Associate Director, Market Research & Analysis

   

  

North America Associate Director Research & Insights   

The Opportunity   

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities.    

We are proud to be the global partner for Coca-Cola, a client with whom we share both values and ambition.    

In what has been called the “the biggest advertising pitch in history,” WPP was chosen to connect our talent and skills in a truly borderless way to create an open platform that will multiply the power of creativity for one of the world’s largest and beloved brands.  

Welcome to OpenX, our transformational approach that marries WPP, the #1 global network and largest communications holding company in the world, with iconic Coca-Cola valued at 71 billion dollars, and, with a portfolio of brands that includes Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, Smartwater, Minute Maid and Powerade among others.  

There’s no magic like the one that comes from outstanding talent collaborating across time zones, regions and markets. It is what we call the “collective ta-da.” That is why being part of OpenX is simply a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a game changer partnership built with one goal in mind; creating the boldest, most innovative ideas in the history of marketing.  

The Role   

The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) business is divided into four main categories:  Coca-Cola, Sparkling, Nutrition, Hydration.   

As an Associate Director of Research and Insights, you will work across the TCCC portfolio, inspiring the strategies and approaches that move the Coca-Cola business into the next realm of marketing excellence and consumer experience. ​You will be capable of collaborating closely with the E2E Strategy Director, Category Lead, Brand Lead, Data & Tech, Commerce and Creative Strategist to develop 360-degree integrated audience planning approaches.   

You will contribute strategic thinking to client business and OpenX Media processes and outputs, creating clarity and inspiration around North America category charters (assignments). You will develop insights and inputs into the client business challenges and agency deliverables.   

You will be involved from the earliest stages of the strategy process through to campaign execution and measurement. The Associate Director, Research and Insights is responsible for bringing together and analyzing data from multiple sources to help TCCC make better strategic media and communications choices rooted in human insights.   

All our people, processes and technology are united through our focus on understanding the consumer and their behavior to derive strategic insights that better connect TCCC to their audiences and make our strategies more effective.   

Our team uses many techniques to integrate a variety of proprietary, syndicated, and custom data sources on consumers, audiences, brands, and the digital landscape to connect what people buy and use with how they consume and interact with media.  

Specifically, you will:  

• Utilize 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data sources to derive clear, creative, and compelling insights, bringing them to life through visualizations and storytelling that can impact strategy and planning
• Uncover new audience opportunities for our clients and share an understanding of who they are, why they do what they do and the best ways to reach them
• Manage qualitative and quantitative research projects to help our clients solve their business problems by leveraging multiple research methodologies (recontacts, brand tracking, segmentation studies, focus groups, etc.)
• Direct the process and manage the day-to-day responsibilities of several research projects from start to finish, including helping to frame objectives, developing research proposals, creating research content (surveys, screeners, etc.) and analyzing results to create final client deliverables
• Lead strategic workshops in discussion of key findings from research studies and tools with clients, including potential business and media applications of the insights 
• Develop and lead thought leadership pieces and shape the content of “Insight Packs’ for client use
• Build insight presentations and present them to internal and external stakeholders
• Integrate with planning and strategy teams as an internal consultant to help them improve their understanding of the resources and tools both proprietary and external available to them
• Develop the skills of junior level talent and build a positive environment within the team
• Become a trusted insight partner to our clients by understanding both their long-term and day-to-day needs 
• Able to establish and maintain effective relationships interdepartmentally as well as those outside the team
• Support New Business pitches by providing insight analysis and guidance as needed
• Other responsibilities as assigned  

The Team:   

The Associate Director of Research & Insights will report into the Director of Research & Insights.   

Key Relationships   

Inter agency contacts across the WPP OpenX business, with particular focus on:   

• North America Category and Brand Leads
• E2E Strategy Leads
• OpenX Integration teams
• External partner agencies

What you will bring   

You will bring strong leadership credentials, a proven ability to work with clients and a track record in driving innovative research and insights outputs. Your style will embrace the attractions and challenges of an agency environment: you will bring the energy to pitch in and help with whatever needs doing and the flexibility and accessibility to work with and bring out the best in a diverse group of WPP people and agencies.   

You will stand out as a candidate for the role if you also bring:  

• Previous work experience at a research supplier, agency, or client research role
• Proven thought-leadership. Strong interest in uncovering the “whys” behind questions; demonstrates creativity and critical thinking in problem solving with the ability to distill the real question being asked
• Understanding of media data sources and research tools in terms of what is measured, the method and information reported. Working knowledge of syndicated consumer and media sources (MRI, Pathmatics, ComScore, YouGov, GWI, etc.)

• A reasonable comfort level working with numbers and data; research methodology coursework an asset but not a requirement.

• A working knowledge of integrated marketing including of strategy, connection insights, media planning, data analytics, social, and creative consumer activations. Active/passionate interest in advertising, technology, popular culture, current events and their subsequent impact on business. Strong knowledge of client’s business competition, and latest industry news and trends
• Demonstrates accuracy and attention to detail, resourceful & self-motivated. Ability to manage multiple projects and requests from numerous groups. Self-starter who demonstrates initiative. Show appropriate time management skills, including self-initiation in down times and completion of projects on time
• Superior communication skills - written & presentation, articulate in dialogue. A natural storyteller—a highly articulate and persuasive writer and speaker
• Ability to build relationships with both client and WPP teams. Proven successful collaboration with complex, multi-disciplinary teams. Ability to navigate a complex matrixed organization internally and externally  
• Willingness to learn, explore, and reinvent.

You will be open and optimistic, with the highest standards of personal ethics. You will have the emotional intelligence to work collaboratively both within and outside of WPP and its agencies.  

   

The base salary for this position at the time of this posting may range from $75,000 to $180,000. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including business needs, experience, level of responsibility and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, please visit https://www.wpp.com/people/wellbeing/benefits-at-wpp-in-the-us for more details.