Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for directors of art marketing in the United States
Director of art marketing job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected director of art marketing job growth rate is 4% from 2018-2028.
About 4,700 new jobs for directors of art marketing are projected over the next decade.
Director of art marketing salaries have increased 8% for directors of art marketing in the last 5 years.
There are over 17,404 directors of art marketing currently employed in the United States.
There are 78,663 active director of art marketing job openings in the US.
The average director of art marketing salary is $71,829.
Are director of art marketing jobs in demand?
Director of art marketing job and salary trends over time
Director of art marketing jobs over time
Director of art marketing job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,404 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 16,936 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 17,727 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 16,615 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 15,742 | 0.00% |
Average director of art marketing salary over time
Director of art marketing salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $71,829 | $34.53 | +3.2% |
| 2025 | $69,577 | $33.45 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | $68,513 | $32.94 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | $68,307 | $32.84 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $66,328 | $31.89 | +0.1% |
Director of art marketing jobs by state
Most common states for directors of art marketing
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 297 | 34% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 731 | 23% |
| 3 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 703 | 23% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 243 | 18% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 822 | 15% |
| 6 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 731 | 15% |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 601 | 15% |
| 8 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 460 | 15% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 111 | 15% |
| 10 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 89 | 15% |
| 11 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 670 | 14% |
| 12 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 172 | 13% |
| 13 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,057 | 12% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 687 | 12% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 440 | 12% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 238 | 12% |
| 17 | Alaska | 739,795 | 88 | 12% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,105 | 11% |
| 19 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,059 | 10% |
| 20 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 300 | 10% |
Most common cities for directors of art marketing
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lakeland | 1 | 1% | $59,172 |
Director Of Art Marketing job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of director of art marketing experts
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Indiana University Bloomington
Bethel University
Moravian College
Troy University
Western New England University
James Madison University
Humboldt State University
Roger Williams University
University of Findlay
Villanova University
Case Western Reserve University
Viterbo University
Covenant College
Texas Tech University
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
University of Pittsburgh
The One Club
What general advice would you give to a Director Of Art Marketing?
Frances Zhu: Get competing offers and negotiate a higher salary. Foster skills that lend to higher salaries. For example, even though marine biology may not pay the highest, if you have some coding experience, you will be one of the higher paid marine biologists in the field.
What Director Of Art Marketing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Frances Zhu: Do not feel locked into a career trajectory. Find some great mentors. So much information is conveyed through word of mouth. Put yourself in the way of luck (as assert yourself in situations of opportunities). Advocate for yourself as if your friend were advocating on your behalf.
What will help Directors Of Art Marketing increase their earning potential?
Frances Zhu: With the rise of AI, we're seeing a lot of skills become irrelevant. Just 5 years ago, a software engineering job seemed ludicrous. Now those are the fastest jobs being replaced by AI. A skill that will never be irrelevant is creativity, which is a skill you can cultivate. Create content and think in new ways that no one (even AI) has ever thought of.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of Art Marketing?
Dr. Joyce Stoner: Skills in imaging, Macro-XRF, weave counting, and cross-section microscopy are more and more important for practitioners in painting conservation in private work, regional centers, or in museums.
What Director Of Art Marketing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Joyce Stoner: Seek to work with a strong mentor in your specialty for at least the first three years after finishing graduate school. It is always good to be working with a group in any case, to share ideas and experiences as you make decisions.
What will help Directors Of Art Marketing increase their earning potential?
Dr. Joyce Stoner: Salaries are not very high in art conservation as you start out. But if you work with a mentor, publish and give talks, have a high profile for your knowledge and expertise, and eventually go into private work, especially in modern and contemporary paintings, to my knowledge that is where the higher salaries are found.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of Art Marketing?
George Logothetis Jr: Create work that is undeniably great. Work that turns heads, shows daring and provocative thinking, and is attention-getting and impossible to ignore.
What Director Of Art Marketing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
George Logothetis Jr: Being able to flex between the various media channels and show competence and imagination in them all. Young creatives have to be versatile and fluent on all communication platforms. It’s also important to maximize your craft and continually hone it. Whether you are art or copy, having a heightened sense of design and writing will not only make the job easier, but you will be more productive. The better your skills are the more work you can create. If you bring lots of work to every meeting, you will always be appreciated.
