AVP - Strategy & Planning

twentysix; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

VML, a WPP company, is seeking a seasoned Strategy Lead to guide strategic planning and client-facing engagement across global brands. The role emphasizes data-driven insights, market analysis, and leadership to drive advertising strategy and campaign effectiveness.

You will collaborate with senior leaders to shape the agency's direction, oversee briefs, and ensure alignment with client goals. A hybrid work model supports flexible collaboration across teams.

Qualifications

• Graduate/Post-Graduate in Marketing, Advertising, Business, or related field with 10+ years of experience in strategic planning within a mainline advertising agency.
• Proficiency in utilizing data and analytics to drive insights and decision-making.
• In-depth understanding of market research, consumer behavior, and advertising trends.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal and people management skills.
• Executive level presentation and communication skills to lead and hold senior level client interactions.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Planning: Set goals and align with agency objectives; shape overall strategic direction.
• Campaign Development: Lead development of strategic briefs guiding creative teams.
• Data and Analytics: Use data-driven insights to inform recommendations and optimize campaigns.
• Client Collaboration & Presentations: Build relationships; present plans and insights to clients.
• People Management: Collaborate with Creative, Account Management, and Media teams for seamless strategy integration.

Skills

Data analytics

Strategic planning

Executive communication

Client collaboration

Leadership

Education

Graduate/Post-Graduate in Marketing/Advertising/Business

Job description

Who We Are

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

Location: Gurgaon

About Us: VML, a WPP company is a global powerhouse born from the unification of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R — two of the world's most powerful and accomplished creative agencies with complementary capabilities and geographic strengths. We have an industry-unique opportunity to provide our client partners with a fully integrated offering across brand experience, customer experience and commerce practices — powered by deep data and technology experience. For more information, visit www.vml.com

Roles & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Setting strategic goals and ensuring alignment with overall agency objectives.
• Collaborate with the Chief Strategy Officer and Office Head in shaping the agency's overall strategic direction.
• Conduct thorough market research and analysis to uncover insights that inform the development of effective advertising strategies.

Campaign Development

• Lead the development of strategic briefs that guide creative teams in the ideation and execution of impactful campaigns.
• Ensure that strategic plans align with client objectives, target audience insights, and market trends.

Data and Analytics

• Utilize data-driven insights to inform strategic recommendations and optimize campaign performance.
• Stay informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and new tools that can enhance the effectiveness of account planning processes.

Client Collaboration & Presentations

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, understanding their business goals, challenges, and market dynamics. Present strategic plans and insights in a compelling and persuasive manner.
• Lead strategic discussions with clients, providing insights and recommendations that drive effective advertising strategies.
• Effectively communicate the rationale behind strategic recommendations and demonstrate how they align with clients' business goals.

People Management

• Partner and collaborate with other teams, including Creative, Account Management, and Media, to ensure seamless integration of strategic plans.

Skills and Competencies

• Graduate/Post-Graduate in Marketing, Advertising, Business, or a related field with 10+ years of experience in strategic planning within a mainline advertising agency.
• Proficiency in utilizing data and analytics to drive insights and decision-making.
• In-depth understanding of market research, consumer behavior, and advertising trends.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal and people management skills.
• Ability to think creatively and strategically to solve complex business challenges.
• Executive level presentation and communication skills to lead and hold senior level client interactions.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.