Junior Brand Strategist

Lafayette American•Detroit, MI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

We’re looking for a Junior Brand Strategist who’s endlessly curious about people, culture and what makes brands matter. Strategy is where we connect the dots between what a business needs, what people care about, what’s happening in culture and what a brand has the right to say. As a Junior Brand Strategist, you’ll be right in the middle of that process, working alongside our Strategy Director and collaborating with cross-functional teams to turn questions into insights and insights into ideas. You’ll dig into research, chase down the why behind consumer behavior, spot cultural shifts, flex your analytical skills, help shape briefs and bring fresh perspectives to the work. Some days you might be deep in a category or competitive landscape; other days you might be serving up inspiration to help crack a creative challenge. Some days you’ll be deep in statistics and spreadsheets, finding proof to guide or support creative direction; other days you’ll be interviewing consumers to find out what really makes them tick. The common thread: you’ll be learning how to turn curiosity into strategy and strategy into work people actually notice. This is a role for someone who wants to get their hands dirty, learn fast and have a real voice in the work. You don’t need to know everything yet. You do need to be curious, thoughtful, collaborative and willing to follow an interesting question wherever it leads. We are looking for someone who is hungry to contribute and is open to feedback, direction and growth. You must take pride in your work and make it easy to incorporate; zoom out for the big picture and also sweat the details to create presentations that are error-free, buttoned-up and client-ready. This role is based in Detroit, MI, with a hybrid work model.

Requirements

6 months to 2 years of experience in advertising, marketing, brand strategy, communications, research or a related field.
Wicked smart, naturally curious and always looking for the deeper story behind the obvious answer.
Not afraid of analytics, numbers or details and able to dig into the data without losing sight of the bigger picture.
A creative and expansive thinker who can explore a question from multiple angles, dig furiously for the good stuff and then distill it into a clear, compelling point of view.
Able to take a messy pile of research, ideas and information and button it up into polished, client-ready thinking.
Has a finger on the pulse of advertising, social, culture and what’s happening in the world and brings that perspective into the work.
Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to identify patterns and turn information into meaningful insights.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
The ability to take complex or messy information and make it simple, clear and interesting.
Comfort working collaboratively across different disciplines and personalities.
Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
A willingness to learn, take direction and contribute ideas.
Confidence with PowerPoint/Google Slides and the ability to create clear, well-organized presentations.
A genuine interest in advertising and the work of building brands.

Nice To Haves

Are naturally curious and constantly asking questions.
Notice cultural shifts, interesting behavior and things happening around you that others might overlook.
Can move between big-picture thinking and the details needed to get there.
Have opinions, but are open to having them challenged.
Love figuring out what makes people tick.
Can turn a rabbit hole of research into one really good insight.
Want to understand not just what a brand should say, but why it matters and why people should care.
Are energized by working alongside cross-functional teams.
Want to grow into a well-rounded strategist and eventually own strategic thinking from brief through execution.

Responsibilities

Support the Strategy Director and broader team in developing brand, campaign, communications and creative strategies.
Conduct research across consumers, competitors, categories, culture and emerging trends to uncover validation and meaningful insights.
Help translate research and data into clear, compelling observations and strategic implications.
Contribute to brand strategy documents, creative briefs, presentations and other strategic deliverables.
Participate in working sessions with cross-functional teams.
Help develop audience profiles, consumer journeys, cultural observations and other strategic frameworks.
Stay curious about culture, technology, media, social platforms and the forces shaping how people think, behave and make decisions.
Monitor trends and conversations relevant to our clients and bring interesting, useful perspectives to the team.
Support competitive audits and category analysis.
Help organize and synthesize information into concise, actionable points of view.
Assist with presentations and storytelling that make strategic thinking easy to understand and compelling to others.
Be an active contributor in client and internal meetings, building confidence in presenting and articulating a point of view.
Take feedback and coaching and apply it quickly as you develop your strategic skills.
As part of a fast-moving agency team, you’ll be expected to jump in where needed, take on new challenges and contribute to the evolving needs of our clients, our work and the broader Strategy team.