Director, Brand Partnerships

We're looking for a Director, Brand Partnerships to join our team at equalpride. We are seeking experienced marketers with a proven track record of ideating, pitching and executing integrated marketing campaigns that touch video, web and social. Our brands include Out, The Advocate, PRIDE.com, Plus, Out Traveler and Advocate Channel. Each carries a legacy of authentic and purposeful coverage of the news, entertainment, politics, fashion, and issues LGBTQIA+ people care about most. In this position, you'll support our Sales and Brand Partnerships teams to help maximize our team's revenue-generating partnerships that foster relationships, build innovative campaigns, and create powerful storytelling that uplifts and empowers all diverse and intersectional segments LGBTQIA+ community.

We are hiring in are NYC and Los Angeles

Activate and ideate with equalpride’s Brand Partnerships & Integrated Sales teams to develop and maintain relationships with agencies and clients to maximize revenue and meet sales goals. 

The role will function in both the pre-sale and post-sale stages of multiple brand partnerships simultaneously, acting as a partner to both internal and external teams: Corporate Sales, Ad Ops, Editorial, Creative, and Clients. This position ideates turnkey and strategic "big" idea client campaigns - while overseeing the execution of high-touch custom campaigns in post-sale. The Director, Brand Partnerships is ultimately responsible for liaising with internal teams and 3rd party vendors (video, editorial, design, talent, product, experiential, etc.) to ensure campaign expectations and scope obligations, and executional standards are met. From campaign ideation & pitch to creative development to the go-live date, the Director, Brand Partnerships is responsible for maintaining the balance of high-quality creative outputs and client satisfaction by acting as the campaign point of contact. 

The role will focus on both the creation of integrated sales proposals and the activation of marketing campaigns to drive revenue and audience growth for equalpride properties, including The Advocate, Out, PRIDE.com, Out Traveler, Plus and Advocate Channel. 

Scope of work will include proposal writing and deck creation for custom client campaigns, campaign budgeting and reporting, and managing multi-platform and cross-brand programs. It will also focus on partnership activations maintaining efficiencies, proving client success through metrics, and driving profitability through effective campaign production, management and execution.

Specific Duties:

• Brand Partnerships
  • Ensure best-in-class customer/client service through stellar external communication via emails, calls, and in-person meetings
  • Collaborate with all internal stakeholders from Integrated Sales, Finance, Ad Ops, Editorial teams, and the Branded Partnerships team(s), promoting collaborative teamwork and goodwill
  • Apply a knowledgeable understanding of the core value of the LGBTQIA+ audience and essence of each equalpride brand and communicate it effectively through proposals and client/agency calls
  • Manifest a keen understanding of digital media, social media, OLV and branded content buying/activation/reporting processes, advertiser KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), objectives, and internal equalpride brand partnership protocol
  • Research LGBTQIA+ media brands and influencers to understand equalpride’s competitive advantage in the LGBTQIA+ market and recommend innovative ways for equalpride to cement its place as the #1 LGBTQIA+ publisher
  • Collaborate with department leadership to develop training documents and SOPs for pre-sale and activations
• Custom Content & Creative Strategy
  • Proposals: 
    • Identify and diagnose client objectives through active listening and consultative collaboration and ideation to develop brand partnership strategies and programs while elevating equalpride and its brands
    • Create and develop Proposal decks (RFPs) that are succinct, on-brand,  & compelling across all our advertiser categories, leveraging print, digital, event, social, mobile and video platforms - including developing mocks, logos, and custom designs.
    • Proof and edit Proposals and presentation materials for accuracy, voice, consistency, spelling and grammar
    • Collaborate with the team on conceptualizing large-scale, custom programs for large advertisers
    • Design turnkey to complex programs and packages that anticipate client’s marketing needs and help drive incremental business
  • Audience Metrics and Insights:
    • Pull and report on audience and impressions data across print, digital, social, and press as part of proposal development and as requested by clients
• Activations & Campaign Management 
  • Take ownership of campaigns by effectively communicating all aspects of campaign development and production execution for custom campaign elements to internal stakeholders.
  • Provide exceptional client service to advertisers by maintaining clear communication and setting expectations throughout the entire campaign duration.
  • Establish yourself as the go-to expert on creative & custom campaign elements, acting as the trusted point of contact for the client's custom needs.
  • Ensure transparent communication of the client's brand integration elements in custom content to both the client and the creative team, ensuring timely delivery as promised.
  • Collaborate closely with equalpride internal and external creative teams, aligning with the creative vision of each asset to accurately represent and support it in client conversations.
  • Oversee production across all teams, collaborating across to ensure the smooth and timely execution of all campaign elements.
  • Provide education to brand partners as needed, simplifying production language for the client to enhance their understanding of all aspects of the campaign process.
  • Clearly articulate client feedback and expectations to internal equalpride teams, offering context and actionable direction.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve campaign concerns, hiccups, or blockers, demonstrating the ability to diagnose problems and find solutions aligned with both client and equalpride values.
  • Escalate internal and external challenges to leads while proposing viable solutions.
  • Collaborate with Ad Ops, Corporate Sales & Account Strategy, and teams to actively develop campaign wrap reports, crafting a compelling campaign success story. 
  • Stay well-informed about equalpride offerings to provide recommendations for upselling and securing repeat business.
  • Identify, vet, and engage relevant talent and collaborative 3rd party vendors (influencers/producers/videographers etc.) for custom content campaigns, representing equalpride in the talent and vendor relationship ensuring positive outcomes for all parties and helping to cultivate future collaborations
  • Create pre and post production brand partnership documents including but not limited to:
    • Internal and external budgets, production and launch timelines, campaign and audience reporting metrics, campaign recap presentations and case studies
    • Develop Creative briefs, talent agreements, contracts for third party vendors or equalpride clients, creative concept/treatment and pre-production presentations for internal and external stakeholders
    • Detailed call notes during internal and external brand partnership activation calls that reflect topics discussed, paying particular attention to next steps and action items, summarizing, and distributing meeting notes relevant parties

• Skill Requirements:
  • Proactive, nuanced, flexible, and organized creative partner with 4-5 years of experience in a marketing/brand partnerships at a digital publisher or agency with a knowledge of custom creative & design in an activations and campaign management  
  • Proven track record of effectively producing and managing multi-platform campaigns activations including custom photography, video, and branded content - with deep understanding of the pre/post production process
  • Experience creating value propositions around digital campaigns “beyond the banner.” 
  • Enthusiastic, creative thinker and team player who is resourceful, detail-oriented, and able to thrive in a fast-paced environment 
  • Strategic problem solving and creative ideation utilizing deep understanding of the evolving digital/social media landscape, including research, analytics, production budgeting, casting,  and contract creation
  • Strong leadership skills, including a collaborative approach to partnering with the sales and editorial teams, advertising clients, talent and vendors 
  • Detail-oriented, organized, deadline-driven multitasker and able to manage multiple departmental responsibilities while working with the staff at all levels and varying personalities
  • Ability to work methodically and meet deadlines
  • Trustworthy and excellent judgment concerning confidentiality
  • Strong word-processing, spreadsheet, and deck-creation skills with thorough knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Google Office Suite, Zoom, MS Teams, and Slack required
  • Familiarity with design software and technologies (such as InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Photoshop) 
• Bonus Points for: 
  • A keen eye for aesthetics and details
  • Priority given to those with proven proficiency in Comscore, Meta Ads Manager and Google Analytics

We encourage the LGBTQIA+ community to apply and women and BIPOC to apply as we strive for diversity and inclusion.

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