Associate Planning Director

About the Role:

Overview

PHD Global Business is looking for an Associate Director with strong planning experience to work across two clients. Diageo Global Travel including Johnnie Walker Singleton Talisker Don Julio etc & HP EMEA business across the PC and Printers Commercial and Consumer.

For Diageo you will be leading comms planning excellence by bringing together evidence and ideas to create compelling annual media plans strategic campaign plans and the planning framework for the media teams to use to develop detailed tactical media plans.

You will be a key contributor as these brands make the case to continue to invest in travel retail. Your work will be pivotal in leading these brands to think about media in new and different ways. You will speak with our client on a weekly basis; other key contacts include the rest of the account team the media vendors the local markets especially the Greater China team to align with the global connections planning framework and occasionally the digital planning and buying team.

Youll help develop other team members by mentoring their strategic planning skills development.

For HP you will be helping PHD Global deliver agency-as-a-service to their in-house media team. This involves leveraging the power of our OMG network and tools and providing guidance on best practice & audience insights throughout the plan.

You will be working with our UK French and German markets to develop audience insights as well as using our agency tools to support EMEA wide scenarios from our London hub.

About PHD & PHD Strategy

PHD is a global media and communications agency built on a culture of thought leadership creativity and innovation. We are committed to leading the industry with thought provoking opinion and pioneering thinking. We always try to find a better way for our clients.

PHD launched in the UK in 1990 as the worlds first planning-led media agency and has grown into a global network spanning over 101 offices in over 90 markets with more than 7000 employees working with some of the worlds leading advertisers. Crucially we have retained our heritage for planning and innovation.

As Strategy team we believe in the Power of Problems that growth can be delivered through the transformative power of problem solving. We hold our work up to three filters Simple Beautiful and Useful.

The role of Associate Planning Director

• Demonstrate a blend of logic and magic; capable of thinking laterally where required playing an active role in creative conversations with clients and creative agencies but also able to think literally to shape robust implementational planning requirements with our specialist teams/markets
• Can identify and manage creative / innovative media opportunities that are born out of the strategy
• Are persistent enough to get them signed off and resourceful enough to bring them to life with either our colleagues in PHD Global Business with our markets or with our media partners ensuring we make a leap in every plan that goes out of the building
• Is motivated to create work that has the potential to win awards and can spot briefs that have award-winning potential within them
• Can create compelling presentation materials that get the plan signed off first time a research project signed off or further trust with clients when closing the loop with a PCA
• Has strong interpersonal skills and can effectively manage complex tasks with multiple stakeholders with a bias to seeing solutions rather than identifying problems
• Has strong client management skills across all levels of seniority and is developing mutually beneficial relationships with both creative partners and media owners
• Has the desire to make an impact not just on their agreed assignments but across the agency-at-large be that contributing to new business or new ways of doing things across the agency
• Is a cultural add rather than a cultural fit

Specific Responsibilities

Media planning

• Develop a thorough understanding of the target audience based on the client brief and their behaviours in media
• Build an annual plan media framework based on the clients media strategy that will be used as a guideline for each campaign response
• Drive and ensure robust portfolio planning aligning strategies across brands and markets to maximize media investment and performance.
• Lead omni-channel planning and execution ensuring campaigns are integrated across digital social OOH and other relevant channels.
• Set the tactical direction for each channel with specific ideas on how to activate so the specialists have a clear brief as they build the tactical media plans
• Review the tactical media plans with the specialist the vendors and occasionally the local market to ensure high quality innovative response that is in line with the brief
• Incorporate feedback and ideas with the strategy director
• Land media planning into excellence execution with the support of account team

Innovation

• Contribute to the innovation agenda and co-lead luxury workshop with strategy director
• Ensure we accomplish all agenda items by the end of the fiscal year
• Explore new vendors and identify key innovation opportunities and insights for luxury shopper within the Global Travel sector
• Work with new and existing vendors on any special builds or ideas to ensure they can come to life
• Help Diageo Global Travel to build luxury portfolio from media perspective.

Communication

• Participate in client briefing calls
• Work with vendors and local markets to ensure they:
  • understand the strategy and the planning framework
  • implement feedback you give them prior to client delivery
  • provide the response as per your expectation
• Consolidate response and present the media plans to the client
• Support in campaign operation to ensure the planning excellence reflecting on execution
• Contribute to build and participate in Post Campaign Analysis meetings to understand what went well and how to improve
• Work closely with the account team to set clear client expectations

Measurement

• Support in evolving GT measurement framework with strategy lead
• Analyse campaign performance and provide actionable insights to optimize future activity
• Extrapolate holistic insights at the portfolio level to inform broader strategic planning and drive future optimization.

What youll need to succeed

• 6 10 years experience in a local or regional media planning or strategy role prefer to have travel retail or luxury experience.
• Several years working with buying and investment teams to ensure the media plan ideas ideated using our planning tools and sold into client (usually via PowerPoint) can come to life in tactical detailed media plans ready for execution
• Hands on experience building and presenting strategic media plans to clients
• A passion for trying new things in media
• The ability to dig into the whys behind the answer no whether internally with buying teams or externally with client
• Comfort in talking about the role of different channels and formats in the consumer journey and in achieving communications objectives
• Fluency in English

Logistics & Benefits

• Two days a week at minimum working from home three days a week in our central London office
• Daily stipend that can be used in our office canteen for coffee or food
• Benefits include private medical scheme; group pension scheme; life assurance; permanent health insurance all subject to conditions of schemes & policies

About the Agency:

PHD is a growth-focused media agency driven by innovation and creativity.

Founded in London in 1990 we were the first media agency to offer strategic and creative planning at a time when the industry was about buying cheaply and quickly.

Our founders saw a bright future where smart thinking and clever planning could help brands grow faster than their competitors.

Over the many years that have followed we have continued to build on this defining ethic with our evolution shaped by a continual investment in thought leadership. And we continue to ensure that our capability and approach evolve in line with changes in media data technology commerce society and legislation.

Today with over 100 offices in 74 countries we continue to create remarkable campaigns that lead to remarkable growth using the extending canvas of data and technology.

Working

At Omnicom Media Group we are committed to supporting flexibility for our peoplewhile fostering collaboration innovation and teamwork. We have a hybrid working model (three days in the office two working remotely) to ensure that we meet the needs of both our people and our business balancing the benefits of in-person connections with the flexibility of remote working. Our standard working hours are 9:30 17:30 but we offer the ability to flex around core hours of 10:30 16:30 to give our people flexibility on how they manage their working day whether thats in the office or working remotely. For example you could start work at 8:30 and finish at 16:30 or start at 10:30 and finish at 18:30.

We encourage open conversations between our people and managers to help navigate high-need periods and individual circumstances. Our goal is to create an environment where people feel genuinely supported to do their best - both in their careers and in their lives outside of work.

Be Your Best

We want everyone to make the most of the opportunity to shine and showcase your talents and we are happy to make adjustments in the recruitment process so you can be your best. Please discuss any specific requirements with your dedicated Talent Team member or if you would feel more comfortable you can email us confidentially at to let us know how we can support you.

Diversity Equity & Inclusion at OMG

At OMG our vision is to be an agency where difference is valued and everyone is able to thrive in a culture of equality inclusion and belonging. We are committed to providing a truly inclusive environment that reflects todays society where everyone is able to bring their true selves to work and where diverse voices and backgrounds are valued heard and well-represented.

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Director