OMD (http://www.omd.com) is one of the largest and most innovative media communications specialists in the world, with more than 140 offices in 80 countries. Named Most Creative Agency in the World by The Gunn Report for Media for four consecutive years, OMD also had the distinction of being named 2008 Global Media Agency of the Year by Adweek. The agency network is a unit of Omnicom Media Group Inc.
The following are the responsibilities and duties of the Group Director of Strategy, Digital Services. This is not an all-inclusive list and will vary by account assignment.
Role
The Group Director of Strategy acts as a senior media management representative for his/her respective businesses and is responsible for the following: Management:
- Champion OMD by believing and supporting the organization both internally and externally
- Champion Digital Media within OMD by working with Client Communications Directors, Group Directors of Strategy and Group Directors of Investment to further their understanding of convergence and motivate them through positive and respectful discussions to evolve the traditional media planning and buying functions to incorporate Digital
- Educate the traditional teams on the state of the Digital industry
- Manage the Strategy team which includes: provide adequate training, oversee and conduct evaluations, resolve issues/problems, rotate staff, and provide salary recommendations
- Manage a solid client relationship and provide key strategic initiatives/thinking
- Maintain a relationship with various other Strategic Business Units and introduce on client’s business accordingly
- Maintain a relationship with all teams working on the client’s business
- Ensure that the client and client team have a sophisticated understanding of media
- Develop credentials and best practices
- Work to improve the operations and process involved in Digital Services
- Serve as a new business resource and actively pursue new revenue sources
Media Strategy:
- Insights
– Champion and integrate Checkmate strategic planning philosophy into communication plan development
– Seek opportunities to explore the Checkmate process and train staff in its use
– Develop planning objectives and strategies that coincide with the client’s marketing direction
– Challenge the team to discover and articulate insights (not just facts)
– Continually reinforce a consumer-centric view in all strategic thinking
- Ideas
– Manage implementation of integrating offerings and tools
– Identify opportunities for cross-platform deals, when appropriate
– Guarantee appropriate time is made across all teams for thoughtful ideas
– Insure that Associate Directors of Strategy and Strategists are constantly ahead of the curve in recommending new ideas to clients
– Provide point-of-view on various new media and technologies in the marketplace
- Results
– Sell media plans to clients
– Up-sell other OMD Digital and OMD traditional services, as well as work with other Omnicom- owned companies to bring appropriate services to the client
– Assess media performance to determine the extent to which the original objectives and strategies were met
– Work with Third Party Technology vendors (Doubleclick, AtlasDMT, Live Technology, Comscore, Nielsen-Netratings, and others to provide feedback to further improve the quality of the Planning, Buying, Competitive Tracking, Ad Serving, and Post Analysis tools.
Media Investment:
- Issue monthly Investment report detailing aggregate local office spending per vendor per placement, per ad unit size, per rich media type. Look at efficiencies across the offices
- Be a source of last chance negotiation tactic when Strategist or Associate Director of Strategy is unable to accomplish his/her negotiation goal with a particular vendor
- Lead negotiator on any large scale annual/global deal with a particular vendor
Media Expertise:
- Meet with media sales reps and industry representatives on a regular basis to pursue ideas that are strategically aligned with the client’s business
- Keep abreast of industry trends (trade press, seminars, current events, etc.) that may impact a client’s business
- Be a source of confidence with key clients so that they understand and acknowledge that you are the expert in the field of Digital Marketing
Competencies
Knowledge/Expertise
- Thorough knowledge of all Digital Media Planning Tools: Atlas DMT, MediaVisor
- Complete comfort level and knowledge of OMD Digital Terms and Conditions
- Thorough knowledge of the dynamics of media. How each media element performs alone, how they perform together and how they are constantly changing
- Continuous development of Checkmate expertise
- A solid understanding of the skills and functions of the Investment side of the business, as well as knowledge of Strategic Business Units’ competencies
- A strong understanding of the clients’ industries and environments within which they operate
Skills/Abilities
- Leadership
– Ultimate responsibility for the work generated by the team
– Ability to train and inspire
– Ability to provide high-level strategic knowledge fused with the expertise of Checkmate
Teamwork
– Ability to foster a strong, cohesive working team
Technical Skills
– Thorough knowledge of the principles of marketing and advertising as well as an understanding of media concepts and terms, creative and budget requirements
Problem Solving
– Ability to use alternative analytical approaches to solve media problems
– Ability to think in a non-linear fashion
– Ability to effectively handle personnel issues
Verbal/Written Communication Skills
– Ability to write clearly and concisely and present orally in an articulate and confident manner
– Ability to effectively and comfortably communicate and interact with clients and negotiate on the client’s behalf
– Ability to articulate objectives, opportunities and techniques
We are an equal opportunity employer.
