Account Director, Media Planning

About WPP Media

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333 - Account Director – Media Planning – BT  

EssenceMediacom: 

EssenceMediacom, part of WPP, is a new breed of media agency. Grounded in analytics & insights and powered by data & technology, we believe in the power of media and creative to drive breakthroughs for the world’s best brands. We help clients understand the modern marketing paradox and discover the breakthroughs brands need to win with their consumers. We are designed for the new communications economy — built on data & technology, built for people & algorithms, built around diverse schools of thought, built to test & learn at scale, and, crucially, built to evolve. 

Role Summary and Impact  

We are looking for a sharp and ambitious Account Director with strong Media Planning experience, who is ready to start a new adventure in our Planning team within the BT Group. You would be part of one of WPP’s flagship accounts working within Open Connect team, a collective of 100+ experienced cross-media marketing professionals. 

In this role, you will be working alongside the Planning Business Director on the BT account to drive client satisfaction with expertly developed media plans. Your previous planning experience will be key to develop strong working relationships with your clients and work closely with the planning team to deliver high-quality responses, ensuring all processes are met.   

The role is across the BT brand and will include media planning across both business and consumer campaigns, The role will provide a well-rounded understanding of how to reach and influence audiences with different needs, behaviours and decision-making journeys.  The types of campaigns will span brand and demand generation activity with the focus being brand. 

Essential Functions/Responsibilities: 

• Lead planning across key brand campaigns, working with clients and Activation teams to ensure smooth activation of campaigns.  
• Understand, maximise and demonstrate effectiveness of media planning across a variety of campaigns. Conduct research to determine and support planning recommendations (target audience, etc). 
• Own and deliver campaign insight and results on a weekly basis. 
• Liaise with multiple clients/ stakeholders on campaigns and manage/ maintain strong relationships with them 
• Contribute to clear briefs to Activation and setup collaborative sessions to deliver these. 
• Evaluate responses from the Activation team and work with them to finalise channel and publisher selections and budgets. 
• Own the overall plan (as shared with clients) and the Olive plan (including Olive – Essence internal digital media management platform) 
• Maintain the testing plans and supporting material. 
• Create and manage cross-channel reporting templates. 
• Collate and quality assure QA in-channel Activation reports, develop insights and recommendations for the weekly cross-channel report. 
• Work closely with ‘extended’ internal teams (SEO/ Analytics) but also external teams (creative agencies). 
• Contribute to the development of case studies that can be shared internally as learning and best practice. 
• Train and manage more junior members of the team to deliver high quality of output. 

Competencies (specific knowledge, skills and abilities): 

• Desire to learn and advance, with a keen eye for detail and an entrepreneurial spirit 
• A strong communicator who is confident and comfortable in front of clients/ stakeholders 
• Strong organisational skills, ability to prioritise and multi-task: you will be working on several projects at the same time, often for different stakeholders 
• Superior presentation design skills, in slides or document format 
• Familiarity with campaign evaluation metrics (Brand/ Acquisition) 
• Understanding of industry standard media research tools (e.g. Comscore, GWI, TGI, YouGov) 
• Experience in offline and online media is beneficial  
• Proven experience in media at a Media Planner Manager level, with solid understanding of the principles of  Brand Planning  

Skills and Experience 

• At least five years of experience in a pure planning role. 
• Demonstrable interest and expertise in planning craft. 
• Mastery of basic planning/insight tools such as eTelmar, TGI, YouGov, WARC, etc. 
• Strong experience and interest in dedicated planning tools. 
• Interest and knowledge of Planning and Media trends and issues. 

Life at WPP Media & Benefits 

Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment to Be Extraordinary, investing in our employees to inspire transformational creativity. We also Lead Optimistically, firmly believing in and Championing Growth and Development for every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees to leverage the extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising.  

We Create an Open environment built on trust and respect, where everyone feels they belong and has opportunities to progress. This inclusive culture is fostered through a variety of employee resource groups and frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment, including competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.  

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection in this open and supportive environment. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. 

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While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. 

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