Integrated Media Director - Strategy

 

JOB PURPOSE – SUMMARY

As an Integrated Media Director – Strategy at EssenceMediacom Kenya, you will be a pivotal leader, driving the strategic planning process for our top-tier clients and actively shaping the agency's broader strategic narrative. Your expertise will span from annual brand planning and pitch strategy to thought leadership and award-winning work. You will champion integrated media thinking, provide data-informed direction, and unlock new opportunities for both our clients and the agency.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Strategic Planning & Marketing Development

• Lead annual and quarterly strategic planning for priority clients, seamlessly connecting brand objectives with media and marketing strategies.
• Develop and own marketing calendars, go-to-market plans, and promotional frameworks that align with client goals and business cycles.
• Deliver both long-term and agile 30-60-90 day media and marketing plans, adapting to shifting market dynamics.

2. Connections Planning & Communications Strategy

• Build and present integrated communications frameworks that effectively connect consumers with brands across paid, owned, and earned ecosystems.
• Define the Connections Strategy, identifying the optimal media mix, partners, and innovation opportunities to drive effectiveness.
• Ensure cohesion from strategy to execution through close collaboration with planning, implementation, data, and creative teams.

3. Data, Analytics & Insight-Led Innovation

• Lead the integration of analytics into strategic planning, shaping KPIs, interpreting audience patterns, and informing optimization efforts.
• Champion a data-driven mindset across teams, ensuring that measurement, ROI, and experimentation guide all decision-making.
• Translate complex analytical insights into actionable strategic points and tangible campaign improvements.

4. Category Monitoring & Competitive Intelligence

• Proactively track market trends, consumer shifts, and competitive activity to inform and refine strategic approaches.
• Lead business and marketing strategy reviews for client verticals, delivering insights that future-proof client growth plans.

5. Thought Leadership & Strategic Influence

• Produce whitepapers, strategic POVs, and trend reports to firmly position EssenceMediacom as a strategic thought leader in the market.
• Represent the agency in strategy forums, client workshops, and industry conferences.
• Shape and socialize GroupM strategy priorities and tools across teams, integrating global best practices into local market executions.

6. New Business & Pitch Leadership

• Lead strategic thinking and proposal development for key new business pitches.
• Craft integrated strategies that captivate in the boardroom and resonate deeply with client ambitions.
• Collaborate with business development, data, creative, and media teams to deliver award-worthy proposals.

7. Awards & Recognition

• Lead the creation and submission of compelling case studies for global and regional award programs (e.g., Cannes).
• Identify and develop standout work that pushes industry standards and showcases strategic excellence.

8. Sponsorships, Partnerships & Cultural Integration

• Identify and evaluate opportunities for clients to engage with culture through strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and co-branded moments.
• Ensure alignment with brand strategy and audience relevance.

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MEASURES OF SUCCESS

In 3 Months:

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of client business models and objectives.
• Establish strong working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Actively contribute to strategic conversations and pitch processes.

In 6 Months:

• Independently drive strategic planning cycles and respond effectively to briefs.
• Deliver high-quality strategic outputs such as POVs, data-led optimizations, and planning frameworks.
• Actively contribute to award submissions and internal thought leadership initiatives.

In 12 Months:

• Serve as the lead strategist on key accounts, driving strategy internally and directly with clients.
• Develop winning case studies and contribute to award-worthy campaigns.
• Be recognized as a critical connector between local clients and regional/global strategy teams.

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3 BEST THINGS ABOUT THIS JOB

1. Influence & Impact: Influence the strategic direction of brands across high-growth sectors with bold, progressive thinking.
2. Dynamic Environment: Work with diverse teams and clients eager to invest in modern, connected media.
3. Strategic Voice: Elevate your strategic voice through award submissions, whitepapers, pitches, and thought leadership.

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PROFESSIONAL, TECHNICAL SKILLS AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Experience: 7+ years of experience in media strategy, integrated planning, or brand consultancy within an agency or marketing-led business.
• Track Record: A proven track record of creating and executing integrated media strategies across diverse industries.
• Media Expertise: Advanced knowledge of digital and traditional media channels, with a deep understanding of the evolving media ecosystem.
• Presentation Skills: Confidence in presenting to senior clients, coupled with a compelling storytelling and problem-solving approach.
• Research Tools: Strong command of media and consumer research tools (e.g., GWI, TGI, social listening platforms, Google Analytics, etc.).
• Strategic Acumen: High strategic acuity, commercial sensibility, and creative vision.

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COMPANY OVERVIEW

EssenceMediacom Kenya unleashes brands’ growth by helping them See the Bigger Picture. We apply our unique ‘Breakthrough’ philosophy and technology to all marketing levers: media, message, and data. This approach enables us to design communication strategies that deliver short-term results while building brands for the future.

As part of WPP, the world's largest marketing communications services group, and GroupM, WPP’s consolidated media investment management arm, we leverage the richest data, most robust benchmarks, and most advanced capabilities in the market. This allows us to provide comprehensive solutions to all business and marketing challenges.

Our success is underpinned by our long-standing ‘People First, Better Results’ belief. We know that by investing in our people’s whole-person well-being, careers, and capabilities, we will help grow our clients’ businesses. In 2023, this approach led Mediacom to be crowned the World’s Most Effective Communications Group by Effie Awards, World’s Most Successful Media Network by WARC Awards for Effectiveness, and Agency Network of the Year by Festival of Media.

EssenceMediacom Kenya is one of the world’s leading media communications specialists, with global annual billings of £53 Billion. The Mediacom network comprises over 6,500 people working in 125 offices in 100 markets around the world. We are proud to call some of the world's most successful brands as clients, including Sony, P&G, DLG, the Volkswagen Group, and The Coca-Cola Company. In Kenya, EssenceMediacom, as part of GroupM, is the largest Media Buyer.

We celebrate difference and have built-in flexibility that reflects the many different ways in which people work and succeed, which is why we actively encourage participation in our Global Mobility program with opportunities to live and work around the world. Do you want to work with smart, creative, connected, and enthusiastic people in a stable and rewarding environment? So do we.