Who We Are

VML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brands that drive growth. Guided by a Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world's leading creative companies, including the WARC Creative 100. VML's global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.

VML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

For more information, please visit www.vml.com and follow along on LinkedIn #WeAreVML.

Senior Engagement Strategist – Freelance

Location : Kalamazoo, Michigan : Chicago, Illinois: Hybrid (may be open to other locations)

SUMMARY

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

Who we are looking for:

VML is looking for a Senior Engagement Strategist – Freelance for a global Auto client. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced senior engagement strategist to be part of a fast-growing team to help evolve an iconic automotive brand and lauch new products across North America. You'll have an innate curiosity in the engagement strategic process, developing strategy and tactics that leverage category and target audience insights, while creating briefs and cultivating a portfolio of excellent work.

At VML our senior engagement strategists develop and implement plans to build meaningful connections between a brand, its organization and their target audience. They will analyze customer behavior, market trends, and engagement metrics to create strategies that enhance interaction, increase loyalty, and align with business goals across omni-channel media.

What you'll do:

Strategy Delivery | Under the Strategy Lead, support account leadership to translate our client's vision into a roadmap that will achieve meaningful connections with target consumers that align with client goals. You must be able to develop insightful, perspectives on new platforms, messaging and build connections with audiences, bring related context to reporting and drive our client's business forward through best practice engagement strategy delivery.
Insight Mining | Dig in to data from a variety of sources: audience data, market data, cultural and social trends monitoring, products and services research, qualitative and quantitative methods, to support creative strategy recommendations, gain insights into target audiences and test ad concepts.
Collaborate | Work with the analytics, creative and account management teams to ensure all client deliverables are flawlessly executed and on-strategy. Contribute intelligence analysis, KPIs, and program measurement to extract key observations and nuances that can inspire creative and lead to innovative, exciting solutions for our client's business.

Who you are:

A Strategist with demonstrated experience operating across all strategy lines
A builder | Innovator with a desire to bring people together. Innate ability to marshal people and create gravity around ideas.
Open and collaborative | Our team is close-knit and supportive and we're working with a lot of unknowns – you must be a champion of team environments that are comfortable and encouraging, especially when working across disciplines.
An experimenter | Embrace the unknown and ready to break process. You'll be excited by opportunities to explore new ideas rather than rely on existing paradigms, and you view technology as a tool that can drive this creativity.

Optimistic and resilient | Dig in and figure out how to work around problems. Yes, and why not posture. Balance needed to maintain stamina and positivity.
A team player | We all wear the hats that need wearing, it's a mentality that makes the team successful.

What you'll need:

3+ years in an engagement strategy role.
Demonstrated understanding of client engagement strategies from an Advertising Agency, Marketing Agency or Management consulting POV.
Strong familiarity and comfort with engagement strategy and related analytics and aligning strategies with business needs across all channels.
A positive attitude and capacity for thinking above and beyond the client's initial ask.
A self-starter approach and true sense of ownership regarding work at each point of delivery.
A proven curiosity and willingness to dive deep into complex categories.
Ability to juggle multiple priorities in order to meet deadlines. The ability to think on your feet and an eagerness to think outside the box.
Ability to work autonomously while knowing when to engage the Strategy Lead and greater integrated team.
Strong interpersonal communication skills; you will be face-to-face with clients and internal departments at their busiest moments.
Technically proficient in presentation planning and development.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we've adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

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