Director, Brand Strategy

The Director, Brand Strategy at CoLab leads the discovery of customer insights and translates them into innovative marketing ideas. This role involves leveraging data, creativity, and strategic thinking to evolve marketing for empowered consumers. Responsibilities include identifying high-impact opportunities, applying innovative research approaches, partnering with analytics teams, and optimizing customer insight in creative development. The Director will also champion CoLab’s strategic approach and manage mid-level strategists.

Must Have

• Leverage customer insight to inspire and guide innovative brand strategies and creative marketing ideas.
• Identify high-impact opportunities for developing breakthrough customer insight.
• Create and apply innovative approaches for uncovering customer insight using qualitative and quantitative research.
• Translate key customer insights from data into actionable marketing program implications.
• Partner with primary researchers, analytics teams, and client research organizations.
• Optimize the impact of customer insight in the creative/program development process.
• Apply and champion CoLab’s strategic approach to brand development.
• Lead team brainstorms to generate breakthrough insights.
• Build productive collaboration and enable successful teamwork across disciplines.
• Demonstrate the impact of Brand Strategy.
• Manage and mentor mid-level strategists/planners.
• At least 7 years’ experience in marketing, brand strategy, or strategic services organizations.
• Expertise in qualitative research and experience applying innovative qualitative research techniques.
• Familiarity with interpreting and applying quantitative research.
• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.

Good to Have

• Graduate degree (MBA, Masters)
• Familiarity with segmentation, analytics, and media research tools

Perks & Benefits

• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• Disability benefits
• 401K
• Parental and family care leave
• Family forming assistance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Flexible time off

Company description

CoLab is a fully integrated, cross-discipline team that provides best-in-class services in a fluid and modular way. With our clients at the center, we create brand movement at the speed of people’s lives by connecting real-time data with world-class creative, content, and media in service of growth and Return on investment.

CoLab is a “power of one” solution, encompassing data, media, and production. By drawing from across the vast Publicis Groupe network, we are uniquely positioned to deliver innovation and specialized skills to our clients, as well as enriching opportunities and inclusive benefits to our employees. We pride ourselves on combining the atmosphere of a startup company with the stability and experience of a global leader.

Overview

The Director, Brand Strategy is the lead for uncovering breakthrough customer insights and translating them into big, creative marketing ideas for CoLab clients. This role is part of the creative organization, tightly integrated with creative teams, and reports to the SVP/Head of Brand Strategy. The Director will drive the evolution of marketing to meet the needs of today’s empowered consumer, leveraging data, creativity, and strategic thinking.

Responsibilities

• Leverage customer insight to inspire and guide the development of innovative brand strategies and creative marketing ideas.
• Identify high-impact opportunities for developing breakthrough customer insight that drives brand growth.
• Create and apply innovative approaches for uncovering customer insight, using both qualitative and quantitative research.
• Proactively determine where in-depth understanding of consumer attitudes and behaviors can enhance client marketing success.
• Translate key customer insights from client and CoLab data into actionable marketing program implications.
• Partner with primary researchers, analytics teams, and client research organizations to maximize the value of insights for marketing programs.
• Optimize the impact of customer insight in the creative/program development process by inspiring and collaborating with creative teams.
• Apply and champion CoLab’s strategic approach to brand development, encouraging a ‘pull’ approach to marketing.
• Lead team brainstorms to efficiently generate breakthrough insights and maximize team contributions.
• Build productive collaboration and enable successful teamwork across disciplines.
• Demonstrate the impact of Brand Strategy by creating demand for its contributions.
• Manage and mentor mid-level strategists/planners.

Qualifications

• At least 7 years’ experience in marketing, brand strategy, or strategic services organizations (e.g., advertising agency brand strategy group, management consulting, brand strategy firm, or large DM firm strategic planning group).
• Expertise in qualitative research and experience applying innovative qualitative research techniques.
• Familiarity with interpreting and applying quantitative research.
• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., history, American studies, political science, anthropology/sociology, journalism, or psychology); graduate degree (MBA, Masters) is a plus.
• Familiarity with segmentation, analytics, and media research tools is a plus.
• Exceptional customer insight skills and intuitive ability to understand consumer motivations.
• Ability to distill ‘human truths’ from complex data sets.
• Passion and empathy for the consumer’s perspective.
• Up-to-date knowledge of how marketing is evolving to meet the needs of empowered consumers.
• Ability to challenge teams to uncover ‘what’s in it for the customer.’
• Experience applying insights to marketing program development.
• Strong communication, writing, and influence skills.
• Inspirational leadership style and a passion for working with creative people.

Additional information

Our Publicis Groupe motto “Viva La Différence” means we’re better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

Compensation Range: $105,165 - $165,485 annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 02/19/2026.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact USMSTACompliance@publicis.com.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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