What will help Directors Of Art Marketing increase their earning potential?
George Logothetis Jr: Be focused on the strategic approaches that inform the creative process. Don’t think that being a creative person in advertising is solely about being creative. Show insight and appreciation for business initiatives and how strategies define them.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of Art Marketing?
Becki Graves M.A.: I often refer to the 'swiss army knife' in my field. These students can sing, write songs, set up a stage, chart a song, lead a team, lead a room in worship, run worship software, and lead their peers. Don't just keep to one lane, try to learn the most about all of them.
What Director Of Art Marketing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Becki Graves M.A.: It is already vital in the field of creative arts and creative ministry but being a researcher. Research the current products on the market, trends in attendance, etc. This is a vital tool in being able to build the programs or ministry teams you envision.
What will help Directors Of Art Marketing increase their earning potential?
Becki Graves M.A.: Try anything and everything—no work or job is beneath you. All your experiences will culminate into who you are as a person and employee and leader. Be ready to work several jobs. Most creative types end up being bi-vocational at some point in their career. Try to see this a gift—creative inspiration flows from having multiple lids open at once.
Dr. MaryJo Rosania-Harvie
Assistant Professor of Practice | Art Education Coordinator | Interim Art Department ChairMoravian College
Fine And Studio Arts
What general advice would you give to a Director Of Art Marketing?
Dr. MaryJo Rosania-Harvie: Definitely leadership skills - having the ability to express their ideas and be open to feedback; and the ability to give effective feedback. Artists learn to do this in school through critique and sharing their work with an audience. Also, entrepreneurial skills, critical thinking, and always creativity.
What Director Of Art Marketing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. MaryJo Rosania-Harvie: Consider doing an internship while in school or after graduation. At Moravian, we have designed internship opportunities for all of our art major tracks, so the students are getting valuable work experiences in their chosen area of study. These internships often lead to employment.
What will help Directors Of Art Marketing increase their earning potential?
Dr. MaryJo Rosania-Harvie: For someone beginning their career, I would advise them to consider the problem-solving and critical thinking skills they developed in school, and highlight those skills when meeting with potential employers and clients. They can consider themselves entrepreneurs, and should try to be flexible and open-minded.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of Art Marketing?
Christopher Stagl MFA: This industry is all about connections with people. You have to network and market yourself. This will lead to opportunities for you creatively - which may start small but you build upon success, grow your clients, and progressively begin to charge more and more as you grow in to your field. Never stop learning, never stop making (even if it's mistakes), and never stop networking.
What Director Of Art Marketing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Christopher Stagl MFA: Definitely video, motion, animation, and effects will continue to grow as some of the most needed skills - but if you can't think creatively, if you can't be unique and different in your problem solving and design thinking approach - then it doesn't matter how much technology you know or how good you are at Ai - you won't have a place in the industry. This industry is based on ideas - not technology. Skills can be learned, the most successful creatives think different.
What will help Directors Of Art Marketing increase their earning potential?
Christopher Stagl MFA: a. Remain curious about creative problem solving with diverse and unique approaches. b. Seek feedback. Just because your classroom projects are over doesn't mean you still shouldn't be reaching out your peers and mentors to get feedback. c. Do your research, always. Never just assume you know the market or the demographic - do your due diligence and ask all the right questions to learn about your client. d. Tell a good story. The creative industry is really about people - figure out who the people are you're speaking for and speaking to and find the story that lives in those thrulines. e. Be Hungry and Hustle. Nobody is going to do this for you - creative work isn't going to come to you - you have to go get it.
What's a day at work look like for a Director Of Art Marketing?
Harlan Spotts Ph.D.: We have been talking about post-pandemic work, and the key word is going to be flexibility. Flexibility with work environment, could be in the office, could be at home, could be at Starbucks. The concept of "going" to work has changed. So, I see every day and week potentially being different. Companies are seeing how much can be done via web conferencing, so you will see less business travel (not a good thing for the airlines). There will still be some, but less than before. The pandemic as accelerated technology adoption and use across industries, perhaps by 5 years. students will we working in different environments, and across time zones. They did this before, but it will be even more common.
