Job Purpose:
Responsible for shaping and executing Halfords brand strategy & content strategy across Halfords Group brands, and Own & Owned brands, to drive differentiation, improve brand metrics (awareness, consideration and perception metrics), across all customer-facing comms channels.
Responsible for delivering clear and relevant creative content (visual & verbal) to reach key target segments in the most compelling way, is on-brand and applied consistently across owned, earned and paid-for channels. Basing all creative & content deliverables on market & consumer insight, aligning with commercial goals, covering key audiences and messaging throughout the year, for the Halfords Group brands.
To lead a direct team, and support the wider team and business in championing and delivering best-in-class creative, design and content to reaches the right customer, at the right time, in the right place.
Key Accountabilities:
1. To define and execute Halfords brand, own brand & owned brands strategy to drive differentiation and improve brand metrics through the funnel (from awareness & consideration to adoption of motoring and cycling products and services).
2. To develop and implement Halfords content strategy, leading and aligning all internal and external content developers to deliver verbal and visual creative assets, across owned, paid for and earned channels, to effectively reach target audiences with relevant and compelling stories to elevate the Halfords brand.
3. To develop and deliver key strategic campaigns (seasonal, promotional, category specific) TTL to drive brand awareness, active customer consideration and understanding.
4. To lead an inhouse team of creatives – campaign team, inhouse copywriters, photographers, videographers, designers, packaging print specialists.
5. To own and manage key relationships with agency partners – brand agencies, creative agencies, print & production specialists. Indirect support for media, social & PR agencies.
6. Brand guardian through brand management and go-to support across the Halfords group for Halfords brands including customer-facing teams, internal people teams and corporate, plus group brands (inc. B2B).
Ability to develop strong cross-functional relationships with key stakeholders including:
7. Within marketing: performance marketing, go-to market teams, CRM and loyalty teams.
8. Supporting customer teams including insight, online including UI/UX & e-commerce.
Experience:
Able to influence outside of direct line responsibility – particularly critical with commercial functions / buyers to algin on upcoming range changes, supplier relationships alongside media / channel strategy.
9. Experience in a similar marketing role, preferably in the retail industry.
10. Experience of driving active brand preference within a competitive consumer business.
11. Experience in leading complex projects managing multiple cross functional stakeholders.
12. Clear, collaborative communication style, with a knack for fostering meaningful stakeholder relationships.
13. Strong commercial acumen
14. Proven expertise in working with data-driven insights to inform brand and creative direction.
Leadership Behaviours:
15. Can lead a team of range of creatives, providing guidance and clarity on what we need to do and how we need to do it.
16. Can lead our agency partners – from strategists, planners through to creatives and into production.
17. Can create, communicate and measure performance against plans, demonstrating clear ROI.
18. Ability to influence at a senior level.