The media agency: intermediary between companies and media

April 15, 2015

Axel Chur is Head of Talent Management at Omnicom Media Group Germany. With more than 700 employees, the agencies at five locations advise well-known advertising companies such as McDonald's, Vodafone, Porsche, Levi's and Apple on strategy, communication, media planning, media purchasing, optimization and research. In the interview he talks about the trends in the industry and what opportunities are available to young minds.

UNIGLOBALE: Mr. Chur, how is the media industry doing at the moment?
Axel Chur: There is a lot of movement in the industry. On the one hand, media companies such as Axel Springer and the Funke Mediengruppe are consolidating, and on the other hand, agencies are thinking about merging. The digital industry has been booming for several years; now it is the mobile sector that is growing strongly. Many start-ups offer exciting jobs, but established agencies and marketers also have to ensure that they can provide their customers with qualified advice. So the chances are still good and will remain so in the future. Careers with a digital background are certainly all the rage at the moment.

UNIGLOBALE: What subjects are you interested in studying when entering the media and communications industry?
Axel: A number of courses have now been developed that have recognized that communication in the digital age has different requirements. Private universities in particular consciously rely on specialists from the field and thus create a valuable training platform. Ten years ago, the average media planner was to be found in the commercial studies environment, today the requirements for a communications consultant are more complex - sometimes it extends into the technical area. IT professionals, programmers and economists will find their challenges of tomorrow in the media agency world.

UNIGLOBALE: In which areas can internships be completed at the Omnicom Media Group?
Axel: We offer internships in the PR area, with social media colleagues as well as in the classic consulting units. It is best for everyone involved if an intern stays in one position for at least 6 months.

UNIGLOBALE: When talking to interns or applicants: Do you sometimes come across 'false expectations' along the lines of 'something to do with media...'?
Axel: Absolutely, unfortunately some applicants don't really think about the job profiles or perhaps don't have a real picture of those in a media agency in particular. When people talk about agencies, they usually associate creative agencies; People in the communications industry are less well known. It is perhaps also a matter of modesty or even weakness on our part not to put ourselves in the spotlight in public, as creative people often do. The opportunity to be able to do further educational work in a conversation like this is all the better.

INTERNSHIP AT OMD UK IN LONDON

At OMD UK, around 280 communications experts work for renowned clients such as Vodafone, McDonalds, Boots, Pepsico, Peugeot and Channel 4 ( www.omdukblog.com ). During the internship you get to know the different areas of a media and communications agency, such as digital planning, purchasing or the social media department.

Start from: February 1, 2014 or later in 2014 for two months. The internship is remunerated at £250 per week.

Applications in English to:

Axel Chur
Head of Talent Management
Omnicom Media Group Germany GmbH
Circus path 1
20359 Hamburg

The application should consist of a cover letter, CV, certificates and – if available – references

Requirements: In the last third of a communications or economics degree / interested in brands, media & advertising / confident in using common MS Office programs / fluent in spoken and written English

Important: The interns have to take care of arrival and departure, accommodation and legal regulations themselves