Strategic Account Director

Company Description

Publicis Plus is a newly formed, dedicated client team within Publicis Groupe Africa, partnering with one of the world's leading food and beverage companies. Join us at the start and help shape how a global partnership comes to life in South Africa.

Overview

Reports to

Strategy Director 

 

Dotted line

Client Lead,Journey Planning Lead

 

Role purpose

Owns the strategic media answer: where growth will come from, what audience or behaviour must change, what JTBD media must solve, and what principles guide the response. Value is in growth logic, category interpretation, competitive understanding and audience prioritisation — not channel planPning or buying.

 

Scope of role

• Strategic brief interpretation
• Category & competitive analysis
• Growth source definition
• JTBD refinement
• Strategic audience hypothesis
• Strategic media principles
• Strategic KPI logic
• PCA growth interpretation

Responsibilities

Core accountabilities

• Interpret the client brief into a clear media growth challenge.
• Understand category dynamics, competition, brand position and consumer behaviour.
• Define the source of growth: recruit, switch, retain, increase frequency, trade-up or cross-sell.
• Define the strategic audience hypothesis.
• Define the role media must play in solving the business problem.
• Provide the Journey Planner with clear strategic direction.
• Define strategic KPI logic before planning begins.
• Identify strategic implications from PCA for future campaigns.

Mandatory artifacts owned• Strategic Brief InterpretationConverts the client brief into a strategic media challenge.

• Growth Strategy CanvasDefines source of growth, JTBD, behaviour change and strategic focus.

• Category & Competitive ReadSummarises market, competitor and consumer implications.

• Growth Audience HypothesisIdentifies the audience from which growth is expected.

• Strategic KPI LogicDefines which strategic KPIs matter and why.

• Strategic PCA ImplicationsCaptures what results mean for future strategy.

 

Decision rights

• Growth source logic
• Strategic JTBD interpretation
• Strategic audience prioritisation
• Media strategy principles
• Strategic KPI rationale
• Strategic implications from PCA

What this role is NOT accountable for

• Building detailed TV, OOH, search, social or programmatic schedules.
• Negotiating with media owners.
• Loading plans into systems.
• Chasing creative assets.
• Reconciling invoices or trafficking campaigns.
• Producing routine weekly reports.

Qualifications

Required competencies

• 6-9 years leading strategy for major campaigns or clients.

• Strategic thinkingConnect business problems to media opportunities.

• Category understandingInterpret market, consumer and competitor dynamics.

• Audience thinkingDefine growth audiences and behaviour change.

• Data interpretationUse research and audience data to support strategy.

• StorytellingArticulate the strategic answer clearly.

• Cross-functional leadershipGuide planners and specialists without doing their roles.

• Measurement logicDefine strategic KPIs and success criteria.

Additional Information

How performance is measuredStrategic qualityStrength and clarity of the Growth Strategy Canvas.Brief-to-strategyReduction in unclear or generic strategic responses.Client confidenceClient and MD feedback on strategic value.Handoff qualityJourney Planner acceptance without major rework.KPI disciplineStrategic KPIs defined before planning starts.Learning loopPCA learnings translated into future direction.