Description

Digital Performance Director

Digital Performance Director do not default to use generic KPIs and siloed optimization, they are focused on continuously optimizing the media and creative performance, using custom client KPI frameworks, across all real time disciplines (across search, social, programmatic, addressable TV, etc.). A Digital Performance Director not only manages investment performance across the media channels, but also works in close partnership with Creative and Systems Intelligence (audience and creative) to continuously optimise campaign performance and outcomes in real time across every variable.

Digital Performance Directors are organisationally embedded in our client teams. They lead a team of Performance minded practicioners (managing timing, context and investment). Instead of the inefficiency of trying to manage a set of channel silos (with different measures, metrics and controls), they have a growth hacking mentality and uses talent and technology to consolidate the management, operations and insight generation for the new classes of real time media, enabling the agile cross-channel optimisation necessary to maximize outcomes. The Digital Performance Director reports to the SVP, Digital and has a dotted line to the Client Leader(s).

Core Responsibilities

• Give clients access to the cutting-edge capabilities in each of the real time and biddable media channels (‘Crafts’), but managed in a holistic, agile way that gives our clients a sustainable advantage by fully capturing the benefits of real time communication management across all channels.
• Focused on delivering maximize outcomes for all clients/brands through real time marketing communications; where Audience (Systems Intelligence) x Timing x Context x Creative (DCO) x Investment are all, simultaneously and continuously managed in real time to create advantage.
• The Digital Performance Director empowers essencemediacom’s Activation philosophy to media investment management; the agile IO. As opposed to working with fixed budget allocations for each of the real time Crafts, they not only drives optimisation performance within each Craft individually but also continuously across the Crafts.
• Instead of the inefficiency of trying to manage a set of channel silos (with different measures, metrics and controls) the Performance Director uses expertise and technology to consolidate the management, operations and insight generation for real time media, enabling the agile cross-channel optimisation necessary.

Key Decisions

• Make decisions on which Crafts (digital channels) should initially be included in the activation plan (digital real time platforms).
• Make decisions on how budgets should initially be allocated across the Crafts in conjunction with the trading team who negotiate the deals.
• Though analyzing campaigns in-flight, the Performance Director is responsible for re-allocating fluid campaign budgets enabling the agile cross-channel optimisation necessary to maximize outcomes
• Make decisions together with Systems Intelligence on audience selection; make decision together with Creative Systems on Dynamic Creative Optimisation.
• They influence people decisions e.g. ensure the best structure and talent from Systems Activation is in place to deliver the outcomes for client business.

Skills & Behaviours

• Being fluent in mathematical concepts and able to assimilate vast amounts of quantitative and qualitative
• Building sound relationships with Craft teams, Systems Intelligence, Creative and Trading & Buying teams/partners to maximise campaign outcomes.
• A good level of emotional maturity and have strong management experience of working within direct (line-management) and indirect (matrix) teams.
• Experience and skills in multiple real time media (Min. 3+ Crafts) and experienced with audience data (Systems Intelligence) and Creative (Systems Creative).
• Must possess strong written, presentation, analytical, quantitative, and verbal skills and have strong organizational, interpersonal, managerial and matrix team skills.
• They manage the demands of different internal and external stakeholders calmly and plan and prioritise their work to ensure work gets delivered and problems are solved.
• Strengths include collaboration, building effective teams, managing complexity, situational adaptability (agility) and cultivating technology and innovation.

Key Relationships

A Digital Performance Director not only manages investment performance across the media channels (crafts), but also works in close partnership with Systems Creative and Systems Intelligence (audience, time, context) to continuously optimise campaign performance in real time across every variable:

• Systems Intelligence: working in close partnership with Systems Intelligence to inform decisions around defined high value and volume audiences
• Creative Systems: working in close partnership with Creative to inform decisions around ‘creative messaging’
• Craft Teams: working in close partnership with Craft teams (in MediaCom and/or GroupM) to inform decisions around craft ‘investment, timing and context’
• Client Leadership: working in close partnership with Client leadership to ensure detailed understanding of client KPI’s, desired outcomes and business goals.
• Comms Strategy: engage with the Comms Strategy teams to understand the strategy and share execution ideas that can bring the strategy to life
• Clients: continuously engage with clients to explore solutions, actively manage live campaigns and keep clients up to speed on the dynamic changes (and share campaign results).
• Media Owners: collaborate with key media owners to gain in-depth understanding of platforms to keep up to date with the market and opportunities

Client Focus

Instead of generic KPIs and siloed optimization, the Performance Director is focused on continuously optimizing the media and creative performance, using custom client KPI frameworks, across all real time channels (across search, social, programmatic, addressable TV):

• They are personable, confident and experts in their field (across multiple Crafts) and seek to build positive relationships with clients.
• They are involved at the briefing stage to understand client’s objectives and share ideas early on as to what will work and not work (challenge the brief).
• They get involved when the client has an issue and will work with them to understand the issue, explore internally and take responsibility for finding a resolution.
• They have a viewpoint, based on their expertise and knowledge of the client, the data and media landscape and are willing to share it to influence clients in the right direction.
• Play an education role with clients to help them understand real time media. They make activation plans easy to understand and ensure they align with client objectives.
• They can answer questions and the real time optimisation from a holistic viewpoint and are comfortable with being challenged.
• They involve the craft experts to present and explain their thought process behind it, making necessary links back to overall communications strategy.

People Focus

• They lead, nurture and mentor direct reports (Junior performance members), providing clear direction and agree objectives and expectations with them, showing interest in what motivates each individual. Supporting direct reports to identify development areas, help them find development opportunities.
• They lead and manage work of junior team members, building strong working relationships, supporting others in the team to deliver and develop by providing coaching to build their capability and feedback to support their development.

Experience & Qualifications

• Min 6+ years relevant experience preferred
• Experience across 3+ digital craft channels
• Experience in data and audience planning
• Experience in creative optimisation and messaging
• Experience with an agile mindset and ways of working

About EssenceMediaCom

Welcome innovators, initiative takers and instigators. We are 8,500 of the world’s leading media communications specialists, in 125 offices, across 100 countries. We have a global client roster that’s the envy of our peers. Adidas, Coca-Cola, Mars, P&G, Richemont and Sony to name but a few. We help brands unlock growth through media. Our Systems Thinking approach combines data, technology and creativity to design communication strategies that build brands and generate sales. We’re part of WPP, the world's largest marketing communications services group, which gives us access to the richest data sets and most robust benchmarks in the business.

All this has helped us become the first network to hold the big six Media Network of the Year titles concurrently. But the real secret to our success is simple (and not really a secret). It’s our People First, Better Results philosophy.  We know that when we invest in our people, we’ll deliver better results not only for them, but also for our clients.  We also know that talent comes in all shapes, sizes, genders and ethnicities. That’s why we are open environments that celebrate difference.

Do you want to work with smart, creative, enthusiastic people? So do we. Welcome to MediaCom!

GroupM and all its affiliates embrace and celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We are a worldwide media agency network that represents global clients. The more inclusive we are, the greater work we can create together.