What will help Directors Of Art Marketing increase their earning potential?
Harlan Spotts Ph.D.: In marketing, developing digital capabilities is extremely important. Marketing was on the forefront of the digital transition in business. With the amount of commerce that has shifted to the web marketers have to be comfortable with living in the digital space. This will demand new and different strategies. Marketers have always needed to be effective communicators, but now it is not just being a great closer. Marketers need to be effective communicators in writing (text, email, etc.) and verbal (person to person live, as well as person to person online)
Students need to start in college developing skills to be successful. It was interesting, we, in the College of Business, were talking about developing student competency in remote work before the pandemic hit last year. The pandemic accelerated our work, and we are in the process now of approving a certificate in remote work that any undergraduate business student can earn. It is designed to develop those competencies that will be critical for success in the "new normal."
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Directors Of Art Marketing?
Richard Tate: Of course! There will be an enduring impact of the coronavirus on all humanity. Psychologists and sociologists will be busy for years to define and determine the impact. The business environment has changed drastically for our upcoming graduates from the environment that was present when they entered college 4 years ago. Everyone is spending more time connecting with each via devices and within a virtual world. Corporate training programs have transitioned to virtual formats and I believe something is lost when you reduce human-to-human learning and engagement. We are all learning to live in this new "Zoom" environment, but it is not the same and business environments will not return to pre-pandemic for a long while, if ever.
I was speaking with one of my corporate partners recently and he said that creativity has diminished. He mentioned that the best ideas in his company were always generated by casual "watercooler" conversations. Our Zoom conferences adhere to specific agendas and schedules and always end at a pre-determined time. I thought his perspective was very interesting given that a set schedule and itinerary diminishes the opportunity for relaxed, engaged, creative conversation.
As Director for our Center for Professional Sales I am witness to the many sales jobs that are available today. Companies have actually increased hiring this year after surviving and uncertain last year. For the most part, internships were all cancelled last year so we have a graduating class that may have less professional experience but opportunities are actually increasing.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Director Of Art Marketing job market given the pandemic?
Elizabeth McPherson: I know that many young dancers, just out of college, were pursuing dance careers in NYC, but after the pandemic with the loss of job opportunities, had to move back to their former homes across the country. I think this could have the potential to encourage more growth in dance outside of NYC. It is just so expensive to live in NYC, and dance generally does not pay so well.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Directors Of Art Marketing?
Elizabeth McPherson: College courses that focus on entrepreneurship, creativity, and flexibility are very important in this age.
How have salaries changed over time for Directors Of Art Marketing?
Elizabeth McPherson: I actually do not know. Many performers' salaries have been cut or eliminated, but I do not have hard facts about this.
Hope this helps.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Directors Of Art Marketing?
Rae Robison: Live theatre will definitely be impacted, but the opening of more film, television and recorded projects will continue to expand. Specifically my design tech students are still working, just in different ways. There's never been a point in human history where we don't seek entertainment in some form or another so there will always be a need for the arts and artists.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Directors Of Art Marketing?
Rae Robison: This year has really hit home that performers need to have a better knowledge of lighting and costume. What does my light look like? Why is my white shirt flaring? Since so many are working from their homes they need answers to these questions so they can produce their best audition tape or performance. Everyone needs to embrace some tech knowledge so that we can continue to push our new art forms into the 21st century.
What will help Directors Of Art Marketing increase their earning potential?
Rae Robison: Less specificity and more holistic learning. If you only design sets, you are limited to art direction in a physical space or choosing Zoom backgrounds. If you know scenic, costume, lighting and sound your earning potential is so much more possible. I always train my students to work in live venues and multiple recorded formats to expand their marketability.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Directors Of Art Marketing?
Geraldo Matos: There is some research that suggests that graduating in a recession can affect income streams such that it might take a decade or more to "catch up." 2020 grads, some of whom remain on the job hunt, will soon be competing with 2021 grads, and both of those groups will be competing with the slew of employees from prior years who lost their positions due to the pandemic. The longer this pandemic goes on, the greater risk there is for a long-term impact.
