Hybrid Strategist

**Job Description**:
An Integrated Strategist at Starcom is expected to be data driven, insights lead and a creative thinker, who strives to make meaningful impact on the business of the client’s they work on.

This role demands confidence, presence, and the skills to make a meaningful impact. Never just taking and executing orders, Starcom Integrated Strategists are expected to direct, inspire and add value at every turn.

A high level of collaboration, a willingness to teach others and a real desire to push the boundaries with the client and the team is what will be expected.

In addition, this role requires a high level of accountability and responsibility over the large offline and online media investments we are entrusted to manage.

Some working outside the standard working hours may be necessary.

**The Job Purpose**:

- To be accountable for the successful delivery of strategic media strategies, recommendations, evaluations and reports across online and offline channels.
- To deliver ongoing incremental media improvements, based on post campaign analyses, MMM and audit results, across for off-line and online media channels.
- To deeply understand the market, audiences and segments that will unlock market growth and opportunity on your portfolio.
- To demonstrate real passion and vision for the brands in your portfolio.
- To unearth and deliver the best media owner relationships, partnerships and JBP’s that deliver business outcomes and creative media opportunities.
- To produce award-winning entries that demonstrate real impact and results for our clients - for internal and external awards.
- Together with the team, successfully meet the client’s contracted KPI’s and the commercial targets.
- To input, inform and report to the regional and global teams.
- To grow the strategic reputation of the agency by delivering world-class strategic excellence.
- To produce at least one thought-leadership article per annum.

**What you can expect in an average week**:
You will be involved with numerous brand managers, so it’s important to develop a good understanding and identify specific business needs for each one.

**Your average week may include**:

- Attend key strategic briefings, status meetings, creative integration meeting.
- Produce and present media strategies.
- Prepare and deliver insights decks on consumer and media trends, digital landscape, COVID impact and eCommerce landscape, in partnership with the Research & Insights team and the Head of Digital for Publicis Media.
- Share pertinent and relevant insights reports, from anyone of our long list of resources.
- Be present, and on time, to all required meetings.
- Work collaboratively with our colleagues, global teams and creative agency partners.
- Review and direct all offline and online media outputs.
- Collaboratively work with and direct the digital media planner/s, campaign manager/s, DV360 and search specialists. Write briefs, monitor progress, direct optimisation changes, and add insight to campaign reports.
- Sign off all digital media billing packs relevant to your portfolio, to ensure alignment.
- Contribute to the internal monthly forecasting reports.
- Keep your Google & Facebook certifications up to date and participate in required training sessions.
- Ensure that your time sheets are kept up to date.

**Qualifications**:

- Must have 7+ years of experience in offline media, with at least 5 years of experience as a strategy in a media agency. and online media strategist, having worked extensively within a media agency.
- Strong client facing experience.
- Experience working with brands across the African continent.
- A marketing / media / communications degree, diploma or certificate
- Google Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
- Google Analytics

**Skills**:

- Numerically strong and analytically able
- Strong communicator with effective interpersonal relationships across team and clients
- Must be able to cross tabulate data in Telmar / Ariana, TGI / GWI or other cross-tabulation software.
- The ability to synthesize and reduce different inputs to create a well-considered and accurate representative view.
- English fluency and language skills for effective business writing
- Strong presentation skills
- Solid data interpretation and analytics skills
- Be able to exercise strategic principles and structured thinking to tackle business development projects assigned by client.
- Be able to select appropriate frameworks, tools and approaches to use in solving client problems.
- Develop strategies that interpret cultural and social trends as well as data relevant to client business.

Additional Information