Business Overview

We believe in the power of media to reshape our industry and orchestrate a brand’s entire consumer experience, by balancing both what unites people and what makes them different. When brands unite people in culture, they build Fame, and when brands connect individuals to their unique journeys, they build customer Flow. Initiative builds Fame & Flow for brands like Nike, Amazon, Merck, and T-Mobile. Media responsibility is at the forefront of everything we do,whether it’s creating media plans that reflect the diversity of our communities, promote brand safety, and foster sustainability. Our agency celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all of our 6,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world.

We make a promise to our people that we double down on seeing, celebrating & elevating all the things that make you, uniquely you. And just as we do for our brands and clients, we connect our people to the journeys that matter in building a meaningful career.

There are four I’s in Initiative and these represent our core values and behaviors.

• INDIVID[YOU]ALITY – you bring your genuine and unique self to and into the work, every day.
• INSTINCT – you’re tuned in and armed with intelligence; you have a bias for action – shit happens when you’re around.
• IMPACT! – you care deeply about the impact you have on our clients, their customers, our community, the media landscape and our world at large.
• IMAGINATION – your ability to imagine and bring to life the ideas, solutions, and the future of Initiative, makes us THE create media agency in the world.

Position Summary

The Audience Solutions team is a function within the Strategy craft, built to strengthen our data-led services and strategic planning. We're looking for someone excited by the changes disrupting businesses and transforming those challenges into growth opportunities.

As the Audience Strategy Director, you will lead the audience strategy for our clients, contribute to modernizing Initiative’s audience-first approach, and providing thought-leadership on the media landscape.

The Audience Solutions team evolves our client’s audience first-planning and data-driven media activation by working cross-functionally across crafts. We help to maximize our client's desired business outcomes by utilizing our people-based data to identify market insights for marketing decisions and media buying.

You will serve as a lead across clients and agency efforts. For clients, this individual will lead projects covering market analysis, audience segmentation & identification, insights development, and activation opportunities aligned to business goals. Within the agency, this individual will support to creation of department products & best practices and support new business efforts.

To be success in the role, the ideal candidate must be able to diagnose problems, come up with solutions independently, and collaborate with multiple stakeholders to translate concepts into tangible actions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the analysis of understanding our client's industry and their position within it to identify audience opportunities to drive growth
• Maintaining excellent client relationships & understanding of the clients' key business and challenges
• Being considered a valuable contributor during client meetings with the ability to respectfully challenge others’ opinions in the right forum/manner
• Work directly with the client to understand their business and data challenges to uncover opportunities for improvement through our proprietary tech stack or partners
• Advocating for the use of our proprietary tech stack and increasing it's adaptation by identifying analysis projects & activation opportunities grounded in the client's goals.
• Lead and manage an Audience Strategy team, fostering development of each team member by providing ongoing coaching and feedback
• Develop trusted relationships with internal teams and external clients by bringing thought leadership on how brands should segment their market and translating that analysis into an activation framework
• Partner with the Audience Science (data science) team to use statistical models to build advanced high-value audiences
• Work with clients to understand their 1PD collection and attributes to utilize for media activation and advanced modeling
• Collaborate with channel activation teams to identify the optimal data sources across 1P, 2P and 3P that translate audience strategy into a consistent framework
• Use an understanding of data and digital media ecosystem to identify new data opportunities to enhance activation efforts
• Champion in innovation and help client educate and develop forward-thinking digital roadmap and testing plans

Required Skills

• Hands-on experience in digital marketing technologies, including DSP, DMP, CDP, or CRM platforms. Experience in Client MarTech will be a plus.
• Deep understanding of data and digital media ecosystem with the ability to see from the brand’s business lens
• Experience in using research & data to identify insights to inform marketing strategies
• Ability to manage multiple projects and work collaborate across various stakeholders
• Proven experience working with senior-level clients
• Proven success in collaborating across multiple teams, handling multiple high-priority projects in a fast-paced setting
• Experience in managing or developing a team and can delegate and oversee direct reports
• Excellent written, and verbal communication and presentation skills including the ability to develop story-telling presentation decks

Desired Skills

• Minimum 7 years’ experience in audience development, data-driven marketing and/or digital marketing with a strong understanding of ad tech and data landscape
• Working knowledge of all media activation channels (programmatic, social, search, TV, OOH, etc.) and understanding full funnel addressable activation best practices.
• Ability to think differently: creative & adaptive, entrepreneurial, independently minded.

We See You

At IPG Mediabrands, we are unified behind a commitment to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging. Together, we shine through a set of shared values and behaviors. We take pride in our responsibility to our clients, communities, and to each other. We embrace differences and recognize the unique value that each of us brings to our community.

We encourage you to apply, as unique backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences are welcomed.

We See You at IPG Mediabrands.

Wage and Benefits

We offer a Total Rewards package that includes medical and dental coverage, 401(k) plans, flex spending, life insurance, disability, employee discount program, employee stock purchase program and paid family benefits to support you and your family. To give you the ability to better meet your personal needs, and in support of your physical and emotional well-being, you will receive discretionary time off days and company-wide Appreciation Weeks and Wellness Days.

We also offer a competitive Total Compensation package, including a competitive salary and eligibility for an annual discretionary incentive award or a relevant incentive award.

The salary range for this position is posted below. 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, market considerations, budgetary considerations, tenure and standing with the Company (applicable to current employees), as well as the employee’s/applicant’s skill set, level of experience, and qualifications.

Employment Transparency

It is the policy of Mediabrands, division of the Interpublic group, to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. The job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and other job functions are subject to modification. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

For applicants to jobs in the United States: In compliance with the current Americans with Disabilities Act and state and local laws, if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position with Mediabrands, please email accommodation@mbww.com.

About IPG Mediabrands

IPG Mediabrands is the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). IPG Mediabrands manages over $47 billion in marketing investment globally on behalf of its clients across its full-service agency networks UM, Initiative and Mediahub and through its award-winning specialty business units Healix, Kinesso, MAGNA, Mediabrands Content Studio, Orion Holdings, Rapport, and the IPG Media Lab. IPG Mediabrands clients include many of the world’s most recognizable and iconic brands from a broad portfolio of industry sectors including automotive, personal finance, consumer product goods (CPG), pharma, health and wellness, entertainment, financial services, energy, toys and gaming, direct to consumer and e-commerce, retail, hospitality, food and beverage, fashion and beauty. The company employs more than 18,000 diverse marketing communication professionals in more than 130 countries. Learn more at www.ipgmediabrands.com.