Beyond income, I think another lasting impact is that how they work will be different. I believe some amount of remote work is here to stay. Not for everyone, and probably not always, but firms have learned that they can trust their employees to be productive away from the office. And firms can save money by not having to accommodate for 100% of their staff to be on site, 100% of the time. I could envision that translating into work from home Fridays or other ways that firms will be more flexible in terms of where their employees are doing their work.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Director Of Art Marketing job market given the pandemic?
Anne Beekman: Employers are looking for versatility, someone who can take on multiple roles: graphic design, social media, photography, and web. Anything else that you can add - the ability to write, to do illustration, video, animation - will give you an edge in a competitive job market.
What Director Of Art Marketing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Anne Beekman: Keep your design skills sharp, for they quickly fade if you don't use them. Continue to build your portfolio with self-initiated projects. Do tutorials to improve with technology and software. Read design books and magazines to stay on top of trends. Then, when a potential employer asks what you have been doing for the past year since graduation, you can show that you are capable of self-initiated learning.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of Art Marketing?
Anne Beekman: For your first job, be willing to take a design position that is not creative, churning out work that is not beautiful, and that is low paying. It will give you needed experience, and you will learn to work fast and accurately. But don't settle there. After a year or two, start looking for a position where you can move up, within the company or elsewhere.
Edward Sobel
Associate Professor, Resident DirectorVillanova University
Department of Theatre
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Director Of Art Marketing job market given the pandemic?
Edward Sobel: The theater is a complicated career path under non-pandemic conditions. Only a small percentage of those wishing to achieve a sustainable income in the theater can do so. That has been exacerbated in the pandemic environment. Due to health and safety guidelines, most professional not-for-profit theaters and commercial producers are not presenting plays, if they are at all, as they did before the pandemic. Some have pivoted in creating on-line content; others have gone dark. If the pandemic is brought under reasonable control, it remains to be seen if and when audiences will be willing to return to in-person participation.
Many aspiring theater artists sustain themselves through "day jobs," particularly in the service sector. Those jobs also are likely to be scarcer, at least for a while. In short, a challenging job market has gotten more challenging and is likely to be so for the foreseeable futu
What Director Of Art Marketing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Edward Sobel: I would recommend becoming familiar or expert in creating work that can live in a medium other than in-person performance. For example, one could learn about digital editing software or lighting and camera technique. The future is likely also to reward those with entrepreneurial skills. They are learning how to create and manage a budget, articulate a business plan, and raise money. I'd also suggest that artists who can make a strong case for the social benefit of the work they do, be it locally, community-based, or more widely, are more likely to find support and success. Investing now in those social causes for which one feels an affinity will serve the greater good and allow a graduate to begin building a network to continue their artistic work meaningfully.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of Art Marketing?
Edward Sobel: It's important to know that theater is a relationship-based career. Look to build relationships with those with whom you share a common aesthetic and a sense of purpose. Building relationships takes time and care, and only sometimes pays immediate dividends. Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. Be persistent. You may not ever be able to make a living in the theater. But if you quit, you definitely won't.
I'll add, many but not all who obtain a degree in theater wish to work in the profession. A theater degree, particularly within a liberal arts context, offers highly marketable and desirable skills. The theater is a collaborative art form, making those with a theater degree experience working as part of a team. The theater is storytelling. Those with a theater degree have learned how to construct a compelling narrative and to communicate it clearly. They have practiced analytical and presentational skills. They have embodied empathy. All of this position a graduate well in many other occupations, including law, teaching, advertising/marketing, social work, etc.
What experience really stands out on Director Of Art Marketing resumes?
Steven Ciampaglia: In the arts, a resume is not as important as an artist statement. A good artist statement should demonstrate that the artist can maturely reflect upon their work thoughtfully. It should contextualize their work in the broader lexicon of art, explaining how it is in dialogue with artworks that have preceded it and peers' work. And it should demonstrate potential by pointing toward possible future directions that their work could take.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Directors Of Art Marketing?
