Gauteng: Creative Director, Brand Marketing posted by The Talent Room

A strategic thought-leader in branding, design and marketing communications.  An expert storyteller who creates marketing campaigns that drive consumer engagement, conversion and competitive advantage.  A team-builder and cross-functional leader who brings innovation and best practices to an organization to drive growth and new standards of excellence.  A collaborator who works towards the common goal of the company, and its multiple brands, and while serving both internal and external customers ensures that company, brand and product communication initiatives are created and implemented successfully, monitored and continuously improved.  
In order to be effective in this role, the successful candidate needs to accommodate international, multi-time zone collaboration, management and meetings with flexibility in their scheduling.

Brand and Communications Strategy 
Brand Marketing Strategy

• Work with the Executives and internal customers (Performance Marketing, Ecomm and Business Development) to define overall brand vision, brand and product strategies, and coordinate implementation thereof with Performance Marketing to ensure revenue and profit growth, and an improved ROI on spend.
• Translate business direction into brand and creative strategy, plans and objectives, including success metrics and tracking and optimization thereof.  
• Develop product positioning to articulate product’s competitive value propositions that aligns with consumer needs.

Product launches

• Oversee the planning and execution of design, messaging and product launch campaigns, messaging, social and PR setting metrics for success, monitoring, reporting and optimizing each campaign/initiative. 
• Oversee development and approval for pitch decks and content creation for new and existing partners to support business development and new product/strategy/channel launches
• Drive strategy implementation across brands, making mid-course corrections as required to maintain effectiveness and efficiency.

Design & Creative Management 
Design/Creative

• Drive effective asset creation (budget, concept, strategy, execution) for use across all mediums, channels, campaigns and owned assets.
• Work effectively with current and potential licensing partners and internal teams (including Legal) to make sure technology and branding messaging provide the most benefit for the company. 
• Drive the effectiveness and strategy for design, UI and UX with the Design Lead to create unique, impactful  brand stories via inspiring content and design to leverage across all marketing mediums. 
• Take ultimate responsibility on brand representation, corporate identity, brand story and compliance to requirements

Brand

• Develop and execute on Brand strategy and messaging across the brands (individually and combined), using best-practice techniques to deliver high value for the company.
• Drive brand messaging for the brands
• Drive the differentiation and positioning for products and services
• Build the brands on the back of a defined strategy, measurable outcomes and frequent reporting and optimizations

Research

• Utilize multiple data sources to monitor category & brand performance metrics and consumer insights..
• Initiate consumer research (pre- and post-launch to ensure high-impact assets, positioning and campaigns are created. 
• Drive competitor research and analysis to inform brand and product positioning strategies, looking for areas of improvement, marketing claims, and market gaps to capitalize on
• Drive industry research and brand analysis, drawing from the results thereof to inform brand, design, messaging and financial improvements.

Communications Management

• Ensure the accuracy and consistency of all content that is distributed, internally and externally about the company, portfolio brands, product and other special projects.

Communications Strategy

• Compile and execute communications strategies across all portfolio brands and channels. 
• Leverage industry-leading techniques and strategies to drive organic growth, brand awareness and share of voice.
• Monitor performance of the strategies and make course corrections for optimal performance.
• Blogs, Emails, Web content strategy, Organic social Media, Internal Comms, Shareholder Comms.

Communications Management

• Social Media: Report approval and analysis, incorporating learnings into social media strategy to consistently improve performance and drive engagement, cross functional knowledge sharing for optimization of paid campaigns etc.
• Define consistent, optimized messaging and priority benefits across all platforms, specific to each portfolio brand and product line.
• Responsible for the accuracy and consistency of all copy content across all channels and portfolio brands.
• Liaise with the performance marketing and web teams about content that needs to be updated and optimized.

Public Relations

• Drive the creation of public and media relations strategies across the portfolio.
• Day-to-day management of internal media relations activities and Media Relations agencies, driving outcomes, monitoring performance and optimization.  
• Drive cross-functional collaboration for creation of media materials, and ensure internal approval processes are followed for any media relations.
• Support external association (e.g. CTA) relationships and Lobbying efforts with strategic insights, content creation and other adhoc activities.
• Drive the creation, accuracy and strategy for media materials and press briefings for management. 
• Oversee the planning and execution of PR/media relations initiatives, setting metrics for success, monitoring, reporting and optimizing each campaign (including the provision of reports on each to the executives). 
• Oversee media monitoring and reporting, and establish relations with media to ensure positive reporting of the organization.

Awards

• Create, execute on, and manage an Awards strategy across the portfolio, driving brand and product awareness in line with company strategy and brand pillars

Team Management

• Drive, track and report on the optimization of resources (people and systems)
• Drive brand marketing process improvements and growth and development of reporting team.
• Drive and foster cross-functional collaboration 
• Increase team’s effectiveness with the following:
• Recruitment, selection and orientation;
• Training and development;
• Assign accountabilities and plan;
• Monitor and appraise job and project results;
• Develop a climate for offering information and opinions.
• Ensure the team meets timelines and produces content of the highest quality, always maintaining their professional image, both internally and externally.
• Ensure that the team has the support and resources it needs to thrive and develop professionally.

Budgeting & Reporting
Budgeting

• Compile realistic budgets for brand marketing, aligning to strategic goal achievement, working collaboratively with other marketing leaders and with the finance team to ensure accuracy.  
• Drive optimization and cost saving in brand marketing (marketing operations) budget, evaluating cost versus impact, competitive pricing and contract negotiations, and alternatives.

Reporting

• Drive the establishment, improvement and active management of  team’s objectives, in line with best practice standards and metrics.
• Interpret and present feedback on brand marketing initiatives and operations, driving optimization quarter by quarter.
• Actively monitor and report on performance with weekly feedback on relevant channels, and monthly reporting to the executive team.

QMS

• Drive compliance to the Quality Management System within your reporting team and ensure continuous improvement of related processes and procedures. 
• Establish plans and processes for the continuous improvement in output and quality from your reporting team.
• Take ultimate responsibility for brand marketing approvals and accuracy of output created by your reporting team.
• Manage the marketing claims matrix, portfolio brands, and individual product lines, including:
• Ensuring continuous review and accuracy of matrix for each launched product, working collaboratively with departments within the organisation.
• Scoping desired claims matrix for new products, or future initiatives, or brand building exercises, and assisting cross-functional teams to deliver on desired claims and appropriate proof of compliance

Requirements:

• Degree in Communications, Design or related fields(essential)
• Master’s Degree in Communications, Design or related fields (desirable)
• 10+ years in a leadership position in brand marketing and creative design and copywriting across agency and in-house creative departments

Required nature of experience:

• Brand management and storytelling, creative brand development and messaging. 
• Product positioning, marketing communications, public relations and owned social media.
• Integrated campaign creation and go-to-market planning
• Direct to consumer, retail, healthcare and business to business.
• Industry, consumer and competitor analysis and research
• International exposure (U.S. required)
• Managing Creative & Public Relations Agencies 
• Proven track record in team management + development
• Agency or consumer brand experience preferred

Skills and Knowledge (essential):

• Business connected brand and creative strategy development and optimization
• Brand, portfolio and product positioning and differentiation
• Excellent storytelling, design and messaging skills
• Media Relations and social media expertise including press release creation and Executive Briefings for press interviews. 
• Product launch and integrated marketing campaign experience. 
• Agency management experience
• Budget establishment and management

Please note only candidates that meet the minimum requirements will be considered.  

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