In Store Comms Manager

In Store Comms Manager

Head Office - Permanent - Full Time - 39 

THE ROLE

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a In Store Comms Manager to join the Marketing team. The successful candidate is the custodian of the in store environment and Wilko brand perceptions through the creation and execution of POS and Visual merchandising strategy.  Accountable for delivery through a multi channel environment this role is responsible for balancing the needs and influencing all internal stakeholders, providing confident challenge where necessary on concept development in order to ensure that the business is able to meet its objectives such as value for money perception, impulse buys and brand communications at all times. Translate the trade planning calendar into an integrated brand communications brief for agencies and lead the creative look and feel of the store and what the customer would see every week and month over an 18 month period.  This role is accountable for leading the development, planning, designing and execution of highly effective in-store POS and visual merchandising and all below the line marketing for the business and all BTL marketing for the business.  

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Develop the creative direction for each period for below the line marketing by taking the trade planning calendar for the business and developing into an integrated brand comms brief and marketing comms plan.
• Develop the creative direction into holistic and integrated campaigns through every customer touch point in store, with lead accountability for POS, and visual merchandising.
• Work in collaboration with category management teams, insight and customer planning teams and other key stakeholders taking accountability to deliver customer focused solutions, ensuring brand communication is integrated through all channels to deliver the business plan.  Challenge where appropriate to ensure delivery of conversion, brand metrics and return on investment within relevant timescales.
• Shape the development of the annual trade planning calendar and influence senior stakeholders in forums such as brand steering/sales meetings and trading board to agree to recommendations and get sign off for the integrated marketing plan presented.
• Ensure that the wider team delivers on prescribed timescales for execution using understanding of the market and benchmarking both from a competitor and customer perspective. 
• Develop, drive and own the critical path to ensure campaigns are delivered right first time and within prescribed timescales with the ability to influence audiences at all levels to ensure approval and critical path compliance.

• Develop and implement other visual merchandising guidance such as VM manual, visual excellence cascades. Attend regular VM communication meetings to discuss with teams and understand the impact on visual merchandising.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the Visual Merchandising strategy, whilst maintaining awareness of competitor activity, interpreting current trends in local markets and benchmarking against best practice in order to feed back into the development of the Trading and Strategic Marketing function and generate creative solutions to increase sales, conversion and basket spend.

• Influence the property team and wider space planning team to ensure maximum impact of visual merchandising in all new store openings and re-vamps and by working collaboratively with the promotions team to take an active role in planning, preparation and delivery of set up, roll out and generation of guidelines and layouts.
• Accountable for signing off all POS and visual merchandising from a specification, copy and pricing perspective.  Work in collaboration with creative agencies and print companies to consider the most effective ways to mock.
• Lead the planning and execution of window co-ordination for 3d & 2d window displays to ensure that both are aligned consistency and maintain brand perception and shopping experience from a customer point of view at all times.
• Manage the supplier relationships and SLA’s with print companies and creative agencies. Implement checks and balances for issues management, proactively managing errors to reduce number of heat calls.  Monitor consistently and review POS packs in advance to minimise inaccuracies and implications for stores.
• Ensuring that brand and legal guidelines are adhered to and delivered in line with critical path at all times.  Ensure consistency in translation of campaigns through briefing packs always considering the broad perspective of ease of shop and in store experience in order to enhance brand perception and increase conversion rates.
• Ensure the team abide by all property rights, corporate guidelines, and data protection requirements to ensure 100% accuracy and compliance is applied with regard to TDA, legislation, and photographic Industry codes of conduct/practice. Ensure all brand communications in store is legally compliant and clear to customers by questioning and challenging stakeholders where required in line with trading standards.

THE PERSON

• Understanding of legal, technical and environmental issues and policies
• Significant demonstrable expertise in successfully planning, delivering and evaluating integrated POS campaigns with maximum cut through.
• Significant experience in POS management and fully conversant in developing POS processes.
• Significant expertise in specifying, procuring and commissioning and managing multiple agency partners and associated budget and project management capabilities.
• Expertise in managing multiple campaigns and initiatives within a busy environment.
• Hands-on experience of campaign management systems
• Proven ROI / campaign effectiveness experience.
• Analytical and insight driven to develop POS campaigns
• Strong visual merchandising skills and process management including communication to stores and compliance within retail.

Closing Date 21 October 2016