Senior Associate Director - Gaming

Burson, part of WPP, is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future.

As an Associate Director, you will be a dynamic and commercially astute thinker, creating strategic and innovative solutions for client challenges that yield exceptional results. You will offer insightful and effective counsel to clients, manage expectations, proactively address issues, and ensure seamless execution of all client deliverables.

This role is a rare opportunity to work on a career-defining set of clients that would turn the head of anyone passionate about entertainment.

Blizzard Entertainment is the industry-leading developer of genre-defining games including Diablo, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Hearthstone. Burson partners with Blizzard to craft and execute high-impact, EMEA-wide campaigns, expertly managing multiple markets to ignite and engage their passionate communities. This Associate Director role is pivotal in orchestrating the EMEA hub team, providing strategic leadership to day-to-day account teams across all Blizzard franchises and markets.

You will be instrumental in ensuring seamless regional execution, fostering cross-market collaboration, and maintaining the highest standards of account management and strategic counsel for this esteemed client, directly supporting the Senior Director and Managing Director in driving regional success.

A key part of this role will be the proactive identification, cultivation, and securing of new brand partnerships for Burson's many clients who sit outside of the gaming industry but look to harness its power through campaigns within the dynamic gaming and esports ecosystem. You will serve as an expert consultant, leveraging Burson's specialist knowledge to advise diverse brands on effective gaming strategies, from activations and sponsorships to influencer marketing and community engagement.

This involves articulating Burson's unique value proposition and expertise in the gaming sector to expand our client portfolio and drive significant new revenue streams by bringing non-endemic brands into this rapidly growing space.

What You'll Do

• Serve as a trusted advisor to clients, enhancing client relationships and assisting clients in achieving their business and communication objectives.
• Exhibit strong strategic thinking, crafting compelling narratives and multi-channel content strategies that generate new revenue streams for clients.
• Bring a deep understanding of influencer and creator landscapes within the gaming and entertainment industries and lead the team in delivering best in class campaigns.
• Work with key stakeholders to drive and expand client activity within the team, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and exceed clients’ expectations.
• Lead and facilitate idea creation sessions both internally and externally on behalf of clients.
• Develop and mentor team members, providing opportunities for growth and development.

Experience That Contributes To Success

• Incredible client service skills, able to stay across multiple workstreams and stakeholders while adding value consistently with your counsel and leadership, based on credibility and reliability.
• A passion for, and professional understanding of, the entertainment industry including gaming, music, film, the streaming economy and more.
• The ability to lead teams – including account teams and specialists – to outstanding creative plans, built on audience insights, cultural understanding, and expertise in what makes for great fame-making brand activity.
• Commercial acumen and financial rigour, able to create and keep track of complex budgets and monitor service levels.
• A natural leader able to keep teams motivated and delivering to highest standards during busy campaign periods.

You Belong At Burson

Our vision is for Burson to be the leading ‘academy company’ for creative communications professionals and emerging leaders. We provide a dynamic environment where ambitious colleagues come to elevate their skills, expand their networks, and ultimately, produce the best solutions for today’s leading brands.

Our commitment to your growth is reflected in our robust benefits and people programs, which include professional development opportunities, mentorship programs with industry leaders, a vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation and packages designed to reward and retain top talent.

We invest in our people because we believe their success is our success. At Burson, we’re an agency of learn-it-alls. We recognize that the things we do best, creativity and communications, require a level of nuanced understanding.

That’s why it’s imperative for us to hire extraordinarily talented people of all backgrounds and identities. Without that we can’t do the essential work of inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue, cultivating meaningful experiences, and driving innovation and creativity for our partners.

Your unique point of view—your talent—is what makes you a #BursonPerson, and it’s how we deliver exceptional results for our clients, together.

We believe the best work happens when we’re together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That’s why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week.