AVP - Strategy

About the role -

The Strategy group is focused on moving the discipline forward into a new era of consumer and media behaviour impacted by the rapid digital transformation in India. Your role will focus on data-linked insights and business solutions. You’ll find all the usual Strategy responsibilities apply - inspiring and applying audience, market and product insights; creating
robust media lead strategies and tactics to further our client’s business and communication objectives. This will also entail working with our internal teams and partner agencies to develop and present the most interesting ideas.

On top of all of that, we push for more.

We puzzle over new data sets, new signals from social platforms, new ways to design creative assets, new testing structures, and new ad products for our clients. It’s all new, unknown and just waiting for us to figure it out.

Day to day? You’re operating as the main Strategic point of contact across a few product brands and many campaigns - under the leadership of the Head of Strategy, India, all while doing research, formulating insights, brainstorming new ideas and reviewing data with serious rigor.

Some of the things we’d like you to do:

- We’d like you to be a trusted resource and partner to our clients, especially their product marketing and innovation leads, not afraid to have the tough conversations, when necessary, but also willing to adapt to their needs.
- We emphasize behaviours. We value emotional intelligence, curiosity, and collaboration above all else. We are looking for a person that is comfortable doing their own research, as well as pulling out and presenting the key insights and ideas. Someone who Ensure strategy stays a “common thread” throughout tactical planning and idea presentations – holding the entire product together.
● Evangelize the practice and its value proposition by working closely with Internal Leads of our client business teams and cross-functional teams like Content, Analytics etc.
● Identify key audiences - sizing and profile using data points, to determine whether given audience can achieve the client’s business objective
● Within the aligned audience(s), identify key human truth (insight) using data (quantitative/qualitative) that leads to a communication platform (one-liner) that demonstrates what a brand should be saying to them and how it should be behaving in media to drive the change in perception/ behaviour (from/to)
● Build activation platforms/ideas stemming from data-backed cultural or behavioural insights
● Set budget allocation - topline between online/ offline & key channels identified for each in order to hit the objective
● Consult on learning agendas & implications for all campaigns/projects - take the learning and apply to the next project
● Be the guardian of consumer journeys focusing on not just performance, but also for building emotional connection with our audience through media
● Build and grow senior client relationships - become the client’s consultant (not limited to campaigns and briefs, but business, communication including content and media), in particular Marketing Directors and CMOs
● Build and nurture constructive relationships with the creative agencies
● Brining the best from the outside in - Be the in-agency/ external expert of category and consumer trends (especially media related but not limited to), and apply that knowledge to strategy
● Write / develop agency POVs based on latest trends and developments that matter to our industry/clients
● Work on non-campaign projects such as brand portfolio, brand positioning, GTM strategy as necessary.

A bit about yourself:

● At least 14 years of relevant experience (strategy, media, consulting, research)
● Prior experience working on a global brand, with a proven track record of driving media and campaign strategies (along with presenting them to senior stakeholders)
● Ability to navigate both the digital ecosystem not limited to Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, OTTs, and Linear TV, other offline media – to drive integrated communication process
● Understanding of brand and performance objectives
● Succinct in understanding client business, should be able to translate business objectives to Media and close the loop with measurable metrics.
● Deep understanding on planning, audience research and measurement tools; with ability to land into media solutions
● Refine and implement Strategy/ Planning tools by collaborating with the global and regional counterpart
● Vision for where communications strategy and the wider marketing industry is going
● More analytical than creative, yet strong in both
● A Passion to help and develop people – making yourself readily available to answer questions and offer support to the wider business team, and the ability to motivate people to succeed
● Experience in managing teams, including training, individual growth and development plans
● An MBA is a plus but not a must