to find skilled professionals; up six percentage points from last quarter.

    

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                          Specialty Areas in Demand
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              Area                                   Percentage Hiring
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      Web design/production                                  23%
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      Marketing research                                     20%
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      Brand/product management                               19%
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      Print design/production                                19%
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      Media services                                         19%
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      Public relations                                       18%
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      Interactive                                            17%
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      Social media                                           17%
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      Creative/art direction                                 16%
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      Account services                                       15%
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      Copywriting                                             6%
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         *Note: Multiple responses permitted. Top responses shown.
    

About The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals

The interviews were conducted by an independent research firm. Information from the study is featured in The Robert Half Professional Employment Report -- the first quarterly study of its kind to monitor the hiring environment for professional-level positions exclusively. Based on more than 1,000 telephone interviews with executives throughout Canada, it provides insights on employment trends to help businesses and job seekers prepare for the upcoming quarter. To see how hiring within the creative field compares to other sectors, please visit www.roberthalf.ca/per.

About The Creative Group

The Creative Group specializes in placing a range of highly skilled creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. The Creative Group's internal account managers typically have prior experience working within the creative industry, which helps them better understand their clients' needs and their freelancers' unique talents. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., the firm has offices in major markets across the United States and in Canada. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and the firm's award-winning career magazine, can be found at www.creativegroup.com.

For further information: Kristie Perrotte, [phone], [email protected]