Associate Strategy Director

Walton Isaacson is an award-winning, independent multicultural-focused Agency that provides strategic and culture-defining creative solutions to some of the world's largest, most iconic brand marketers. WI is driven by its core mission of a world made better through the power of diversity and seeing opportunities in culture to help our clients break new ground. This innovative agency model marries award-winning, full-service advertising, digital & social capabilities across multiple disciplines, providing value and efficiency to our client partners. Additional marketing specializations include Media, Entertainment and Sports Marketing, Experiential, Original Programming and Branded Content and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion communications. WI has diverse cultural expertise across Black, Hispanic, LGBTQ and General Market consumer segments. 

The Team: The Walton Isaacson Strategy department is a team of passionately-curious storytellers with varied experiences and perspectives. Our goal is to encourage brands to represent themselves more authentically to help foster meaningful connections and brand experiences. 

As Associate Strategy Director, you will lead the development of key insights that will drive category context, cultural relevance, brand positioning and creative strategy for our client’s brands. Your experience as both a planner and a strategist gives you the ability to identify, understand and analyze societal and cultural trends. You are responsible for distilling and trends into simple ideas that translate to actionable marketing strategies. You have a strong understanding of the consumer journey and will partner with the WI team to help identify the key touch points a brand needs to be relevant.  You will author consumer presentations, creative briefs, POVs, cases; work with creative, agency and client teams, and ultimately, ensure strategic alignment of creative and contact plan. 

Roles and Responsibilities: 

• Strategic oversight for all client campaigns and projects, providing the creative team direction to ensure the marketing and creative work is on-strategy and on-brand. 
• Develop strategies for selling ideas and provide rationale from research to support strategy. 
• Write inspiring creative briefs and brief in-house teams or partner with agencies to develop the content/experience needed to bring channels to life. 
• Research, analyze, develop, and present cultural and social trend presentations that affect the marketplace both locally and globally for client’s brands. 
• Lead and participate in brainstorming sessions with research, planning, and creative teams to develop brand strategies that drives rich creative thinking. 
• Utilize research and tools to help populate customer profiles and personas; identify unmet needs, hypothesize key customer problems and solutions. 
• Collaborate effectively and support knowledge sharing with colleagues from a range of disciplines including strategy, creative, and account management. 
• Create clear compelling content for client presentations, POVs, and other deliverables. 
• Leads the execution of creative projects - brief to presentation 
• Providing thought leadership internally with agency staff and externally with client team 
• Preserve and foster WI’s Culture and maintain a positive and forward-thinking attitude. 

Communications Skills: 

• Must have excellent oral and written communication, organization, and presentation skills 
• Story-telling ability with an aptitude to ask the right questions, explain information clearly and succinctly, boil down relevant insights 
• Good eye for detail and strong grammar skills, business writing skills 
• Able to and comfortable and professional interacting with and presenting to clients.  
• Ability to motivate staff, peers and clients 
• Must be able to provide actionable, constructive feedback, to strengthen the work and process 

Leadership Responsibilities 

• Seeks out opportunity and challenge 
• Nice way of working with people, team player, across disciplines 
• Willingness and success managing up, down and across 
• Natural manager with aptitude for talent growth and development  
• Ability to develop and nurture client relationships 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, Advertising, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, the Arts, or anything with a hint of creativity etc. 
• 7-10+ years of experience within advertising, marketing with a preferred focus in strategic planning 
• Innate curiosity and aptitude to learn about marketing, brands, advertising, communications, culture, people, etc. a burning desire to dig into what makes them tick 
• Creative and/or an appreciation for creativity, desire to be part of a creative environment and is excited about the creative process 
• Range of strategic sensibilities inclusive of communication, business and creative strategy 
• Self-starter goes above and beyond on tasks 
• Must have the ability to work proactively and independently within tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment 
• Must be accountable and responsible 
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to influence internal teams.  
• Experience using industry tools and resources (MRI/Simmons, eMarketer, Mintel, Social Listening.) 
• Strong experience with quantitative research and the ability to synthesize and analyze data, draw actionable conclusions and identify trends 
• Qualitative research experience (focus groups, in-depth interviews, ethnographic research – some personal experience interviewing or moderating)  
• Able to effectively manage many tasks, projects and/or clients 
• Excellent project management and organizational skills 
• Able to work with Bi-Coastal Teams 
• Must be proficient on MS Office products 
• Maintains accurate timesheets that are completed by required deadline 
• Looking to take the next step toward leadership in our industry 

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Basic Life, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Supplemental Insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid Holidays
• Unlimited PTO

TRAVEL Travel may be required.

COVID-19 Walton Isaacson, LLC, has a mandatory vaccination policy.

LOCATION NYC, CHICAGO, LA, DALLAS 

The salary range for this position is $90,000.00 to $110,000.00. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; the associated discipline; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company(applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications.

At WI we are committed to cultivating an environment that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion. We promote DEI in our workplace and are a global community who believe our unique qualities should be celebrated. We want everyone at Walton Isaacson to bring their authentic selves to work everyday, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.