About the Job
WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.
For more information, visit wppmedia.com.
3135 - Associate Director, Creative Strategy – Sports & Entertainment - UK
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Insight Generation
Lead the development of powerful, insight-driven creative strategies that inform clear creative territories for brands.
Uncover deep insights across consumer behavior, cultural shifts, and connection channels to unlock new opportunities.
Reframe a brand's role in the world—moving it from a product people buy to a cultural story they want to actively participate in.
Integrate Creative Strategy expertise seamlessly within the wider media Planning process.
Creative Development & Collaboration
Work closely with creative, partnership, and specialist teams to develop high-quality, channel-agnostic ideas that deliver cultural impact and commercial outcomes.
Create the optimal conditions for creative ideas to flourish, supporting teams as they bring concepts to life.
Connect client briefs to culturally relevant platforms, talent, rights holders, broadcasters, and creators.
Stay at the forefront of emerging cultural trends, social platforms, and technologies (e.g., WPP Open) to keep our strategic output cutting-edge.
Client & Account Leadership
Take senior day-to-day ownership of strategic accounts, building trusted, consultative relationships with key client contacts.
Act as a specialist advisor to clients, helping them navigate opportunities across sport, music, gaming, fashion, and entertainment.
Deliver compelling client presentations and pitches, articulating complex strategic narratives with ease and confidence.
Partner with Client Directors to identify opportunities for organic business growth, upselling, and expanded scopes of work.
Required Skills & Abilities
You will mentor, and support the wider department’s team members, providing clear direction, constructive feedback, and career growth support.
Foster a collaborative, creative, and strategically rigorous team culture.
Upskill and train the wider agency team on core strategic competencies, such as insight generation, territory development, and brief writing.
Experience in creative strategy, brand planning, or partnership planning within an agency, media owner, sports, or entertainment business.
End-to-End Strategic Prowess: Proven experience taking a project from the initial client brief, through deep insight and strategic territory mapping, to creative execution.
Cultural Native: A deep understanding of and passion for the branded entertainment, sport, gaming, and cultural marketing landscape.
Collaborative Mindset: Strong collaborative skills to deliver multidisciplinary, integrated campaigns alongside diverse internal and external teams.
People Management: Experience managing or mentoring junior team members with a genuine commitment to helping others develop.
Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional client-facing skills, with a track record of presenting complex strategic concepts clearly and persuasively.
What Success Looks Like
Impactful Work: Your client portfolio consistently delivers highly innovative, channel-agnostic creative strategies that generate real cultural buzz.
Trusted Advisory: Clients value you as a vital, senior day-to-day strategic partner, resulting in strong retention and expanded scopes of work.
Team Growth: The junior strategists and executives under your guidance are visibly progressing in their strategic craft, confidence, and output.
Internal Leadership: You are recognised as a core driver of creative and strategic excellence within the WPP Media Sports & Entertainment network.
