Associate Consultant – Loyalty & CRM

Who We Are:

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse. 

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences.  Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work. 

The opportunity:

Are you an ambitious and curious emerging talent eager to make a tangible impact on global brands?

The CRM & Loyalty Strategist role within VML Enterprise Solutions' Commerce Performance team offers an unparalleled opportunity to launch your career at the forefront of customer engagement. You'll play a foundational role in supporting the development and execution of cutting-edge CRM and Loyalty strategies for our diverse, top-tier client portfolio.

This position is designed for an individual with a passion for translating consumer insights into actionable CRM and Loyalty strategies that drive tangible commercial growth. You'll gain invaluable experience working closely with senior strategists and consultants, contributing to projects from initial research and analysis through to strategy development, implementation support, and performance measurement. You'll also have unique access to the vast resources of the WPP network, including state-of-the-art AI tools like WPP Open, empowering you to innovate and enhance efficiency in your strategic work. If you're eager to learn, grow, and contribute to shaping the future of customer relationships, this is the role for you.

What you’ll be doing:

• Research & Analysis: Conduct comprehensive competitive research, industry benchmarking, and consumer insights analysis to inform strategic recommendations. This includes gathering data on market trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in CRM and Loyalty.
• Strategy Support: Assist in the development of CRM and Loyalty strategies, including defining customer journeys and touchpoints for CRM programs, segmentation, personalisation tactics, and communication frameworks. Contribute to defining program mechanics for loyalty initiatives (e.g., points, tiers, rewards).
  
  
• Content & Toolkit Development: Support the creation of client-facing deliverables such as strategy presentations, workshops, and implementation toolkits (e.g., PowerPoint decks, journey flow diagrams) that clearly articulate strategic recommendations and their rationale.
  
  
• Performance Measurement: Contribute to defining key performance indicators (KPIs) and measurement frameworks for CRM and Loyalty initiatives, helping to track and report on program effectiveness.
  
  
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work collaboratively with internal VML teams (e.g., creative, data & analytics, technology, media, customer experience) to ensure integrated and holistic solutions for clients.
  
  
• Implementation Support: Assist in the translation of strategic recommendations into actionable plans, including supporting the development of creative briefs and defining messaging strategies for various touchpoints.
  
  
• Platform Understanding (Emerging): Begin to understand the capabilities and limitations of various CRM and Loyalty platforms to inform strategic recommendations and support activation. This includes CRM platforms such as Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Adobe Marketing Cloud, and Braze, and Loyalty platforms like Talon One, Antavo, and Zinrelo.
  
  
• Pre-Sales Support: Provide support for pre-sales activities, including auditing existing client CRM programs and identifying opportunities for enhancement.
  
  
• Ad-hoc Support: Support senior team members with various project tasks as required, demonstrating flexibility and a proactive approach.

What we want from you:

• Education: Bachelor's degree or apprenticeship in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field (or equivalent practical work experience in a marketing, business, or agency environment). We value diverse educational paths and practical experience equally.
  
  
• Experience: ideally some commercial experience in a marketing, business, or agency environment, with a demonstrable interest in CRM, Loyalty, or customer experience. This could include internships, volunteer work, personal projects, or relevant coursework.
  
  
• Digital Marketing Fundamentals: Basic understanding of digital marketing channels (email, SMS, push notifications, social media) and their role in customer engagement.
  
  
• Customer Journey Awareness: An emerging understanding of customer lifecycle stages and touchpoints
  
  
• Research Methodologies: Familiarity with conducting desk research, competitive analysis, and industry benchmarking.
  
  
• Presentation Software: Proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides for creating professional and visually appealing presentations.
  
  
• Data Literacy: Basic ability to work with data in spreadsheets (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets) for organizing and simple analysis.
  
  
• Curiosity for Technology: An interest in understanding how marketing technologies (CRM platforms, loyalty platforms, marketing automation tools) function and integrate.
  
