Senior Strategist

We are looking for a unicorn. A senior strategist who is experienced and comfortable blending the worlds of brand strategy and social strategy. Someone who can craft brilliant brand strategies, blistering insights and inspiring creative briefs, develop powerful strategic stories, throw together a comms framework in a snap, AND translate them into social content pillars, tight channel roles, social KPIs and platform specific recommendations without even blinking. And above all, you are able to make the complex simple and the simple compelling. If you are that person, talk to us.

Primary Responsibilities

Thought Leadership/ Technical and Marketing Craft:

• Be an researcher of culture, category, consumer in ways that yield surprising, interesting and compelling insights for briefs
• Scour social and digital to stay on top of latest features, trends, platforms, content
• Incorporate multiple methods and insights (qualitative, quantitative, behavioral and planning) to form an integrated strategy
• Pro-actively bring big ideas and holistic thinking to client based on industry occurrences
• Work on diverse projects:
• Tackle a diversity of business problems from brand building to customer acquisition to building loyalty and advocacy among customers
• Serve a diversity of industries
• Serve diverse customer types (Moms, youth, B2B, B2C, Affluent)
• Participate in creative ideation sessions with clients and internal staff
• Develop a unique and publishable POV based on current work and unique data insights

Internal Integration:

Own the intelligence gathering and insight development to guide Channel and Account Planning teams in defining program strategy. Provide support to Account/Channel teams in the creation of a comprehensive plan

Direct account teams in defining information requirements/needs

Lead and consult with teams on the best ways to execute and deliver on the strategy

· Partner with other departments to ensure consumer insight is incorporated into the work

· Assist New Business with creative or strategic outlines as part of the RFP or proposal process

· Ensure successful project handoff. Ensure work is appropriately positioned for long-term success (partnering as needed with Creative, Technology, Analytics and Business Leadership)

· Ensure (with appropriate account directors) that strategy recommendations (ideation, strategy formula, etc) are in alignment with the clients goals and brand positions.

Breakthrough Work/Execution:

The Senior Strategist leads the design of insight driven strategies from opportunity identification through to experience definition. The Strategist is responsible for ensuring high quality, successful delivery of holistic solutions that leverage our tools and processes.

· Diagnose how to tackle the client problem in terms of processes/tools to use and general approach

· Collaborate to ensure the quality of the creative brief and briefing process

· Conduct a detailed and wide-ranging analysis:

· Perform detailed evaluation of clients business environment including customer needs, capabilities/assets, and competitive realities to identify unique market opportunities and threats

· Evaluate a clients execution of social media campaigns and strategies, offering specific recommendations backed by experience and sound data analysis

· Define client objectives and success KPIs to refine social media offering rooted deeply in data

· Synthesize research findings and develop strategies around current trends and engagement tactics to adapt for our brands

· Determine whether and how to use different social channels to meet clients marketing and business goals. Explore and identify new avenues for social experiences to accomplish client goals

· Strategically integrate Social Media service offering with the clients other marketing platforms, including but not limited too Other Mobile, OOH, Print, and Broadcast

· Define strategic opportunity for social media in the overall context of a clients marketing communications plan

· Once developed, manage and oversee the strategic vision either on behalf of the client or collaboratively with the client

· Design overarching KPIs, testing, and optimization mechanisms (through working closely with the analytics team) in order to evaluate and drive the success of multiple campaigns/products

· Ensure tactical plan achieves client objectives and strategies

· Manage complex and sophisticated projects and deliverables

Client Management:

• Articulate and present key themes into a compelling story in a beautifully designed presentation
• Successfully present to clients
• Liaise with client on day-to-day program management as required
• Keep client abreast of relevant developments across the category, consumer, social

Team Growth:

• May manage interns or other junior staff
• Contribute to the growth of the team by regularly providing timely and effective feedback to team members
• Seek opportunities to cross-train team members (e.g. train others on research tools)

What You Need to Possess

What You Need to Possess in Thought Leadership/ Technical and Marketing Craft:

• Deep knowledge of social media platforms, digital marketing, brand planning
• Proficient knowledge of emerging and current technologies and innovations in the social space
• Demonstrated ability to utilize: online social listening tools, and Intelligence and Strategy tools
• Deep understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of research tools.

What You Need to Possess in Internal Integration:

• Ability to collaborate with others from different disciplines to lead the best and most strategic work
• Ability to articulate strategies and best practices in your area of expertise
• Seeks out and works with others internally within social, within the traditional agency and even across agencies to drive innovation, expand possibilities and maintain creative excellence.

What You Need to Possess in Breakthrough Work/ Execution:

• Ability to analyze campaigns and translate anecdotal or qualitative data into recommendations and plans for delivering social media efforts
• Ability to think creatively to contextualize the brief in a way that inspires creative
• Ability to create and provide clear direction through creative briefs and strategic plans for existing as well as prospective clients
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast paced environment
• Proactively suggest alternative approaches to solving problems.

What You Need to Possess in Client Management:

• Nurtures good working relationships with clients
• Ability to pitch and win new business
• Ability to listen to and understand client needs and translate them into high quality, compelling creative
• Ability to write clear and concise presentations for client (summarizing data insights, outcomes and implications) in straight-forward and enlightening way for clients
• Presents effectively and as a credible storyteller in client meetings and new business pitches
• Pushes clients towards fresh, exciting ideas
• Ability to create a strategic marketing budget that is realistic and within client limits.

What You Need to Possess in Team Growth:

• Reinforces agency values and work ethic with team members
• Ability to lead and inspire others formally or informally
• Cultivates the next level of social talent
• Provides clear direction and provides timely, helpful feedback
• Celebrates accomplishments of team
• Seeks and embraces feedback.

Minimum Qualifications

· Undergraduate degree in advertising, marketing, and/or related field

· 4-6 years of hands strategy experience across brand and social

· Past experience in business development and/or account management is a plus

· Experience with FMCG, destination, and/or Saudi brands is a bonus