Steven Ciampaglia: While there is a lot of worry over how the pandemic's economic impact will affect the creative arts, I am not that pessimistic. In troubled times, people always turn toward the arts for solace. Witness how individuals have spent their time in quarantine re-engaging with books, movies, music, videogames, etc. And even though the end of the pandemic may be in sight with the announcement of vaccines, I believe that this re-engagement with the arts is not going away. Therefore, the market for young artists will stay elevated, which is good news for art majors graduating this year.
What type of skills will young Directors Of Art Marketing need?
Steven Ciampaglia: While there is a lot of worry over how the pandemic's economic impact will affect the creative arts, I am not that pessimistic. In troubled times, people always turn toward the arts for solace. Witness how individuals have spent their time quarantine re-engaging with books, movies, music, videogames, etc. And even though the end of the pandemic may be in sight with the announcement of vaccines, I believe that this re-engagement with the arts is not going away. Therefore, the market for young artists will stay elevated, which is good news for art majors graduating this year.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Directors Of Art Marketing?
Erin Jerozal: I think the most significant impact will be the continuation of virtual auditions and self-tape submissions. The industry was already moving heavily in this direction, and the pandemic has shown (and necessitated) the growth of that even further. In-person auditions will hopefully never entirely be replaced, but intimacy and honest connection can still occur in virtual settings. This can allow all sides of the casting process to conserve travel resources and see artists audition outside of the significant markets more consistently.
What type of skills will young Directors Of Art Marketing need?
Erin Jerozal: Young graduates will need an understanding of technology - even at the most basic level, they will need to record, edit, and share their auditions and examples of their work frequently. They will need to understand how to communicate with people across generations and platforms. The way we communicate through email versus text versus a phone call versus social media platforms is different, so shifting authentically between those will be helpful. I want to see full sentences and punctuation in an email. Still, I don't expect it in a text, and depending on the work you are seeking, those differences can affect the way your professionalism is perceived.
What experience really stands out on Director Of Art Marketing resumes?
Erin Jerozal: First and foremost, honesty. This business is tiny, so if credits don't make sense or stretch the experience's truth, it will be noticed. Otherwise, it's helpful to see a consistency of type and range, as it helps casting understand how they can use that person. If you are someone with a wide-range of styles and abilities, you will need a variety of resumes to highlight the most proper credits for that season or role. Many actors have a musical resume, a play resume, a film/TV resume - each one highlighting the related experiences first and then including the others as a confirmation of type selectively. You do not need to include everything on every resume. Your resume tells the story of how a casting person might use you, versus letting them know every single thing you've ever done.
What are the best companies to work for a Director Of Art Marketing?
Kayb Joseph: We encourage students to take a small business course, as most studio owners are small businesses. We also promote internships to determine the right fit.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Directors Of Art Marketing to find work opportunities?
Kayb Joseph: Small to mid-size cities are more competitive.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Director Of Art Marketing job market given the pandemic?
Mark Charney Ph.D.: Indeed, the epidemic has presented the art time to assess. I believe we'll find a more bearable work week, less exploitation (especially in unpaid internships and fellowships), and, hopefully, greater attention to equality, inclusion, and diversity. While performance and pedagogical jobs will still exist, choices will be more purposeful, honestly assessing needs and community engagement. And the skills of those majoring in the arts will continue to feature excellent communication skills, especially in writing.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Directors Of Art Marketing in the next 3-5 years?
Mark Charney Ph.D.: The arts will be rightfully concerned with preservation, so while the zoom platform will continue to be necessary, we will continue to find ways to express art in various media. We will still treasure the stage, but we can bring what we have learned from sharing performances over the computer to the stage, using technology to advance narratives and create opportunities.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Directors Of Art Marketing in the next 5 years?
Mark Charney Ph.D.: Theatre, dance, art, music-we will always need to reflect the world through storytelling and entertainment. While some of the traditional jobs may be diminished, the arts' skills are invaluable for several career paths. Television is thriving, primarily because playwrights are being hired to share stories with a more advanced and complicated arc. Yes, there may be a lull in university hires because of a smaller number of arts programs. Still, the new focus's interdisciplinarity will pave the way for new jobs that use technology in storytelling.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of Art Marketing?
