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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead media planning and campaign management for top clients, ensuring high-quality output.
- Company: WPP Media is a global leader in creative transformation, driving growth through innovative media solutions.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, flexible work options, and comprehensive health benefits, plus a vibrant workplace culture.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team that values creativity and collaboration, making a real impact on brands and consumers.
- Qualifications: Experience in media planning and strong communication skills are essential; a passion for problem-solving is a plus.
- Other info: This is a 12-month fixed-term contract with opportunities for professional growth and development.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Job Description
Description
About WPP Media
WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit wpp.com.
WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit wppmedia.com
About Wavemaker: A Leading WPP Media Brand
Wavemaker positively provokes growth for clients by reshaping consumer decision-making and experiences through media, content, and technology. Our name is both our mission and our method. We do our best work for brave brands and people who relish being challenged to go further and faster, together.
Role Summary and Impact
The planning team are the guardians of creating industry leading, unrivalled work at Wavemaker. We are central conduits to all specialists, striving to push boundaries and have a positive impact on consumers and brand.
Wavemaker UK is looking for a Planning Director to join our growing planning team, to drive planning across specific clients and be a media planning expert.
In this role, you will:
Media planning craft:
Develop an advanced understanding of media channels, channel ecosystems and planning best practices.
Start to translate strategic approach into planning practices for specific client briefs and pitches.
Have an advanced understanding of Wavemakers’s Purchase Journey thinking and planning philosophy across all client work. Including being an expert in a broad set of internal tools, as well as external tools to build a deep understanding of the consumer, the client’s business and its specific opportunities.
Have an expert overview of the media market landscape, trends and start to build media owner relationships.
Campaign management & effective communication:
Oversee campaign management, ensuring quality control and output is of the highest standard.
Develop a skilled understand of commercial practises and of the wider agency.
Build and maintain client and agency relationships at a mid-senior level, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of stakeholders and client business.
Comms planning and storytelling:
Own planning presentations including defining the inputs needed and working with the wider teams to compile work and meet deadlines.
Lead brainstorm and idea creation for campaigns
Start to independently problem solve, including integrating and questioning data and insights and find solutions based on knowledge and experience.
Skills and Experience
At WPP Media, we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values:
- Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity.
- Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust.
- Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise.
Practice Area Knowledge -Skilled- Develops breadth and depth of industry understanding. Becomes confident using tools, technology, techniques and systems and is able to train others.
Comfortable presenting both direct from platform (OS, Architect etc) and developing a story from data but delivered outside of platform (Telmar etc).
Can confidently answer client questions and liaise with internal teams on best solutions to use.
Problem Solving – Skilled – Uses critical questioning and maintains a broad perspective when analyzing information to gain a deeper understanding of the problem and wider impact. Quickly generates appropriate solutions informed by previous experience. Understands how to resolve escalated issues and supports others to problem solve. Supports or leads troubleshooting communication for issues.
Stakeholder Relationships – Skilled – Has an expert knowledge of client and agency structures. Can identify key decision makers and understands their perspectives which is used to build relationships. Has strong knowledge of the client sector/industry which is shared to build strategies and plans. Identifies strategic issues and raises questions to help stakeholders explore and understand their wider business challenges. Can easily suggest business solutions to match client/stakeholder needs and achieve objectives.
Effective Communication -Advanced- Leads the delivery of relevant and accurate information to drive maximum impact. Consistently delivers communications to influence and educate all levels of seniority, appropriately judging the demands of the situation. Creatively develops presentations and comms to help with the understanding/education of complex information. Guides others on the best practices and approaches for creating clear, concise and organized communication materials to convey plans in a user-friendly way.
Campaign Management – Advanced – Reviews the work of others to ensure accuracy and thoroughness objectives have been met; provides coaching on ways to improve work outputs. Applies best practice to campaign management and acts as the escalation point for issues. Provide actionable insights during mid and post campaign reports to improve in-flight optimizations and future campaign brief recommendations. Oversees team members to discuss current projects, workload and activities prioritises resources accordingly. Improves workload management by supporting other in setting priorities and by postponing less relevant work.
