Associate Director, Audience Planning

Overview

This planning role is responsible for developing audience architecture by sub-brand, leveraging first-party (1P known and unknown), second-party (2P), and third-party (3P) data to inform strategic thinking. Additionally, the role includes briefing teams on messaging requirements for content development. This role oversees audience execution for media buying and optimization based on performance. It also requires the ability to work within Customer Data Platforms (CDP) such as Salesforce (SFDC), platform audience understanding, and audience setup.

Key Responsibilities

1. Audience Strategy & Planning

• Develop audience insights, audience size, and audience segmentation to support growth strategies.
• Keep clients informed about industry trends and changes affecting audience strategies.
• Identify data gaps and requirements to enhance client deliverables.
• Leverage WM, GroupM, WPP partners, and data-driven capabilities to uncover additional opportunities for organic growth and pilot testing.
• Evaluate and select the most relevant data sources (e.g., survey-based, behavioral, intent, passion points, triggers, motivations, transactional, psychographic, location-based) and technology partners (identity, CRM, CDP, data-driven solutions).

2. Audience Deployment

• Build and activate audiences across various platforms.
• Develop a test-and-learn agenda in collaboration with planning, investment, and activation teams.
• Monitor and analyze campaign performance data to generate insights and recommend optimizations for audience targeting and activation.
• Work cross-functionally with creative, activation, and analytics teams to ensure audience strategies align with overall campaign goals.

3. First-Party Data Strategy

• Develop and execute a first-party data acquisition strategy, evaluating the client’s data landscape and identifying opportunities with key stakeholders (clients and agency teams).
• Lead the creation of audience strategies for retention, acquisition, and opportunistic white spaces to drive growth.
• Develop hypotheses, use cases, and roadmaps to future-proof business strategies in response to potential changes, such as the deprecation of third-party cookies or other tracking shifts.

Must Haves

• 5 to 8 years of experience in audience and data strategy within marketing and/or media.
• Hands-on experience with third-party audience research tools and platform audience setup.
• In-depth knowledge of digital data technologies and partners, including:
  • First party and third-party data
  • Data lakes
  • Data clean rooms
  • Identity solutions
  • CDP
  • CRM
• Proven experience in advanced audience analytics, segmentation, and targeting to drive measurable campaign performance.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to think strategically and execute effectively.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Advertising, Economics, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Analytics, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Growth mindset with curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
• Strong sense of accountability and ownership.
• Highly collaborative with a partnership mindset.