Cluster Director of Marketing, South Africa

Summary

The Cluster Director of Marketing will be responsible for delivering strategies and operational plans in two key areas to support all operating and future Hyatt hotels across South Africa:

- Brands and Marketing
- Media and Communication

This individual will work closely with teams in our operating hotels to understand business needs, market conditions, trends, and challenges to help identify local marketing strategies to drive hotel and brand awareness as well as revenue growth.

Further, the Cluster Director of Marketing will spearhead the strategy process for new hotel openings across South Africa and support all marketing initiatives for Hyatt’s loyalty program - World of Hyatt across the assigned region. From a Media and Communications perspective, the Director of Marketing will also be responsible for devising a communications strategy that focusses on Corporate and Brand PR, Social Media and local marketing. Last but not least, the role will be responsible to develop procedures and efficiencies that strengthen regional support, expand owner and partner relationships and improve the overall value proposition of Hyatt Hotels & Resorts across South Africa.

**Main Duties and Responsibilities**:

- Understand the regional market landscape, competition, as well as hotel needs and budget frameworks to develop marketing strategies and programs that can be executed by hotels to generate awareness and drive business domestically and from feeder markets
- Provide field feedback to regional teams concerning country insights, destination marketing needs, customer behavior and preferences
- Support regional and global marketing efforts with integrated and localized marketing strategies relevant to the destinations in which properties operate as well as South Africa.
- Provide project support and localization for World of Hyatt offers and campaigns to drive member engagement activations, member enrollment and room night penetration goals.
- Identify World of Hyatt brand partnership opportunities and assist with execution of partnerships with oversight from the Director of Loyalty & Brand Partnerships and the Cluster General Manager.
- Work across disciplines to drive integrated commercial efforts for hotel strategy planning; collaborate closely with Regional Sales, Communications, Operations, Revenue Management and World of Hyatt teams by providing marketing expertise to maximize business performance.
- Spearhead the strategy process for new hotel openings across South Africa and create an infrastructure and culture to support all marketing related initiatives to drive hotel openings, re-brands and conversions or major renovations.
- Assist pre-opening hotel teams with the selection of Marketing and Brand agencies and guide them through the creative process in the pre-opening phase.
- Communicate opening project updates timely internally and to hotel stakeholders.
- Support for on-boarding and training of hotel Marketing and Communications colleagues for both operating and opening hotels
- Align with hotel Area Marketing teams (digital clusters) to offer guidance with operating hotel support; specifically marketing tools, programs, campaigns, brand standards, best practices, etc.
- Work in tandem with Human Resources to develop employer branding and attract high-caliber talent.
- Assist operating hotels with local marketing plans where there are significant performance issues, re-brands or renovations
- Counsel hotels on marketing agency selection and management
- Ensure hotels are continually creating on-brand content and have a relevant and signifancant presence on social media platforms; Ensuring that social media marketing is handled strategically by the hotels.
- Communicate commercial value of the brand to owners, operators and other key stake holders
- Defining a comprehensive PR&Communications strategy for South African hotels, in conjunction with overall MEA Communications strategy; Creation of PR stories with relevance for the region
- Manage PR agency, providing guidance on press releases, contract negotiations and oversight
- Leverage operating and opening hotels to drive property and brand awareness in the media landscape and simultaneously create brand differentiation
- Co-host media visits and organize press meetings, conference and events
- Build relevant media and community relations including key opinion leaders and influencers

**Qualifications**:
**General**
- High degree of personal and professional savvy and experience which instils confidence among all internal and external audiences.
- A confident personality with the ability to establish and grow successful, mutually beneficial business relationships, along with a commercial attitude and a strategic mindset.
- Experience in establishing credibility and presenting programs and ideas persuasively.
- Demonstrate strong leadership ability, team management and interpersonal skills.
- Display a positive approach to the work environm