B2B PR Account Manager (Trade FMCG)

FMCG TRADE PR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Trade / B2B

Hybrid Working

FMCG Trade Experience Essential

 

Great opportunity for an experienced FMCG Trade / B2B Account Manager to join the team of 50 people at award-winning PR and Digital agency, Clarion Communications, based in Southwark, London

Clarion is a WPP-owned London and Glasgow based agency with three decades of big brand experience. Our BRIGHT APPROACH™ leads us to create strategic, award-winning campaigns that leave a lasting impression.

 

Likeable. Proud. Clever. Passionate.

Our guiding principles shape our culture, steer the work we do and determine our relationships with media, clients, suppliers and staff.

 

Now is an exciting time to join Clarion’s expanding Trade division and work with some of the UK’s most popular brands including Unilever, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Danone and Hovis amongst many others.

 

Whether it is engaging with retailers and chefs, launching NPD, drafting engaging thought leadership content, profiling senior stakeholders, or coordinating webinars and events, the 25-strong team of B2B comms specialists are responsible for delivering best-in-class campaigns to a grocery retail and foodservice audience.

 

As well as working with incredible household names, you would also be part of the Clarion Trade Academy - an ongoing development programme designed to upskill the team via internal and external training. The team also benefit from regular Meet The Editors sessions with key media titles, lots of industry networking, and access to Clarion’s Little Black Book of retailer and chef contacts.

 

 

Headline Responsibilities

 

This particular role will be to work across 2-3 of Clarion’s hugely successful trade / B2B accounts across leaders in food, drink and personal care that could include:

· Unilever (spanning Nutrition, Ice Cream, Homecare, Personal Care and Beauty & Wellbeing)

· Jacobs Douwe Egberts (Tassimo, Kenco & L’OR)

· Danone (all brands)

· Border Biscuits

· Kerrymaid

· Soreen

· Lactalis

· Hovis

· Plus others!

 

Desired Skills and Experience

 

· B2B Trade PR experience is essential – ideally gained within grocery retail and/or foodservice sectors

 

· Established contacts (media, retailers & chefs) with a strong understanding of the trade media landscape and grocery retail / foodservice environment – spanning mults, independents & wholesale

 

· Experience planning and executing successful multi-channel campaigns spanning Brand, Category, Shopper Marketing and CSR initiatives (including strategic development)

 

· Excellent track record in generating results and increased SOV for trade clients· Energy, creativity, strategic thinking and great organisational skills

· Excellent trade copywriting skills and attention to detail

· Strong team leadership, client counsel and motivational skills

· Ability to successfully manager a team and juggle multiple tasks

· A proven track record of understanding business objectives and how to meet these through trade comms campaigns

 

 

Main Responsibilities:

 

Media - Trade

· Understand the evolving trade media landscape, including all types of media and how they work (deadlines etc)

· Regularly look out for new media opportunities and share with the team

· Regular meetings with key journalists (and retailers/chefs) to build up contacts

· Generate newsworthy angles and hooks

· Confident and quick thinking enough to adapt a story to a journalist’s interest

 

Writing – Trade

· Regular writer of press releases, insightful feature content, advertorials, Q&As, awards entries, thought leadership commentary etc.

 

· Excellent attention to detail

· Confident in writing proposals (including strategy) and pulling together end of campaign reviews with meaningful learnings

· Able to comment/advise on copy written by juniors

· Oversee WIPs and status reports

· Identify if junior members need assistance/training with writing skills (as part of the Clarion Trade Academy)

 

Excellence in Management of Client Work

· Manage, develop, and motivate junior staff to achieve client satisfaction

 

· Senior day to day point of contact for clients

 

· Senior day to day point of contact for all account work

 

· Help contribute to and approve all copy which leaves the agency

 

Help Achieve the Business Growth Objectives

· Help organically grow account fees, working with Account Directors and Associates to identify untapped opportunities

 

· Involved in pitching for and winning new business, including writing creative proposals for new and existing clients

 

Positive Involvement in the business

· Support Clarion’s values and culture, encouraging a positive working environment

 

· Active involvement in mentoring and reviews

 

· Role model to junior staff

 

 

 

The Perks

· Hybrid working (2 days in the office each week or more if preferred)

· Flexible working hours on Tuesdays/Wednesdays and Thursdays

· Weekly happiness audit

· 4pm finish on Fridays

· Free monthly onsite massage

· £250 yearly ‘Clarion anniversary thank you’

· Local gyms discount

· Mental Health Allies

· Thursday afternoon drinks

· Rooftop bar and restaurant

· Staff recognition / voucher awards at monthly staff meetings

· Numerous perks being based at Rose Court incl weekly running club, puppy wellbeing workshops, yoga workshops, nail bar and so much more

· Clarion’s Mindfulness Hour

 

Location

We're based in Southwark on a WPP ‘campus’ location, part a hub of Ad, Digital and PR agencies with river views and rooftop bar!

 

The Package

As well as a very competitive salary rate depending on experience, you will receive many other great benefits working with Clarion. Owned by WPP, our benefits include contributory pension scheme, life assurance, private healthcare, 22 days holiday (plus a day off for your birthday), seasonal shutdown between Christmas and New Year and a multitude of WPP discounts across hundreds of brands including Apple, Majestic and Ford.

 

In addition, personal development programs include a mentoring scheme for all employees as well as the Clarion Academy training, a newly introduced initiative - reverse mentoring and 360 personal reviews.

 

We’ve also partnered with Lifework’s, the UK’s leading Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider to bring all our staff access to their Lifestyle platform. They not only provide traditional EAP support such as chat support and counselling via the phone 24/7/365, but their website and app also provide a huge amount of educational material on topics such as family, health and money.

 

 

Additional Information

 

Recruitment Policy

All employment decisions must reflect our (WPP’s) Human Rights Policy Statement. We respect the human rights of all employees, including permanent, temporary and contract workers. We select and promote our people on the basis of their qualifications and merit, encouraging diversity. We expect all employees to be treated without discrimination or concern for factors such as race, religion, national origin, colour, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age or disability. We seek to provide safe workplaces. We recognise the rights of our employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining. We will not tolerate harassment or any form of forced, compulsory or child labour.

 

Clarion Communications is committed to enabling working parents to balance their work and family commitments.

 

 

Diversity & Equality Mission Statement

 

Diversity is a strength.

 

Companies that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and perspective are proven to be better companies. This belief is at the heart of who we want to be.

 

We invest in training, consult with communities and clients and constantly review our creative approach to ensure diversity and equality is a part of our DNA. We also utilise WPP training resources, tackling subjects such as unconscious bias, cultural awareness and gender equality to ensure that every one of our employees is an ally.