Cynthia Tovar: Due to the pandemic, it is unfortunate that there are limited job openings for new graduates entering the workforce; however, there are a number of ways that a young professional can continue to network and gain experience, including virtual internships and entering into an official mentorship or training program (such as the ARCS Mentorship Program, The Museum Leadership, Polaris mentorship program, the Broad Diversity Apprenticeship Program, or The Registrar Hour, Intern Hour). Emerging professionals that join ARCS as an individual or student member, will have access to job listings, networking opportunities, funding opportunities for conferences and the mentor program among other benefits.
For those that do enter the workforce, many institutions' staff are still working remotely or operating in a hybrid model. There will be a need for new staff to communicate effectively with their supervisors, while working remotely, over video meetings. They might also be expected to learn new software or technology such as DocuSign to facilitate remote working and or be expected to serve as a virtual courier using video technology and digital condition reporting techniques. Museums can benefit from a fresh viewpoint that advocates for efficiencies and new ways of operating in these challenging times.
What type of skills will young Directors Of Art Marketing need?
Cynthia Tovar: Young graduates should have received hands-on experience working with collections, if possible, through an internship or volunteering. Museum study helps one understand general concepts but working with and learning from those already in the field is often the best way of gathering skills in areas such as condition reporting, collection management and care, exhibition installation and art supervision, and the like.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Directors Of Art Marketing to find work opportunities?
Cynthia Tovar: There are cities that have more museums per capita than others (New York, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco, for example), but opportunities can be found in all places throughout the U.S. by searching on registrar and collection specialist listservs.
How do you envision technology impacting Directors Of Art Marketing in the next 5 years?
Cynthia Tovar: There very well may be an enduring impact from the coronavirus pandemic on museum collection operations, such as reconsidering the need for couriers and how installation crews work together, but how long this will last remains to be seen. So far, the most immediate impact would be having a new hire join on in a remote work scenario and conducting training and integration to museum culture in a virtual manner.
What experience really stands out on Director Of Art Marketing resumes?
Aaron Henderson: In-person experience working in the field is invaluable, as is ongoing and well-developed work.
What Director Of Art Marketing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aaron Henderson: I'd encourage the student to make the most of the year. Ensure that you're engaged in the field and looking for specific opportunities that they are excited about-assisting another artist, working as part of a collaborative team, and doing an internship with an organization aligned with your interests. The most important thing is that the person finds something they are excited about and do it!
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Directors Of Art Marketing in the next 3-5 years?
Aaron Henderson: This is an opinion, but I think we see a return to craft and traditional techniques and all of the technological advances (AR/VR/etc.) that one might expect to develop.
What general advice would you give to a Director Of Art Marketing?
Yash Egami: A recent Forrester report says that the ad industry will lose 50,000 jobs through 2021, with 35,000 of them already lost since the pandemic. The traditional ad agency model was already in trouble, with many brands hiring away talent and creating their own in-house agencies. Add to that the recent reckoning with the Black Lives Matter movement, and what we're seeing is an industry that is being forced to go through monumental change in order to survive.
While traditional roles like art director or copywriter are on the decline, the good news is that, in an effort to reinvent themselves, agencies are seeking creatives with digital skills like UX design and programming. The rise of in-house creative departments has also meant more opportunities for job seekers within brands rather than agencies. And because of the demand for more diversity from clients and those within advertising, recruiters are making more of an effort to hire multicultural talent.
At The One Club for Creativity, we've been at the forefront of change in the industry through our diversity and inclusion, professional development and gender equality programs. We recently hosted our annual multicultural career fair, "Where Are All the Black People?" that brought together thousands of diverse talent with 40 agencies and companies looking to hire. We launched One School, a free online program for Black creatives who want to get into the industry but don't have a portfolio or the economic means to afford to go to ad school. And we're working on upskilling courses for professionals who want to reinvent themselves or keep up with the changing demands of our industry.
So if you're a recent graduate who specializes in art direction, our advice would be to keep an open mind about what kind of company you want to work for and think about expanding your skillset to include digital skills so that you can future-proof your career. Where you are isn't as important because, since the pandemic, agencies have become more comfortable with working remotely and they are more open to having a workforce not centered on the traditional agency hubs, like New York or Los Angeles.