Title: CMO, TBWA\Asia
Location: Singapore
Reports to: President\Asia
Overview:
TBWA globally works with some of the most iconic brands in the world. As The Disruption Company, we help those brands find strategic and disruptive white space through the power of Disruption. As our regional CMO, you are responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive marketing strategy to enhance TBWA’s brand presence and fame, and to ensure that the business owns a greater share of the future. The ultimate goal of all our marketing efforts is to drive business growth.
But…..we’re a little bit different at TBWA\Asia. Globally, we deliberately we refer to ourselves as a Collective (not a network – networks have offices, a Collective has DNA). And in Asia, we’re proud that we live this spirit more than anywhere else. Another thing to note is that we refer to ourselves as ‘pirates’ (from the long years of working with Steve Jobs, who famously said that “it’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy”). But not pirates in a cliched sense of robing, maiming, and ill-discipline. In the more subtle sense that pirates always have each other’s backs, and everyone is enttled to have an opinion on the status quo regardless of rank. If you are someone who uses a job title as a blunt weapon, TBWA\Asia probably isn’t the place for you…..
This role requires a strategic thinker who can translate the Collective’s overall business objectives into effective marketing initiatives across audiences, channels and touchpoints.
A builder of strong, collaborative relationships at all levels, you possess strong interpersonal and persuasive skills that inspire others – whether via a writen brief or interpersonally. With a broad remit, this role requires significant multitasking as well as working well under pressure.
The successful candidate will have a natural ability to lead teams to get the best out of them and to think clearly and creatively under pressure.
A confident leader, you can brief clearly and concisely, articulating the vision for an idea so that markets/agencies and delivery partners can understand and implement locally. Your strategic and creative leadership will drive fame and visibility for the Collective and its work, industry- leading intelligence, and initiatives all over the region.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Narrative Development
• In partnership with Asia leadership and Global Head of Comms lead the development of an annual evolved marketing and communications plan for the year ahead, one that differentiates the agencies in the market.
Thought Leadership
• Develop a strategy to generate topical subject matter, placements (3rd party and/or owned channels) and content creation for all elements of the Backslash and NEXT Intelligence units within TBWA.
• Develop and implement a strategy for how to translate industry-leading initiatives, work and intelligence from across TBWA into communications for new audiences e.g. consultants, procurement etc.
• Ensure regional and market leadership and subject matter experts are elevating the profile of the Collective through speaking engagements, content series and PR.
• Cultivate relationships and partnerships (publisher, client and future client) to find fresh and creative ways to approach thought leadership and ownable IP on future topics.
• Align marketing efforts to the Global Communications Strategy as laid out by the Head of Communications to ensure alignment across region and local markets.
External Communications
• Set strategy for digital channels.
• Deliver best practice for Tone of Voice across TBWA regional channels as well as working closely with markets to ensure all social media channels and websites are complementary.
• Oversee the team executing regional events to ensure smooth running and creative approach is being taken to all events.
• Set communications strategy for launches including new product offerings and business units.
• Advise the WW Comms team on the development of a detailed content strategy for 2024 and beyond.
• Develop and deliver an industry-leading contact strategy to ensure engagement with as yet untapped audiences.
Media Relations
• Lead all press outreach.
• Responsible for all forms of outbound news including breaking work, new hires, and other various press- worthy matters.
• Build strategic and fruitful relationships with press; ensuring our top talent are meeting the right journalists, at the right time, with relevant content.
• Identify appropriate spokespeople to comment on topical issues related to the media and marketing landscape, tapping into wider economic/societal/cultural trends.
• Prepare briefing materials and coach executives and spokespeople ahead of interviews to put their best foot forward.
• Track relevant editorial opportunities and ensure we are pitching the appropriate features, lists and awards.
• Tracs industry trends, narratives, and business shifts as it pertains to advertising and marketing communications.
Crisis Communications
• Lead the response on any crisis comms, working with the various stakeholders as necessary, including the drafting our holding statements, fact gathering, response development and project and timeline management.
Internal Communications
• Lead the development and implementation of new newsltter series from leaders into the Collective.
• Advise the Comms team on the development of a detailed content strategy for 2024 and beyond.
Speaker Opportunities
• Lead the team in the implementation of marketing efforts around regional and market leadership speaking engagements to help widen TBWA’s reach and influence at conferences outside the usual industry verticals through a creative approach to speaking engagements and our storytelling.
• Manage key partnerships with external event partners alongside regional leadership and the Global Head of Comms.
• Oversight of TBWA’s Cannes Lions marketing efforts including social media, events, external communications, newsletters.
• Working closely with the Global Comms Head to ensure awareness of WW media, meet and greets and interviews, speaking engagements during the Festival etc.
Social
• Devise and lead the implementation of a global social media strategy to cover all regional key platforms and handles.
• Provide ongoing advice and strategic support to individual agencies and markets on their own social media presence and approach.
• Work closely with GLP (Global Learning Programme) to leverage both internal and external promotion of learning programmes and talent development within TBWA
• Oversee the management of content onto the TBWA website by Global & regional leadership.
Content
• Help develop the TBWA WW content strategy for 2024 and beyond with strand ideas and creative executions.
• Oversee liaison with local markets and agencies to ensure a steady flow of content sugges5ons and ensure a seamless delivery into the Global Comms team.
• Ensure quality control across all design and content outputs.
• Develop and publish tactical content on digital channels (talent news, account wins, awards win, etc.).
Campaign Development
• Attends creative meetings on an ongoing basis and concepts with creative teams, serving as the PR voice in the room to make ideas more newsworthy and culturally relevant.
• Throughout the campaign process thinks through potential news hooks, angles and assets that make the difference in taking a good idea and catapulting it into the headlines and into the social feed.
Award Entries
• Support local market teams in crafting agency award show entries.
• Develop regional agency award show entries, working closely with the HODs.
Preferred Qualifications
• Relevant professional and technical experience and knowhow.
Possess the following traits
• Genuine collaborator – be a collaborative, agile partner.
• Hands on – comfortable working at 30,000 feet and 30 feet.
• Influential – turning a no into a yes to make ideas happen, and able to make yourself feel part of the local market teams.
• Boundless energy.
• Creative problem solver.
• Cutting Edge – always looking for what’s new.
• Limitless – atttude where anything is possible.
• Strong organisational skills.
• High attention to detail.
• Kind & nice.
Qualities
• Must be a confident communicator and presenter.
• Must possess excellent verbal communication skills.
• A wide degree of creativity and latitude with an eye for design.
• Must possess proven skills and ability in writing copy and briefing materials.
• Must possess excellent organizational and planning skills.
• Must possess solid analytical skills and proven experience in reporting and interpreting marketing data.
• Must possess proven skills in managing multiple projects at the same time to the highest standard.
• Proven experience of setting and implementing marketing strategies that drive business growth.
• Proven ability to reach new audiences through marketing and deliver significant engagement with positive outcomes.
• Proven experience of setting and implementing social media and content strategies.
• Be proactive, reliable, responsible, and accurate with an attention to detail.
• Possess the ability to keep information confidential.
• Ability to work in quick turnaround environments.
• Ability to think creatively to get around resourcing or logistical issues that might arise due to global reach and remit.
• Ability to translate briefs across territories, markets, and agencies so that contributors. Understand the opportunities presented to them.