Compelling Storytelling – Skilled – Applies big picture thinking in work and proactively leverages an understanding of the organization and key industry trends. Understand the different elements of responses. Designs differentiated communications (content focus, style, presentation etc) for various internal and external audiences.
Ideas Creation – Advanced – Lead new projects/activities that can create ideas to deliver effective solutions to clients business objectives. Ability to proactively generate ideas to provoke and deliver against broader business strategies. Coaches other to gain new insights and view opportunities from different perspectives. Championing an environment that fosters innovation by encouraging others to openly share and build on other’s new ideas, products and solutions
Comms Planning – Skilled – Applies knowledge of client, audience, channel, market and category to effectively deliver compelling multi-media plans. Translates learnings and trends to create marketing communication strategies that are effective with clear measurement. Application of purchase journey thinking and visualization of how the media plan works channels. Translation of strategic direction/platform/provocation into directional role for media, channel role and behaviour in channel. Identifies and recommends budget shifts as campaign is in-flight where appropriate.
Life at WPP Media & Benefits
Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. WPP Media employees can tap into the global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our benefits include 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 particular 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.
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. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.
Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location
Please read our Privacy Notice ( https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy) for more information on how we process the information you provide.
Planning Director - 12 month FTC employer: GroupM
Contact Detail:
GroupM Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Planning Director - 12 month FTC
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Wavemaker's Purchase Journey thinking and planning philosophy. Understanding this framework will help you align your insights and strategies with their approach, making you a more attractive candidate.
✨Tip Number 2
Build relationships with media owners and industry professionals before applying. Networking can provide you with valuable insights into the media landscape and may even lead to referrals that could boost your application.
✨Tip Number 3
Stay updated on the latest trends in media planning and campaign management. Being able to discuss current market dynamics and how they impact client strategies will demonstrate your expertise during interviews.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to showcase your problem-solving skills by thinking of examples where you've successfully navigated challenges in previous roles. This will highlight your ability to handle the complexities of the Planning Director position.
We think you need these skills to ace Planning Director - 12 month FTC
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Before applying, make sure to thoroughly read the job description for the Planning Director position. Understand the key responsibilities and required skills, and think about how your experience aligns with these.
Tailor Your CV: Customise your CV to highlight relevant experience in media planning, campaign management, and stakeholder relationships. Use specific examples that demonstrate your skills in these areas, as they are crucial for this role.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that not only outlines your qualifications but also reflects your understanding of WPP Media's mission and values. Show enthusiasm for the role and explain why you would be a great fit for their team.
Showcase Your Communication Skills: Since effective communication is vital for this position, ensure that your application materials are clear, concise, and well-organised. Use professional language and structure your documents logically to make a strong impression.
How to prepare for a job interview at GroupM
✨Understand the Media Landscape
Before your interview, make sure to research the current media landscape and trends. Familiarise yourself with Wavemaker's approach to media planning and how it aligns with the broader goals of WPP Media. This will help you demonstrate your knowledge and passion for the industry.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Be prepared to discuss specific examples where you've successfully solved complex problems in previous roles. Highlight your critical questioning techniques and how you've used data to inform your decisions. This will show that you can think strategically and adaptively.
✨Prepare for Storytelling and Communication
As a Planning Director, effective communication is key. Practice presenting your ideas clearly and concisely, using storytelling techniques to engage your audience. Be ready to explain how you would convey complex information in an accessible way to clients and stakeholders.
✨Build Relationships and Network
Demonstrate your ability to build and maintain relationships by discussing your experience working with clients and internal teams. Share how you've navigated different perspectives and decision-makers to achieve successful outcomes. This will highlight your interpersonal skills and understanding of stakeholder dynamics.
