Communications Director - Mayfair in London

SCOPE AND PURPOSE

The purpose of the role is to oversee and manage all communications and lifestyle activations across the two Maybourne Mayfair properties, Claridge’s and The Connaught, as well as additional UK group activations where needed. To act as the lead daily support and management of the day to day running of the press office and lead on key projects including critical launches spanning food and drink, restaurants and hospitality, fashion and luxury lifestyle areas. The role requires both strategic thinking and best practice PR skills, as well as creative thinking and ideas that align to the approved brand positions of the hotels. Working closely alongside the social media teams as the Communications team oversees all storytelling on channels of all the hotels and align with media communication.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Press Office
• To actively promote the hotels and be guardians of the brands to UK media and key overseas media, including working with our PR agencies in London, New York and the Middle East.
• To actively build on and continue to grow key media contacts within the company, both in traditional media and digital.
• Maybourne target press and influencers span the worlds of travel, food and restaurants, style, fashion, art, design, beauty and spas – the candidate should be constantly aware of new journalists and influencers in these areas, contacting them and building strong relationships.
• To host journalists regularly across their London hotels introducing the teams and ensuring bars, restaurants and pop ups are on the London agenda.
• To be able to write and create engaging, fluent press releases and materials with concise messaging designed to maximise coverage.
• Working with the hotel teams to help devise creative, innovative collaborations and initiatives throughout the year which drive business to the property.
• To create strategic communications plans for these activations which span marketing, social media, press activities and launch moments.
• To place profiles and interviews of key members of the business and be able to create thorough briefing documents to ensure they are prepared and best representing our brands.
• To keep international PR agencies abreast of key PR stories, to look after visiting international journalists and help support Sales and Marketing efforts in key territories.
• To oversee and devise PR photo shoots to help promote activations across the hotels.
• To work with, have and make strong contacts across other luxury brands / bodies to devise creative collaborations, opportunities to host events – being ever mindful of the brands and how to leverage them.
• To have their finger on the pulse of trends and new developments, making sure the hotels are at the frontiers of new ideas and thinking.
• To be able to build good relationships within the hotel teams from the MD to the luggage porter, playing an active part of the hotel life – being confident at presenting regular updates on PR activities to hotel Colleagues Quarterly Meetings.
• Keeping MD/ EPC teams abreast of activities and working with them to help drive revenue.
• To play a collaborative role within the Maybourne communications team, supporting each other on key projects and activities.
• To assist in responding to heavy volume of requests in timely manner – these are from influencers, press, photographers, film crews, and the hotels themselves - making good judgement calls and being able to juggle multi projects at any one time.
• Attention to detail on all bookings / reservations, always looking at extra ways to enhance the experience for journalists / influencers across the hotels.
• Planning, Strategy and Reporting
• To be a key player in brainstorming and planning sessions, crafting creative robust Comms strategies and annual calendars.
• To be a key player / lead in organisation and execution of major campaigns.
• To create summary presentations and reports and attend quarterly meetings where these documents will be presented, whilst hearing key updates from the other departments.
• To learn to build annual PR / comms budget and have responsibility to oversee and ensure keep on track.
• Maybourne Magazine
• The Communications team produce the Maybourne Magazine – two issues a year. This role will contribute to this key ongoing project.
• Social Media
• This role will help support the Maybourne social media team, specifically Instagram.
• The Head of social media and content will require support with drafting of posts and understanding the unique copy style for our hotels.
• For all high impact launches work closely with the Maybourne Social media team to ensure their strategy is closely aligned on storytelling narrative.
• Like all members of the Communications team, you will help monitor the Instagram landscape within the luxury industries, flagging things of interest / new approaches and ideas to help ensure that our approach is always fresh and creative.
• Influencers
• To support social media team in helping identify and build relevant relationships for each hotel and storyline.
• To keep up to date with the world of influencers by recognising those who are relevant and have their finger on the pulse of creative narrative.
• Events
• You will be a key contributor to all events put on by the Press team from intimate dinners to large parties, with ownership of certain events.
• You will have a strong grasp on the who is who of London social world, and newsworthiness of certain characters to build a relevant and topical database.
• You will ensure the heads of business are thoroughly briefed on attendees.