Senior Strategist - Mumbai, India - Marks, part of SGS & Co
Description
Who are we?
Marks is a consumer experience agency that creates engaging moments across the entire brand spectrum – from brand design and packaging to content and consumer connections.
Rooted in a deep understanding of human behavior, we are uniquely constructed to enable brands to win in an age of constant change.
A super-charged experience powerhouse - 700 people strong, with subject matter experts working collaboratively across 12 studios and 8 countries - we have helped some of the world's biggest brands connect to their audiences and tackle the biggest challenges and opportunities of today's consumer landscape.
Born of five separate agencies within the sgsco umbrella, we are building on the expertise in brand design and design adaptation of our agency namesake and combining that with Webb deVlam's strategic muscle and upstream capabilities, 3D contextual art creation born of Armstrong White, Traffik's integrated experiential marketing expertise, and the delivery strength of 5Crowd.
Dynamically structured, we deliver the dual perspectives of both Insider and Outsider– fluid, day-to-day brand guardianship and design leadership coupled with the game-changing provocation and fresh thinking that enables brands to uncover and calculate their next move, big or small.
Combining divergent perspectives and experiences into a single seamless methodology fuels their clients to move fast, move forward, and move confidently.
Position Overview:
As a Senior Strategist, your role will be to support the Director of Strategy and the Strategy Team to help brands develop, grow, and excel.
You'll take a strategic leadership role on key projects, as well as working closely with the Director of Strategy — sharing your expertise to help deliver impactful, original brands for our clients.
As a Senior Strategist, you will be an important member of project teams, helping to unearth new opportunities, understand the landscape today and tomorrow and define and craft brand vision.
Day-to-day, you'll be involved in shaping and presenting strategic solutions, and helping to develop supporting rationale for designs for your project team and your client.
Strategy:
Demonstrate deep understanding of the client's business, competitive landscape, consumer insights and trends to synthesize and translate them into informed and thoughtful strategic opportunitiesWork with Strategy Director/Project Team to develop and refine compelling strategies and ideas for brand building and brand touch-points (expression, packaging, communication, etc.)Plan, lead and participate in collaborative work sessions to define and build strategic and creative directions
Consumer Insight:
In consultation with Strategy Director, spearhead qualitative research efforts across a range of methodologies (in-homes, focus groups, digital learning)Analyze and synthesize research findings to derive strategic, actionable insightsBecome an advocate for insights, both with client and with internal team, to ensure learning adds value throughout the process
Industry expertise:
Be curious and enrolled in our industry and our clients' businesses – track sparks, trends, shifts to influence and improve our approachBecome an advocate for our work – track our successes after project launches to ensure we know how our work performs once in marketKeep up to date with popular culture and trends, best-in-class practices for like agencies and be comfortable innovating to get to new best-in-class practicesCommunicationConvey ideas and strategic concepts to internal team and clients, with clear/articulate rationalesBoil down key ideas and insights into easy-to understand, and exciting presentation-ready formats to share with clients and internal teamDemonstrate passionate and compelling storytelling and presentation skillsListen to and understand your peers and clientsLeadership + CollaborationLead key initiatives with the support and supervision of the Strategy DirectorPassionate: eager to contribute, collaborate, learn and growBe willing and excited to dive in headfirst to become a 'fast expert' on any topicKeep your finger on the pulse of shifts in culture, while being brand aware – noting brand strategy in action.
Minimum Requirements:
Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field (Design, Marketing, etc)5-8 years of experience in brand/design strategy, particularly within packaging or creative brand building2-3 years (minimum) working within a design agency settingStrong understanding of brand building process (from positioning to design)
Experience leading, planning and conducting consumer insights (generative and evaluative) to inform brand building (moderation experience a plus)Experience with brand strategy and innovation tools including positioning tools, brand narratives & expression, inspirational design targets, strategic territories, concept statementsSome experience in verbal brand development:
naming, copy development, communication strategy.
Excellent conceptual thinking skillsExperience conducting category audits and competitive analysis to identify actionable insights and opportunitiesExperience with wide range of categories including CPG, food/beverage/wine/spirits, technology preferredFamiliarity with Keynote, Apple OS; fluency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Creative Suite.
Experience with video editing/Adobe Premiere a plus.