  
• Passion for Customers: A genuine interest in understanding consumer behaviour, motivations, and how to build lasting customer relationships.
  
  
• Foundational Strategic Thinking: emerging ability to connect disparate pieces of information, identify patterns, and contribute to logical problem-solving.Curiosity about how different elements of a strategy fit together.
  
  
• Analytical Acumen: Capability of gathering, organising, and interpreting basic data sets. Ability to identify key insights from research and present them clearly.
  
  
• Communication Skills: Clear and concise written and verbal communication. Ability to articulate ideas effectively and contribute to professional presentations.
  
  
• Collaboration & Teamwork: A strong team player skills, we look for person who actively listens, contributes positively to group discussions, and is eager to learn from others.
  
  
• Proactive Learning & Adaptability: Strong desire to learn new concepts, tools, and methodologies. Ability of adapting well to changing project requirements and client needs.
  
  
• Attention to Detail: Meticulousness in work, ensuring accuracy and completeness in research, analysis, and deliverables.
  
  
• Problem-Solving Orientation: Constructive mindset when approaching challenges, seeking solutions and asking clarifying questions.
  
  
• Intellectual Curiosity: A genuine desire to understand "why" and to continuously learn about new trends and technologies in the CRM and Loyalty space.
  
  
• Proactive Attitude: Someone who doesn't wait to be told what to do but actively seeks out opportunities to contribute and learn.
  
  
• Resourcefulness: The ability to find information and solutions independently when faced with a challenge.
  
  
• Strong Work Ethic: Dedicated and committed to delivering high-quality work, even when supporting on smaller tasks.
  
  
• Positive Outlook: A can-do attitude that contributes to a supportive and energetic team environment.

If you know some of this, even better:

• Direct experience with CRM platforms such as Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Adobe Marketing Cloud, and Braze.
  
  
• Direct experience with Loyalty platforms like Talon One, Antavo, and Zinrelo.

What we can offer you:

Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.

We offer a great benefits package including a discretionary bonus scheme, training opportunities, competitive pension, medical insurance, life assurance, social events, opportunities to buy and sell holidays, family friendly policies, discounts with hundreds of retailers and much more.

Our personality and behaviours: We believe that we are what we do, not just what we say. Our shared values and behaviours show how to bring the VML Enterprise Solution's culture to life through the actions we all take every day:

• Connect Meaningfully
• Inspire Creatively
• Include Purposefully
• Approach Positively

Our brilliant, talented people are what makes VML Enterprise Solutions what we are. That’s why we look for people who go beyond and always push our thinking to be better than yesterday.

AT VML Enterprise Solutions

Our Enterprise Solutions division houses strategic consultants, creative and technical architects and skilled developers and operators that together help some of the world’s leading organisations to deliver outstanding digital experiences across all major routes to market worldwide: marketplaces, online retailers, D2C, B2B and social platforms. With over 4,200 experts in 55 operational centres across 34 countries, our capabilities span the entire buying journey from customer acquisition, through engagement, to conversion and loyalty, driving multi-channel growth for world-leading brands.

We work with some of the most exciting brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, EY, Bosch, Unilever, Ford, DFS, Mercedes-Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Shell and Tiffany & Co. We’ve built over 500 platforms for brands and retailers and generate in excess of $29bn annually for our clients and work with over 50 strategic partners including Adobe, SAP, Salesforce, HCL, Shopify, Sitecore, BigCommerce, commerce tools and Acquia. Our reputation is based on our people, and we believe we have some of the best in the business.

As our business grows internationally, we’re looking for new people to join us on our journey to inspire and take a key role in shaping some of the best commerce solutions, services, and websites in the world. Working as a team, no problem is insurmountable; we share in our client’s successes and believe that anyone can show creative bravery no matter what their role is in the team.

WPP (VML Enterprise Solutions) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. 

VML is a WPP Agency. For more information, please visit our website, and follow VML on our social channels via Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. 

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