Publicis Groupe Africa Job Vacancy For Senior Strategist

The position seeks candidates who have or are keen to develop an understanding the dynamic multi-cultural environment in the CWAR region which consists of 26 countries. The planner must have the energy and curiosity to understand the region from a business, category, brand and consumer perspective.

The regional planner plays a key role in unpacking the client’s annual ambitions, helps create the key activities (per country, cluster or region) which contribute to these ambitions. The candidate will be expected to work closely with Creative, Digital, Media and PR teams to help the agency in Accra (and it’s regional partners) deliver integrated marketing solutions across the region.

The position is based in Accra and requires a highly motivated and ambitious candidate who is not shy of traveling extensively in the region to our key markets of Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Cameroon and can accept the challenge of working in a challenging geography, helping clients, partnering with agency teams and mentoring local talent in the region.

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Responsibilities

• Ownership of annual brand planning and ensuring support on all activities including brand campaigns, activations and promotions.
• Partner with client and research agencies to unlock insights and contribute to research including BHT, link tests, post tests, FGD’s and consumer immersions.
• Develop and nurture a clear understanding of all client businesses, market and category dynamics as well as the fast-emerging consumers in the region.
• Keep abreast of competitive activity/new market communication and share with client and team timeously as required.
• Development of business and communications solutions for new and existing business.
• Develop strategic frameworks and creative platforms for creative teams to conceptualise from on new and existing business.
• Build close and enduring relationships with senior clients (including global clients).
• Assisting the Managing Director on an operational platform, by ensuring work is conceived, created and presented in a structured way.
• Ability to lead agency teams, from writing creative briefs for all major campaigns to supervision of the work in progress and the final review and presentation to client.
• Demonstrate to clients, existing and potential, through the work we deliver – the power of creative excellence in addressing business issues.
• Inspiring the agency team to develop alternative innovative channel solutions to

meet client’s business needs and grow their business overall

• Growing the overall agency business through the deliverables and services above.
• Responsible for maintaining an archive of all the research and helping develop the agency team’s knowledge and competence in planning and strategy.
• Deep understanding of the agency culture, credentials, philosophy, working tools and worldwide knowledge.
• Be pro-active, add value, and manage clients’ expectations.

In summary:

• Fostering open, supportive and dynamic relationships with client and agency teams
• Demonstrating leadership through example
• Clear understanding of client’s business, market environment and products/brands
• Keep abreast of competitive activity/new market communication and share with client and team timeously.
• Translating client briefs into creative briefs that fuel and nurture exceptional creative development
• Ensuring that the creative work developed adds value to the client’s business and brand
• Writing of strategic and creative presentations that helps the Agency to sell its creative work and thinking
• Persuading the clients about the power of creative excellence in addressing business issues.
• Growing the overall Agency business
• Influencing and shaping the client’s marketing strategy
• Instil a business partner attitude
• Building close and enduring relationships with senior clients (including global clients).

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

• Suitable tertiary education
• At least 5 years of agency experience
• Proficiency in creating integrated marketing comms. (ATL, BTL, CRM, Promotions, Digital. Media)

• A very well organised person who knows the industry and how to prioritise and co-ordinate multiple responsibilities and tasks in a pressured and dynamic environment.
• MUST have a strong personality- “no Nonsense” attitude – be results orientated –professionally and fairly and the desire to take up the challenge of exceling in a difficult region.
• PC Literacy essential (All MS Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet and GroupWise e-mail)
• Sound business acumen.
• Excellent, open, confident communicator
• Has Leadership potential, is tenacious and the ability to deal with pressure
• Energetic, enthusiastic, willing “to go the extra mile”.
• Pro-active with a great a sense of urgency
• Integrity is essential in view of confidential information
• Detail orientated
• Organising, planning, control and administrative skills are essential