Wavemaker | Strategy Director

Wavemaker China

Overview of job

Wavemaker is an agency of GroupM, the leading global media investment company and are a part of WPP. In fact, we are responsible for one in every three ads you see globally. We are currently looking for a Strategy Director in Shanghai to join us. We need a passionate, self-motivated strategic leader to drive integrated planning for some of our key clients in China.  You will be working with iconic brands across categories such as consumer goods, health & pharmaceutical.

As Strategy Director, you are responsible for championing and leading our strategic output, internally, with our clients and within the industry.  You will partner with our client leaders, supported by our other specialists, developing strategies through our ‘Rapid Growth Planning’ operating system, designed to help our clients leverage media, content & technology to drive business growth.

Your role will be a critical part of the strategy team, with responsibility for contributing to our thought leadership output, as well as leading our strategic response on new business pitches.  You will work collaboratively with our client and specialist teams, especially consumer insight, analytics and content experts, to develop a seamlessly integrated output for our clients.

Reporting of the role

This role reports to Head of Strategy, Wavemaker China.

3 best things about the job:

1. Be a part of our strategist community. Working with – and learning from - a wide variety of people from WAVEMAKER, client and agency partners
2. Formal training on Wavemaker & GroupM’s planning, data and insights tools – including a 4-day immersion into Rapid Growth Planning
3. Committed to personal development with development program, designed to stretch and develop your skills

Measures of success –

In three months:

• Learn about Rapid Growth Planning and utilising proprietary tools to answer client’s briefs
• Maintain a deep understanding of business, target audiences and wider communications environment
• Leading the development of strategic responses for your clients, across different categories
• Work closely with specialist from insight, data, content and performance to deliver strategic responses

In six months:

• Drive integration between Owned, Earned & Paid Media across all briefs including annual planning and campaign
• Able to lead strategic discussion with senior clients on key business challenges
• Lead in strategic thinking, ideation and innovation while collaborating with internal and external parties

In 12 months:

• Able to package strategic frameworks and engagement ideas for client presentation
• Assist Head of Strategy in crafting thought leadership pieces and compelling strategies
• Assist Head of Strategy to facilitate training, internal and external workshops

Responsibilities of the role:

• Driving our integrated planning responses for key clients, founded in great consumer insight and delivering transformational ideas
• Leading the strategic response, often as a part of a multi-agency team, including working effectively with planners from other agencies & disciplines
• Championing Rapid Growth Planning, WAVEMAKER’s integrated planning process, and putting purchase journey thinking at the heart of our work
• Leading our strategic response for key new business pitches
• Coaching strategic planning teams to deliver great integrated planning responses
• Driving innovation and relevant technology adoption, particularly coming through audience planning analysis
• Securing trusted advisor status with our key clients
• With client leads, contributing to client growth plans, in order to drive client growth
• Developing effective working relationships with leaders across clients, consumer insight, analytics and content specialisms
• Being a key part of the WAVEMAKER China strategic community, contributing thinking, support and helping build a motivated team
• Driving quality of agency output outside of day to day planning responses through white papers, award entries and thought leadership projects

What you will need:

• Driving our integrated planning responses for key clients, founded in great consumer insight and delivering transformational ideas
• Leading the strategic response, often as a part of a multi-agency team, including working effectively with planners from other agencies & disciplines
• Championing Rapid Growth Planning, WAVEMAKER’s integrated planning process, and putting purchase journey thinking at the heart of our work
• Leading our strategic response for key new business pitches
• Coaching strategic planning teams to deliver great integrated planning responses
• Driving innovation and relevant technology adoption, particularly coming through audience planning analysis
• Securing trusted advisor status with our key clients
• With client leads, contributing to client growth plans, in order to drive client growth
• Developing effective working relationships with leaders across clients, consumer insight, analytics and content specialisms
• Being a key part of the WAVEMAKER China strategic community, contributing thinking, support and helping build a motivated team
• Driving quality of agency output outside of day to day planning responses through white papers, award entries and thought leadership projects
• Bilingual with both written & verbal communication skills in Mandarin/Chinese & English

More about Wavemaker

We believe there always is a better way to grow. We positively provoke growth for our clients by reshaping consumer decision-making and experiences through media, content and technology. The Wavemaker way is globally consistent. Fueled by the world’s most powerful consumer data, we understand where and how marketing can intervene decisively to help brands win more sales.

Our name is our mission and our method. To make waves, you need to be provocative, even fearless. We do our best work for brave brands and people who want to be challenged to go further and faster. We know it’s not easy, but if it’s in you, we will get it out of you.

Our 7,600 people across 90 markets provoke growth for some of the world’s leading brands and businesses. Our attitude of Positive Provocation is enabled by:

• deep knowledge we have of our clients’ business
• confidence to challenge what’s gone before
• the support to go further than we thought possible

We are a part of GroupM, WPP’s global media investment management company. Discover more on wavemakerglobal.com.

About China 

GroupM is the world’s leading media investment company responsible for more than $50 B in annual media investment through agencies Mindshare, MediaCom, Wavemaker, Essence and m/SIX, as well as the outcomes-driven programmatic audience company, Xaxis. GroupM’s portfolio includes Data & Technology, Investment and Services, all united in vision to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people. By leveraging all the benefits of scale, the company innovates, differentiates and generates sustained value for our clients wherever they do business.  

GroupM is an equal opportunity employer. We view everyone as an individual and we understand that inclusion is more than just diversity – it’s about belonging. We celebrate the fact that everyone is unique and that’s what makes us so good at what we do. We pride ourselves on being a company that embraces difference and truly represents the global clients we work with. 

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