Job details

Associate Director, Communications Strategy

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities.

We are proud to be the global partner for Coca-Cola, a client with whom we share both values and ambition.

In what has been called the “the biggest advertising pitch in history,” WPP was chosen to connect our talent and skills in a truly borderless way to create an open platform that will multiply the power of creativity for one of the world’s largest and beloved brands.

Welcome to OpenX, our transformational approach that marries WPP, the #1 global network and largest communications holding company in the world, with iconic Coca-Cola valued at 71 billion dollars, and, with a portfolio of brands that includes Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, Smartwater, Minute Maid and Powerade among others.

There’s no magic like the one that comes from outstanding talent collaborating across time zones, regions and markets. It is what we call the “collective ta-da.” That is why being part of OpenX is simply a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a game changer partnership built with one goal in mind; creating the boldest, most innovative ideas in the history of marketing.

The Role

The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) business is divided into five main categories: Coca-Cola, Sparkling, Nutrition, Hydration and Emerging. As an End-to-End (E2E) Associate Strategy Director, you will work across the Sparkling Flavors category, inspiring the strategies and

approaches that move the Coca-Cola business into the next realm of marketing excellence and consumer experience. You will be capable of collaborating closely with the E2E Strategy Director, Category Lead, Brand Lead, Creative Strategist and the Category Insights Leader to develop 360-degree integrated brand strategies.

You will contribute strategic thinking to client business and OpenX Media processes and outputs, creating clarity and inspiration around North America category charters (assignments). You will develop insights and inputs into the client business challenges and agency deliverables. You will author strategies that prioritize objectives and channel deliverables, ensuring integration of thinking and monitoring effectiveness of approach.

Ideally, you will have worked in different types of agencies and be adept at deciphering and interpreting many facets of strategy, including data, business reports, human insights and client and consumer research. You will support the E2E Strategy Director in working closely with Clients and agency leaders to maintain and enhance the WPP/TCCC relationship, drive insightful creative work, and troubleshoot.

As the E2E Associate Strategy Director, you will be a member of the core Sparkling Flavors Category teams. You will be involved from the earliest stages of the strategy process through to campaign execution and measurement.

You will interface with mid-level executives at our clients as well as the full team at MediaCom.

Specifically, you will:

Contribute significantly to the development of consumer-centric experience strategy, integrating multi-disciplinary thinking in one clear strategic framework to support and build the TCCC “Weekly+” consumption goal.

Work collaboratively with Insights team to analyze client business situation and build target profiles that illustrate behavioral and psychographic motivations.

Support in the development of the experience idea across the entire consumer experience, identifying key roles of channels, ensuring everything connects as one system across owned, earned, shared and paid marketing touchpoint.

Identify key objectives for communications. Exhibits understanding and actively contributes strategic input/product into the total channel planning process

Identify areas for continuous innovation of the agency’s product ensuring the use of strategy & insights in a coordinated manner working towards the same goals

Has a stakeholder role in product and process innovation, including briefs, workshops, channel planning work sessions, and other team collaborations to enhance how we use communications to help our clients’ business deliverables

Work closely with Planners to ensure that strategy is followed-through to execution
- Partner with Planning team throughout the plan build, ensuring that the strategy is inspiring and actionable.
- Assist in the development of plan presentations with Planning team
- Work in partnership with Business Science and Analytics group to ensure appropriate measurement plans are in place and executed flawlessly
- Collaborate with partner agencies to integrate messaging and creative campaigns into overall media/communications plans
- Maintain a pipeline of creative stimulus to be injected into the agency to challenge, push, and generate more inspiring thinking and execution
- Develop strategic intelligence via keeping abreast of industry developments, macro and consumer trends, technology (tablet, other tech devices), etc.
The Team
The E2E Associate Strategy Director will work closely with the E2E Strategy Director, Category Lead, Integration Lead, Creative Strategist, Category Insights Leader and the PMO, to deliver brilliant ideas and inspired thinking to the help solve the client’s business challenges.

Key Relationships
Senior agency contacts across the WPP OpenX business, with particular focus on:
- North America Category and Brand Leads
- Category Insights Lead
- OpenX Integration teams
- External partner agencies
  What you will bring
You will bring strong leadership credentials, a proven ability to work with clients and a track record in driving innovative and inspiring briefs. Your style will embrace the attractions and challenges of an agency environment: you will bring the energy to pitch in and help with whatever needs doing and the flexibility and accessibility to work with and bring out the best in a diverse group of WPP people and agencies.
You will stand out as a candidate for the role if you also bring:
A working knowledge of integrated marketing including of strategy, connection insights, media planning, data analytics, social, and creative consumer activations
Superior communication skills - written & presentation, articulate in dialogue
Strong problem solving skills, critical thinking, ability to resolve conflicts
Strong organizational, interpersonal and management skills.
Resilience, smart and creative thinking & an innovative outlook
Influence and persuasive skills, collaborative and able to work well with a variety of disciplines and personality types
Strong knowledge of client’s business, competition, and latest industry news and trends
Understanding of marketing effectiveness principles and able to think across the whole marketing mix
Understanding of media data sources and research tools in terms of what is measured, the method and information reported
Detail oriented, resourceful & self-motivated. Ability to manage multiple projects and requests from numerous groups
Ability to build relationships with both client and WPP teams
Show appropriate time management skills, including self-initiation in down times and completion of projects on time
Active/passionate interest in advertising/media strategy, technology, popular culture, current events and their subsequent impact on business
Actively contributes to company initiatives, processes and roll-outs
Experience in both client and agency environments
An outstanding track record of performance and business growth.
Proven successful collaboration with complex, multi-disciplinary teams
Proven thought-leadership  
Willingness to learn, explore, and reinvent.
Ability to navigate a complex matrixed organization internally and externally  

You will be open and optimistic, with the highest standards of personal ethics. You will have the emotional intelligence to work collaboratively both within and outside of WPP and its agencies.

Life at GroupM

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. GroupM employees can tap into the global GroupM & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our benefits include competitive medical, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.    

GroupM is WPP’s media investment group and the world’s leading media investment company with a mission to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people. The company is responsible for more than $60 billion in annual media investment, as measured by the independent research bureau COMvergence. Through its global agencies Mindshare, Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, and mSix&Partners, and cross-channel performance (GroupM Nexus), data (Choreograph), entertainment (GroupM Motion Entertainment) and investment solutions, GroupM leverages a unique combination of global scale, expertise, and innovation to generate sustained value for clients wherever they do business. Discover more at www.groupm.com.

GroupM provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race; color; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; religious practices and observances; national origin; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; status as a protected veteran or spouse/family member of a protected veteran; or disability.

GroupM is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to search and apply for a career opportunity with GroupM, please send an e-mail to carmen.serrano@groupm.com or call (212) 297-8507 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

The base salary for this position at the time of this posting may range from $75,000 to $180,000. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including business needs, experience, level of responsibility and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, please visit https://www.wpp.com/people/wellbeing/benefits-at-wpp-in-the-us for more details

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