About The Role
We are currently seeking a partnerships manager with expertise in the video game industry to join our dynamic team at Wavemaker. This role is pivotal within Wavemaker’s Sports, Live & Gaming practice, where we spearhead cutting-edge brand partnerships across sports, entertainment, gaming, and experiential platforms. We are seeking a dynamic expert to architect and execute high-impact custom gaming strategies that amplify our clients' brands. This role will be focused on custom gaming activations across publishers, platforms, and gaming talent. While familiarity with the digital media landscape is beneficial, the main emphasis will be on cultivating custom gaming partnerships that drive brand affinity.
The ideal candidate is a passionate gaming expert with a proven ability to blend creativity, strategic thinking, and project management acumen. You will be at the forefront of developing and managing integrated gaming campaigns and programs across 3-4 clients. This candidate will play a crucial role in developing and managing integrated gaming programs for their clients, serving as the main point of contact for client-facing interactions. Additionally, you will act as a leader and source of knowledge internally, bridging the gap between our internal digital media and planning teams.
Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Serve as the subject matter expert, leading account strategy and development of gaming platform(s) and partnership(s) for clients. Develop and execute innovative gaming strategies that align with client objectives and drive brand growth.
- Partnership Selection: Partner with internal teams to develop, send and evaluate RFPs to partners. Select the right partners and develop tactical custom program recommendation decks that meet the needs of the client or go beyond.
- Partnership Management: Lead the planning, negotiation, and execution of gaming partnerships, ensuring deliverables are met within budget and timeline. Collaborate with platforms, talent, and media entities to develop and manage campaigns. Monitor and analyse campaign performance, providing regular reports and recommendations for optimization.
- Gaming Marketing Expertise: Create comprehensive 360-degree gaming programs for our client’s brands encompassing activations, integrations, talent partnerships, amplification and content development, including working alongside Wavemaker’s digital media teams,
- Creative Ideation: Drive innovative gaming initiatives aligned with broader partnership goals.
- Client Servicing: Own client relationships, collaborating with internal teams and external partners to ensure successful partnership execution. Write client presentations, briefs, pitches, and POVs.
- Internal Collaboration: Collaborate with Wavemaker colleagues across departments (e.g. planning, investment, data sciences) to ensure gaming partnerships are an interconnected part of the media plan
- Industry Knowledge: Stay informed on gaming and esports partnership and media trends, providing thought leadership and strategic insights. Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders in the gaming industry, including game developers, publishers, influencers, and platforms.
- Measurement & Optimization: Provide measurement and recapping for Wavemaker clients’ gaming efforts, inclusive of insights and optimizations.
The Candidate
- A minimum of four years of experience, with a specific focus on partnerships and brand integrations. Candidates should have a background in the gaming industry, talent management, and/or media platform management.
- Strong understanding of gaming platforms, trends, and the gaming community.
- Note: This role will play a key role in working closely with a client that caters to a young audience. A strong understanding of kid-safe marketing and compliance with COPPA regulations is highly desirable.
- The ideal candidate should have a proven track record of successfully executing gaming strategies, driving measurable results for clients, and demonstrating the ability to develop, negotiate, and execute comprehensive marketing programs.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively articulate complex gaming concepts to both internal and external stakeholders.
- Exceptional project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple projects & clients simultaneously and meet deadlines.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
- Enthusiasm for working on diverse gaming partnerships across various clients and properties.
- Strong creative curiosity and effective problem-solving skills to manage complex partnerships & initiatives.
- Ability to stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and innovative gaming opportunities.
- Must be willing to travel (10%)
Attributes
- Passionate – brings a genuine thrill and excitement to the role
- Agile – is able to be nimble in thought and action and overcome obstacles to achieve great things
- Collaborative – works well with others, and can align behind a shared purpose
- Entrepreneurial – is open to new ideas and will challenge old ones.
- Diverse – is proud of the difference they can bring
About Wavemaker
We believe there always is a better way to grow. We positively provoke growth for our clients by reshaping consumer decision-making and experiences through media, content, and technology. The Wavemaker way is globally consistent. Fueled by the world’s most powerful consumer data, we understand where and how marketing can intervene decisively to help brands win more sales.
Our name is our mission and our method. To make waves, you need to be provocative, even fearless. We do our best work for brave brands and people who want to be challenged to go further and faster. We know it’s not easy, but if it’s in you, we will get it out of you.
Our Attitude of Positive Provocation Is Enabled By
Our 7,600 people across 90 markets provoke growth for some of the world’s leading brands and businesses.
- deep knowledge we have of our client’s business
- confidence to challenge what’s gone before
- the support to go further than we thought possible
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 T&Pm, 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 GroupM Leave Administration at Leave.Administration@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 $60,000 to $140,000. 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.