The social media team at McCann Bristol are on the hunt for a Social Strategy Director to be at the forefront of ambitious growth. The successful candidate will join one of the largest social media teams outside of London as part of the broader McCann Central team, and will work on a range of brands while being a core part of winning more.
Why would you want to work here?
McCann Bristol is part of McCann Central, the UK’s largest integrated agency. Over 500 individuals working together to help brands play a meaningful role in people’s lives.
We are also part of McCann Worldgroup, a global agency network that delivers culture-shaping work for some of the world’s biggest brands.
This is evidenced through our numerous awards from Euro Effies most effective global agency, Cannes Network of the Year, Campaign’s European Integrated Agency of the Year, to McCann Central’s haul of awards in recent years at Cannes Lions, Clios, One Show, D&AD, LIAs, Golden Drum & Creative Circle Awards. Creativity really is at the forefront of everything we do.
We’re a team of passionate creatives, strategists and marketers from a wide mix of backgrounds. But there’s a lot that unites us – like caring deeply about everything we make. And though our skillsets are wide and our process knowledge is deep, we are all still learning every day.
Requirements
The social media team is part of the wider McCann Bristol team, so you’ll work on integrated clients, as well as social and influencer-only clients. You will have access to the latest social media tools, as well as direct access to training and support from the social channels themselves. And with a fully resourced social team across the group which includes paid specialists, content creators, social strategists, community managers and account handlers you’ll be joining one of the biggest social teams outside of London.
If you have at least five years’ experience leading social media strategy and rolling this out for brands across multiple industries, then we want to hear from you. You’ll need to demonstrate exceptional social media knowledge and expertise to help our clients craft their social voice and roll this out as part of their broader marketing strategy, as well as excellent client handling skills.
You’ll also be taking the lead on our social tools, specifically Pulsar, to help with our data-led approach to social strategy. You’ll be equally comfortable developing plans for and growing existing clients, as you are pitching for new business.
You will immerse yourself on the minute detail of your client’s world and be the go-to expert on it from the start and throughout our relationship with them. You'll likely (but not necessarily) have spent time in marketing or advertising agencies, but most importantly, it’s your can-do attitude and approach to problem solving we’re interested in.
You’ll be curious, and extremely inquisitive about what makes people tick, whether that’s individual behaviours or society and culture at a macro level. A deep understanding of the intricacies of customer experience in an omni-channel world is a definite plus – as it the ability to make complex and fast moving topics understandable.
As a strategist and key client contact on the team you’ll create lasting impact. We are defined by the effectiveness principles that create growth today and sustain it into the future, so you’ll need to be well versed in both established and nascent effectiveness approaches, knowing when and how to apply them to your client’s brands. On that point, a qualification like your Effectiveness Essentials from the IPA or similar would be beneficial but isn’t mandatory.
Your day-to-day will involve leading the strategic direction of clients whether that is in one time projects/campaigns or longer term retained accounts. You will be able to ensure we are delivering against agreed scope whilst also looking for opportunities for growth. Deliverables will include social strategies, social playbooks, workshops, presentations, research reports, trend reports and ultimately team and departmental growth.
YOUR ATTRIBUTES
Obsessed with effectiveness: Effectiveness is the value we deliver, so you will be familiar with established practice, know how to apply it to the challenge in front of you, and keep abreast with the latest thinking in this space.
Clear storytelling: You can distil findings, sell a story, deliver ideas and land frameworks through clear, compelling decks.
Staying curious: You’ll be the person on the team who understands your client’s brands, businesses and the consumer behaviours relevant to them best of all. Plus you’ll keep your ear to the ground of where and how things are shifting.
Joining dots: You’ll be required to analyse data, audiences, culture, and competitive trends then sync all this information with what you already know about effectiveness to prepare evidence-based recommendations and strategic presentations.
Finger on the pulse: To join those dots you’ll need to have your finger on the pulse of culture, and a good understanding of “what’s going on”. This might be through being a TikTok scroller, an avid reader, a podcast junkie, or having a roster of go-to sources for trends. Any way you do it, you will know what’s going on outside of your own circle and be happy to share your thoughts with the rest of the team.
Roll with the punches: Things can change quickly so you’ll be comfortable course-adjusting on the fly.
Speaking creative: Inspire your creative team with a distilled course of action. The task will be simple, but the thinking won’t be, so you’ll need to balance complexity and simplicity adeptly without losing track.
Guiding light: You’ll be a guiding light to the internal team and client alike, a champion for social in an integrated agency, a catalyst for growth and an advocate for your discipline
Handle a crowd: You’ll be articulate and able to hold a room, taking them with you on the journey whilst being able to take feedback humbly.
Getting stuck in: You won’t think twice about getting stuck into the detail and you’ll keep going until the right solution appears. Along the way you’ll have plenty of initiative and find solutions rather than identifying problems.
If you think you have what it takes then get in touch. Don’t hang around though…opportunities like this don’t come around often.
Benefits
In addition to a competitive salary, we are committed to creating a brilliant environment for all our people. This includes benefits such as 28 days holiday, plus the opportunity to take additional fully paid leave, enhanced pension contributions, life assurance and much more.
A culture of learning and development is also central to our ethos, so you’ll have access to industry leading training and development programmes, plus you’ll get to work closely with the world’s biggest media partners to access exclusive features and products.
Most importantly, you’ll be part of a fun and collaborative team and you’ll work in an environment where you are supported and developed.