Planning Lead

Comms & Strategic Planning London, England


Description

Position at Wavemaker

 

 

Planning Lead 

  

About the role: 

  

The Fast Growth Practice is Wavemaker’s dedicated practice for scaling businesses who are experiencing rapid growth and development in their launch or early growth phase of the business lifecycle.
 
In the FGP we help our clients evolve capabilities, grow their team, build their brand and reach new customers in new channels.  We’re focused on delivering sustainable growth for our clients and for their investors.  Ultimately, we ensure their early growth trajectory doesn’t plateau.
 
With experience of working on some of the world’s fastest growing brands, we have developed a unique strategic consultancy and commercial model to partner with the scaling brands. By pairing the culture of scale-up with the strength of a global network it means we can help our clients make business decisions with confidence.  Our total plan for growth means we understand which media works best where, test and scale new channels and prove the effectiveness of our investment to stakeholders.
 
We take the best of what Wavemaker has to offer to established brands and make it relevant for our scaling clients; from our specialist product teams (such as effectiveness, data or commerce), to our proprietary products to working with media owners.
 
To thrive in this team, we are looking for individuals who are expert media planners who think outside the box, who are agile and can work at pace, can juggle many different projects at the same time, communicate clear, expert opinions, can effectively challenge clients and guide them through new territories, whilst selling in creative solutions with robust measurement attached.
 
This PLANNING LEAD role encompasses the leadership of a team of planners from exec to director level working across a portfolio of brands including Aperol, e.l.f. cosmetics, Popeyes, Backmarket, Mettle, as well as some more established brands such as Batiste, MSC Cruises.  Growing our business by pitching will also be a core requirement of this role.
 
You will also be a key senior member of the Wavemaker Planning Team, inspiring, training and leading our wider planning community with best practice in the agency.
 

  

In this role, you will: 

  

Media Planning Craft:  

·           Lead the Wavemaker planning output on your specific client to create unrivalled work. 

·           Be able to articulate the strategic approach into media behaviours and train and support the wider team. 

·           Need strategic thinking on how we utilise tools and specialism outside of planning on response i.e.  sources of growth, measurement, learning agenda, data, etc 

·           Build presence outside of current teams and drive visibility of planning team within the wider agency. 

·           Bring a fresh perspective to planning approaches including the use of different tools, new insights and coach others to challenge the status quo. 

Effective communication: 

·           Overall responsibility for the development of all planning responses, ensuring we are developing unrivalled work in all executions. 

·           Manage senior client relationships, understanding what they need for their business and how to drive growth for them. 

·           Manage the planning team ensuring the have clear personal objectives, structure and regular reviews. 

Idea creation and storytelling:  

·           Build and develop relationship with media owners and look for opportunities to create unrivalled work 

·           Have an advanced commercial understanding of Wavemakers products and services. Understanding which are suitable for their clients and how sell in solutions.  

·           Be a story telling expert, driving added value with the team and quality boosting output. 

  

Core skills: 

  

Practice Area Knowledge Advanced- Demonstrates advanced understanding of the industry as well as future trends Serves as an internal consultant/expert on at least some tools and technology.  

Effectively guides junior team members on advanced elements. 

  

Works with leadership team to develop new solutions and/or spot new applications  

  

Problem Solving Advanced - Performs complex analyses of a range of information and identifies issues before they become problems; helps others think about how to define or redefine complex problems. Supports business leaders to find solutions and evaluates others’ solutions to determine the best way forward. Understand how to resolve escalated issues and coaches others to problem solve. Manages escalations. 

  

Stakeholder Management Advanced - Capitalizes on deep understanding of (current or potential) client and agency organizational structures, business processes, strategic objectives and challenges in order to anticipate and meet their needs. Demonstrates expert knowledge and monitors the client’s industry and competitive environment in order to create effective solutions. Advises key stakeholders by continuously helping them to successfully navigate through critical business changes.​​​​​​​ Uses strong deep expertise and contextual awareness to explore complex issues with stakeholders and provide trusted advice, deliverables and campaign KPIs. 

  

Effective Communication Advanced - Leads the delivery of relevant and accurate information to drive maximum impact. Consistently delivers communications to influence and educate all levels of seniority, appropriately judging the demands of the situation. Creatively develops presentations and comms to help with the understanding/education of complex information. Guides others on the best practices and approaches for creating clear, concise and organized communication materials to convey plans in a user-friendly way. 

Campaign Management Expert - Sets the standard for accuracy and thoroughness so that sufficiently detailed information is logged correctly.  Balances short-term considerations with long-term goals and ensures that critical deliverables are met.  Manages multiple overlapping timelines and competing demands, weighing the needs of different stakeholders across the business to determine priorities for parallel projects and sets priorities according to business needs. 

  

Compelling storytelling – Advanced - Lead and direct the creation of a story, taking into account client knowledge levels and needs. Applies deep expertise and sound judgement to persuade key decision makers on recommendation, considering all implications. Designs differentiated communications (content focus, style, presentation, etc.) for various internal and external audiences. 

  

Ideas Creation – Expert - Develops strategies to bring new technologies, innovations and products to life.  Challenges the client and team in innovating and designing new solutions, methods and products to remain competitive and lead the industry. 

  

Comms Planning – Advanced - High technical knowledge of all media touchpoints as well as how they interplay and future trends.  Serves as a consultant and quality controls plans, strategies and frameworks that leave the building.  Strategic learnings and insights about business impact (not just media metrics).  Development of directional media strategy/platform.  Developing comms planning skills amongst wider community.  Looks for alternative solutions to problems and constantly challenges received norms in a spirit of positive provocation.  

 

About Wavemaker UK:  

Wavemaker is a global media agency. We believe there is a better way to grow. By leveraging our deep understanding of audiences, Provocative Planning process and the world’s largest database of purchase journeys, we deliver exceptional growth for clients including Audible, Nationwide, Danone, Asahi and Morrisons.  

  

Unlike traditional linear media planning, our modular approach combines machine learning and human intelligence to unlock, maximise and transform growth for the world’s leading brands and businesses.  

  

A part of GroupM, WPP’s global media investment management company, our 7,650 people across 88 markets are defined by their attitude of positive provocation, which means: 

  

  •        deep knowledge of our clients’ business 
  •        the confidence to challenge what’s gone before 
  •        the support to go further than we thought possible.

  

Discover more at wavemakerglobal.com/uk or follow us @WavemakerUK.  

  

We are an equal opportunities employer and support the life choices of our employees 

All GroupM agencies are equal opportunities employers and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, gender identity, disability, culture/religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.  

We support the life choices of our employees, offering generous family and carer friendly policies.