Animation
Marketing assistant (Animation)
What does a marketing assistant do?
Marketing assistant manage a range of tasks to help a marketing campaign, from scheduling social media to ordering lunch for meetings. Marketing assistants help with proofreading copy, filing and inputting contact details into research spreadsheets. They often coordinate market research projects and use the data to help assess the effectiveness of campaigns to help with future ones.
When an animation is about to launch or go to broadcast, it’s promoted through a marketing campaign that can be targeted at either a trade (professionals or bodies of the relevant industry) or consumer audience. The campaign might involve print, TV, cinema, events, social media and digital advertising.
Marketing assistants need to have a good understanding of the product that they are marketing and the audience that they are trying to reach.
What’s a marketing assistant good at?
- Communication: write compelling copy, brief colleagues, such as designers, proof read copy from other members of the team
- Creativity: understand that the animation industry is based around a visual medium so it’s important to be able to communicate visual ways to show a production in its best light
- Audience awareness: be aware of audience statistics, understand how audiences watch animated films or TV series, as well as how they consume other forms of media
- Social media: enjoy creating a buzz on social media platforms, use scheduling software
- Organisation: anticipate, prioritise and stay on top of tasks as part of a team
- Watching animations: have a passion for the medium and a love of the industry
Who does a marketing assistant work with?
Marketing assistants work under marketing executives and with publicists, sales executives and the wider animation production team.
How do I become a marketing assistant?
There are no set routes into marketing. However, a degree in a marketing, communication or an animation or film subject is useful. You need to become familiar with how various social media platforms work and operate. Professional qualifications are offered by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
At school or college:
If you want to go to university, A-levels or Highers in business studies or English are useful.
Or you might want to take the following Level 3 vocational qualifications:
- OCR Technical Diploma/Extended Diploma in Business
- BTEC National Diploma/Extended Diploma in Business
- BTEC National Diploma/Extended Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
If you want to go straight into a job or apprenticeship, the following Level 3 vocational qualifications will equip you:
- AQA Foundation Technical Level Business: Marketing Communications
- AQA Technical Level Business: Marketing
- NCFE Diploma in Skills for Business: Sales and Marketing
Get an apprenticeship:
An apprenticeship is a job with training, so it’s a great opportunity to earn as you learn. See if you can find an apprenticeship in marketing or as a digital community manager. Even if it’s not in animation, you could transfer your skills into animation at a later point. Check out What’s an apprenticeship? to learn more about apprenticeships and find an apprenticeship to learn how to find one in your region, or approach companies directly.
Volunteer:
Find charities, amateur theatre or student animation and film productions. Ask if you can manage their social media for them. Create a campaign and keep track of how your campaign has increased visitors to the website, donations or ticket sales. Put that on your CV.
Start your own channel:
Set up a review blogging site or content channel. This is the marketing version of having a portfolio. You can send a link with your CV to show your writing and online skills and, equally importantly, your interest in animation.
Get a degree:
A degree in marketing, communications or a film subject is relevant. Subjects related to business can also be suitable. Have a look at ScreenSkills’ list of recommended courses and select one in animation, specialising in marketing. We recognise courses with our ScreenSkills Select award where they offer training in the relevant software, dedicated time to building a portfolio and have strong links with the film, TV and animation industries.
Look outside the industry:
Marketing is important in all industries, so there are plenty of agencies and departments that have marketing assistant roles. Apply for marketing assistant roles in any industry to build up your skills. You can transfer those to the animation industry later on.
Take a short course:
Hone your skills in marketing by taking a specialist course. Go to the list of training courses recommended by ScreenSkills and see if there is one in marketing or social media.
Network:
Get to know people in the animation industry or in marketing by attending events. Meet industry professionals and ask them questions about their work while demonstrating interest and knowledge in animation. Offer to provide them with your professional contact details and try to stay in touch with them. Go to how to network well to learn how to do this.
Search for jobs:
Research animation companies or specialist film and media marketing companies that you’d like to work for. Animation UK has a directory of animation companies. Go to their websites and check if they are advertising for marketing assistant roles. You can also send in a speculative CV and ask employers to keep it on file so they can consider you if any suitable jobs come up. Go to How to approach animation and VFX employers for details of how to do this. Search job websites for marketing roles and apply for positions.
You might also be interested in...
Being a marketing assistant in the film and TV drama industries, or working in marketing in the games industry.
