Brand Consulting - Account Director - Sports Partnerships

Job Description

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is the leading entertainment and sports agency, with global expertise in filmed and live entertainment, digital media, publishing, sponsorship sales and endorsements, licensing, media finance, consumer investing, fashion, trademark licensing, and philanthropy.  Distinguished by its culture of collaboration and exceptional client service, CAA’s diverse workforce identifies, innovates, and amplifies opportunities for the people and organizations that shape culture and inspire the world.  The trailblazer of the agency business, CAA was the first to build a sports business, create an investment bank, launch a venture fund, found technology start-up companies, establish a philanthropic arm, build a business in China, and form a brand marketing services division, among other innovations.

The Role

The CAA Brand Consulting Account Director will play a leadership role working with one of our largest Brand Consulting clients, a telecommunications company. The Director will help develop and lead the strategic vision, management, negotiation and activation of marquee sports properties and partnerships in the brands portfolio. The candidate will lead interfacing day to day with the client, manage team members and will work cross functionally with internal/external vendors, clients and agencies.   

The Department

CAA Brand Consulting is a strategy-led, full-service marketing agency with expertise in Cultural and Consumer Insights, Data and Analytics, Talent/Influencer and Property Partnership Advisory, Experiential, Social Impact, Creative Services, and Content and Digital Strategy. These integrated capabilities come together to offer solutions from planning through execution, and we pull in a collective perspective of expertise with each client brief to ensure we are tapping into diverse thinking and building strategies reflective of the marketplace and culture we work within.

Responsibilities

• Key Areas of Focus: Partnership Management, Programming Consistency, Tentpole Development & Oversight, Industry Connectivity, Thought Leadership
• Responsible for executing Sports strategy across key national partnership verticals
• Develop and deliver overarching strategic vision based on brand objectives for existing and new sports partnerships
• Identify solutions in sports marketing partnership marketplace
• Senior oversight and lead existing sports partnerships including day-to-day communication directly with properties across the baseball and motorsports (F1, teams, etc.) verticals

• Develop and deliver compelling written and verbal communications
• Lead overall planning of campaigns, events and activations, working with internal account team, client team and various external agencies
• Develop integrated marketing and sponsorship activation plans, showcasing how digital, social, PR, retail and other channels come to life
• Develop & oversee execution of property-specific programs, contractual assets, promotions & experiential activations
• Partner with Account Director of Talent to recommend and help manage talent deals for sports partnerships and activations
• Oversee & facilitate the creative development process of partnership activation plans (talent and/or partnerships), marketing materials, experiential assets and event-related creative (includes briefing designers & obtaining internal & client approvals)
• Act as quarterback to lead integrated agency team as requested by clients, working collaboratively with other agencies including brand, media, PR to develop comprehensive activation plans
• Work with CAA Data & Analytics to oversee the management of brand portfolio measurement evaluation including drafting annual scorecard, working with vendors on data inputs and analyzing performance
• Work with other team functions (e.g. Sports & Entertainment Account Team, Creative, Experiential, Social Impact, Data & Analytics, Hospitality, etc.) to ensure goals and objectives are met
• Manage and train junior staff members
• Create presentations for key meetings internally and externally
• Track activation budgets with accountability for reporting
• Develop relationships across CAA to find and promote new opportunities to client
• Help grow CAA Brand Consulting network and visibility by attending conferences, CAA events, and functions

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, Marketing or Sports Business preferred but not required.
• 8 – 10+ years’ experience in sports & entertainment consulting environment
• Deeply established relationships across top-tier properties and entities in sports marketing
• Best-in-class client servicing and relationship building
• Strong understanding of events and experiential activations across the full sports calendar
• Sports industry connectivity and understanding beyond sponsorship (i.e. media, creative, experiential)
• Project management and big picture thinking abilities while also being creative
• Strong negotiation skills
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• Proficient in various management & development platforms such as Excel & PowerPoint
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to “think on one’s feet” in a fast-paced, agency environment with a high-impact client role
• Ability to balance and progress multiple projects and project components at a time, on tight timelines
• Solution oriented; ability to problem solve
• Ability to travel and attend work events outside normal business hours, on an as needed basis
• Strong organization skills

Preferred Skills

• Extensive professional sports league, team and athlete experience and understanding
• Established relationships and experience within baseball and motorsports sports specifically
• Strong understanding of brand partnerships and content creation, including experience on-set during production/content shoots

Location

This role is required to be within commuting distance of our client in the Seattle Metropolitan area but will work on a remote basis. 

Compensation: The annual base salary for this position is in the range of $129,000-$169,000. This position also is eligible for benefits and discretionary bonus. Ultimately, the salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, business sector, and geographic location, among other criteria. Please talk with a CAA Recruiter to learn more.

Creative Artists Agency, LLC (the “Company”) is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate on the basis of race (inclusive of traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion, creed, gender or sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), national origin, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, family and medical care leave status, military or veteran status, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, political affiliation, an employee’s or their dependent’s reproductive health decision making (e.g., the decision to use or access a particular drug, device or medical service), or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The Company also complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local laws with regard to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities.

CAA does not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters unless they were contractually engaged by CAA to provide candidates for a specified opening. Any such employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume does so with the acknowledgement and agreement that CAA will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity.