Strategy Lead

About WPP Media WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth. WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working. For more information, visit wppmedia.com . 2412 - Strategy Lead Role Summary and Impact Are you curious about human behavior, and always looking for inspiration for a collection of sources beyond the norm? Do you wish to challenge the status quo, and bring strategies to life in exceptional ways? Wavemaker UK is looking for a curious and provocative strategy partner to join our department. Wavemaker UK are experiencing exceptional growth, offering interesting brand challenges for strategists to take on, and bring our ethos of Positive Provocation to all the unrivalled work that passes through our doors. We believe that there is no better time to be a strategist than today, and no better place to develop and grow in strategy than in Wavemaker. Media evolves, content shifts, and technology advances faster than ever before. From experience, we know that brands need solid plans and well-thought-out strategies that will grow their business amidst these changes. We also believe that you want to be part of these transformations, through your keen eye for details, your passion for creative work, and your desire to be involved in the story of growing brands. In this role, you will drive strategic thinking across: Client Work : Own the comms strategy development for your client briefs, which includes identifying audiences, growth opportunities, building the cultural context, understanding the brand position amongst competitors, all to develop a differentiating comms strategy and media behaviour. Key role is the challenge conventional thinking, and ensure we are answering the right problem, and that the business challenge is the one we should be answering. A strategy lead should be able to run workshops, brainstorms, liaise with creative agencies, PR agencies and any other agencies involved, as well as drive collaboration across teams to ensure your strategy comes to life. Pitches: Own and develop the comms strategy for the pitch brief, building a robust understanding of the audience, working with audience science to build any bespoke research (i.e. focus groups of otherwise), and ensuring the strategy comes through in activation and any big ideas. Thought leadership: Write thought leadership for the agency, attend conferences and talks, and network within the industry to have a finger on the pulse. Agency: Coach and mentor junior agency members who have a strategic nous. Make the work better though optimising ways we respond to briefs, the way we plan, the way we brainstorm ideas, etc. As well as encourage a culture of discussion and debate about the industry and culture at large. Bringing outside inspiration in. Awards : Surface the award winning work on your clients, and spearhead the storytelling for each entry, chasing after the results to make the entry as strong as possible. Team : Be engaged and involved in team meetings and initiatives, including participating in debates, brainstorms, and inspiration outings. Lean in and help on accounts needing resource during team absences or during client clashes. Skills and Experience Storytelling & Persuasion - The ability to develop a compelling narrative and use multiple storytelling techniques to sell in a strategy, idea, media argument, etc, whether from scratch, or taking the existing components from teams and building a compelling and exciting red thread end to end. Marketing & Media Ind…