Strategic Account Director
Publicis Groupe · Johannesburg
Company descriptionPublicis 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 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.
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.
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.