Director, Earned Media, Toronto, Ontario

About Hill & Knowlton

Hill & Knowlton is the global strategic communications leader for transformation. We help brands, businesses and leaders build reputation, manage risk, and create breakthrough opportunities for growth. Founded in 1927, today's Hill & Knowlton operates 70 offices in over 30 countries, providing advisory, public relations and creative solutions to local and global clients. Our global team offers integrated strategic services, grounded in deep sector expertise, and enabled by creativity and intelligence. Headquartered in New York, Hill & Knowlton is part of WPP, one of the world's largest communications services groups.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for an ambitious and talented earned media expert to develop results-driving earned media strategies that ensure our clients' stories cut through and earn powerful editorial coverage and attention within the Canadian landscape and beyond.

This role is uniquely positioned within our Innovation + Creative (I+C) Hub, a centre of excellence that houses a multi-talented, award-winning team across specializations such as creative strategy, creative direction, content and social media, editorial and writing, influencer marketing, paid media, and our creative studio. Toronto is home to one of several global I+C Hubs, allowing learning and best practices from teams around the world as well as access to best-in-class tools.

The Director, Earned Media will work closely with creative strategists and creative directors within the I+C to support the creation of ideas that garner earned attention and play a leading and collaborative role across our many sectors, working with earned media strategist and specialists across the agency. This role will champion earned-first thinking within the agency, develop and maintain media relationships, and continually innovate within the earned space.

The ideal candidate will have a background and successful track record in earned media and media relations in journalism, agency, branding and/or marketing as well as experience creating multi-platform content, brand building and campaigns.

ATTRIBUTES AND EXPERIENCE

• Background (approximately 8 years) working in journalism, agency, branding and/or marketing
• Deep passion for crafting storytelling narratives
• Deep knowledge of the media landscape and established relationships with journalists
• A nuanced and sophisticated understanding of what media wants in a story
• Driven to meet and exceed earned media KPIs
• Strong ideating, writing and editing ability
• Excellent attention to detail and proven track record working to deadlines
• Ability to build relationships with clients and colleagues and work collaboratively
• Strong day-to-day client relationship skills

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain top-tier media relationships across broadcast, print, online and new media formats (e.g., podcasts), including news, consumer, lifestyle, sports, etc., with a strong POV on how to earn attention.
• Advise clients on media strategy development across traditional, online and other platforms.
• Deliver effective media targeting, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of outlet/publication reach and audience profile, and mapping against the client audience. This will necessarily need to align with H&K's Data + Analytics tools and team.
• Work with client teams to develop powerful stories for earned attention, ensure the right tools for strong editorial cut through and coverage and collaborate with the creative leadership team and Creative Directors.
• Support on key story pitching - securing top-tier editorial coverage
• Evaluate the effectiveness and value of our third-party editorial coverage.
• Evolve and innovate H&K Canada's approach to earned media, to future-proof the craft and evolve best practices
• Work with H&K Canada offices across the country and our business and marketing team on agency storytelling and third-party editorial (trade coverage and beyond)
• Lead the media strategists within sector teams and act as an inspiring role model to junior talent across the agency

WHAT THE ROLE CAN OFFER YOU

• The opportunity to develop your career within a full-service and internationally networked communications consultancy with all the opportunities and wider benefits you would expect
• Work on, shape and deliver huge campaigns for some of the world's biggest companies and most exciting brands
• Access to a global network of specialist communicators working with leading brands and clients
• Industry competitive compensation and benefits

Hill & Knowlton is more than an agency. It's a collection of thousands of brilliant, collaborative and driven employees - all united around a single vision of transforming our clients, our company and the world.

Across 70 offices in 30 countries our people are the heartbeat of our business. Bridging countless cultures, backgrounds and lived experiences, we are drawn together by a common drive and a collaborative spirit - called to our craft each day by the desire to deliver the best work.

And at H&K, diversity, equity and inclusion are not just values; they are strategic imperatives that fuel our future in an industry built on the art of understanding, connecting and developing relationships. We believe that a diverse workforce is essential for inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue and cultivating meaningful experiences that drive innovation and creativity.

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