Job Description
Senior Strategist
The Role:
This exciting role is for a senior strategist in our Johannesburg office. If you have the appetite to make work that works, lead established brands, and build a strategy team in your vision, this is the opportunity you have been waiting for. This is a senior and visible strategy position with exposure to client CMOs as well as working with well-respected industry leaders within the Publicis Groupe across multiple internal business units- from traditional creative, to digital and content strategy within the Publicis Power of One model.
Responsibilities
· Act as the strategic lead and brand custodian on the specific PO1 brand in partnership with the Managing Partner and Creative lead.
· Articulate and interrogate client needs based on the brand and business strategy, as well as ensure ongoing engagement with client around their business needs.
· Use research to create original and innovative insights and provide a high-quality interpretation of research findings.
· Understand commercial context of brand communication as well as the need to measure and track effectiveness
· Understanding of ATL, BTL and digital channel strategy to enable end-to-end solutions for clients
· Liaising with strategic counterparts at partner agencies to ensure alignment and understanding of the strategy, as well as ensuring the various disciplines remain on track.
· High-level understanding of digital transformation and marketing automation and being able to partner with specialists in this area
· Working with and inspiring the team to produce a clear and directional strategy that is founded on commercial and consumer insights
· Guide the team beyond the brief through an in-depth understanding of client business needs as well as consumer needs
· Writing and collaborating on inspiring creative briefs, from a day-to-day business POV, as well as proactive.
· Develop, construct and present compelling strategies to clients
· Provide relevant target market insights across various consumer categories, and beyond South Africa into broader Africa.
· Provide input into optimising the customer experience and ensuring brand consistency
· Constantly monitor campaigns and projects to ensure they adherence to the set strategic direction
· Constantly raise the standard of strategic output across all client accounts
· Inspire a culture of strategic thinking and innovation throughout the strategy department and the wider agency
· Lead and present the outcome of strategic work for new business pitches
· Proactively monitor your clients’ brands and industries so that you are able to share with client and the team, positioning the agency as a thought leader and opening organic growth opportunities
· Be able to problem-solve and be resourceful to tackle even the most unusual marketing briefs
· Be able to exercise strategic principles and structured thinking to tackle business development projects assigned by client and/or non-marketing communication briefs
Qualifications / Experience
· Marketing/brand/consulting communication experience of 10+ years
· Relevant marketing/communications diploma/degree
· Hands-on experience with online marketing tools and practices
· Strong understanding of media strategy and planning
· Experience in developing, managing and presenting solutions within a creative environment
· Proven ability to create cross-channel and content strategies
· FMCG experience
· African Experience
Personality
· Solution orientated
· Curious
· Comfortable in a high performance, fast-paced environment
· Open and active team player
· Great communicator
· Trustworthy