Strategic Account Director

Publicis Groupe · Durban

Company description

We are the Human Experience Agency. We believe the growth opportunity lies in people. We understand and anticipate human desires to deliver media experiences of value.

We call this PeoplePoweredGrowth! Focusing on both business outcomes and human outcomes is proven to deliver stronger growth for clients. PeoplePoweredGrowth identifies the intersection between what people want and what brands need, to create media experiences of value.

PeoplePoweredGrowth orchestrates the right talent and capability to solve for clients’ unique business challenges through interconnected capability. PeoplePoweredGrowth embodies a way of thinking, working, and learning; challenging the status quo and always reaching for a better. It is a culture of never standing still.

Starcom is a full service, global media agency with a presence in multiple markets around the world. We believe in the power of our network and work closely with our global colleagues to ensure that we are providing our clients with global best practice, localized for the South African market. Our clients include Mondelez, Haleon (GSK), Samsung, Stellantis, Sandoz, Kellogg’s to name a few.

We are part of the Publicis network – the fastest growing global network.

Overview

Reports to

Head of Media Strategy

Dotted line

Client 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 Interpretation
Converts the client brief into a strategic media challenge.

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

• Category & Competitive Read
Summarises market, competitor and consumer implications.

• Growth Audience Hypothesis
Identifies the audience from which growth is expected.

• Strategic KPI Logic
Defines which strategic KPIs matter and why.

• Strategic PCA Implications
Captures 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 thinking
Connect business problems to media opportunities.

• Category understanding
Interpret market, consumer and competitor dynamics.

• Audience thinking
Define growth audiences and behaviour change.

• Data interpretation
Use research and audience data to support strategy.

• Storytelling
Articulate the strategic answer clearly.

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

• Measurement logic
Define strategic KPIs and success criteria.

Additional information

How performance is measured
• Strategic quality
Strength and clarity of the Growth Strategy Canvas.

• Brief-to-strategy
Reduction in unclear or generic strategic responses.

• Client confidence
Client and MD feedback on strategic value.

• Handoff quality
Journey Planner acceptance without major rework.

• KPI discipline
Strategic KPIs defined before planning starts.

• Learning loop
PCA learnings translated into future direction.