Brand Strategy Account Manager

Fuse; Winooski (VT); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Office in Winooski

Job summary

Fuse in Winooski, Vermont is seeking an Account Manager to manage strategic consulting and operational aspects of client marketing initiatives, serving as keeper of the brand relationship across Fuse groups and external partners. The role requires deep knowledge of brand marketing and youth marketing, plus strong project management in a fast-paced agency setting.

You will lead multiple accounts, coordinate daily client communications, and ensure on-strategy delivery with on-time, on-budget

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related field.
• 3-6 years of marketing agency and/or brand experience.
• In-depth knowledge of brand marketing.
• Knowledge of youth culture - sports, campus, lifestyle, and more.
• Ability to deliver professional, error-free business documents and project reports.
• Strong problem-solving and quick decision-making in unplanned challenges.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop integrated and cohesive strategy concepts for Client briefs across Fuse Groups and partner agencies.
• Build and deliver client presentations using Fuse templates and fresh thinking.
• Manage client relationships and ensure projects meet client needs and timelines.
• Coordinate on-site activation planning and event execution with teams.
• Travel to client meetings and events as required and manage multiple accounts.

Skills

Client management

Brand marketing

Project management

Strategic planning

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related field

Job description

Fuse Overview:

Fuse is a full-service marketing agency based in Winooski, Vermont that creates authentic brand engagements for teens and young adults. Fuse specializes in planning and executing sports, sampling, campus, culture, and customer marketing programs. Named one of the Best Places to Work in Vermont, Fuse believes that life should be a balance of creatinggreat workand makingfirstchair on a powder day. We foster a creative environment that encourages people to share insights and inspiration. If this sounds like a lifestyle made for you, then Fuse wants to hear from you.

Fuse offers a hybrid working environment. Fuse employees are welcome to work remotely 2 days per week (Wednesday and Friday) and work in the Winooski, Vermont headquarters on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays to collaborate with coworkers and clients. At thistime,we are only interviewing candidates basedinor willing to relocate to Vermont within driving distance of the office.

Job Summary:

The individual in this positionis responsible füramanaging the strategic consulting and operational aspects of specificaccount’smarketing initiatives. The Account Manager serves as “keeper of the brand / client relationship” across all Fuse Business Groups and in some cases, external agency partners, ensuring all Fuse work meets client expectations and is on strategy with the brand’s / client’s overall goals. The Account Manager proactively leadsall Fuse workon a client’s business, being able to manage multiple tasks associated with multiple accounts at once, in a fast-paced environment. This role includes: strategic development, daily communication with the client to keep project moving and progressing, day-to-day account responsibilities (status, meetings, timeline management, etc.), timely and on-budget delivery of all services, working with account team on maintaining client’s strategy throughout all aspects of the business and utilizing expertise in marketing to consult and provide point-of-views on all projects. The Account Manager ensures the account or project deliverables are being met or exceeded.

Successful candidates have an in-depth knowledge of brand marketing, expert knowledge in teen and young adult marketing and high-level project management experience. The individual will work in Fuse’s Winooski, Vermont office.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Program Development

• Develop integrated and cohesivestrategyor concepts for Client based on Clientbrief; ensure engagement across Fuse Groups and partner agencies as needed
• Planning documents such as timelines and briefs are delivered to Client to guide the strategic planning process.
• Strategic planning and concept development are based on key consumer insights,includeprogram measurements, and are inclusive of all elements requested in the brief.
• Presentation and/or ideas are delivered on time and with executional accuracy.

Client Relations

• Foster a mutually respected business relationship with Client through day-to-day contacti.e.understand Client’s preferred way of working with Fuse and ensure their expectations are met or exceeded
• Ensure that projects produced by the account team will successfully meet or exceed Client’s needs within Client’s expected timeframe.
• Clientdemonstratestrust in Fuse and values Fuse’s work; Fuse Team working on business understands how Client’s internal systems and processes work.
• Client updates are delivered whenappropriateandon-time.

Presentation Development & Delivery

• Build presentations using Fuse presentation templates
• Utilize fresh/new thinking when delivering ideassuchas withannual strategies, grassroots programs, premiums, retail concepts, event activation ideas, etc.
• Delivery of information is practiced before presentation to Client and speaking points are rehearsed
• Presentations are formatted accurately, ideas are organized, and the amount of information sharedbalancetoo much versus not enough.
• Ideas presenteddemonstrateexpertise/knowledge in the given subject and are delivered with enthusiasm.

Property/ Event Activation & Management

• Recommend on-strategy partnerships / properties that match up withbrand’sgoals / objectives and based on asetcriteria.
• Property contracts,management& activationsare carefully planned for and are carried outin a timely manner.
• A client’s expectations are met or exceeded on-site due to excellent & thorough pre-event planning and on-site coordination.
• Details of events are planned and then executed according to plan; solutions to challenges are addressed quickly and communicated effectively.

Consumer Insights / Youth Marketing Trends

• Utilize key industry relationships, research, insightstodemonstrateexpertise & relevance to the opportunity at hand

Talent Management (Brand Ambassadors / Influencers / Athletes / Artist / Other Management)

• Identifyon-strategy talent for Client and deliver key insights about talent todemonstratethatthey’rea brand fit
• Negotiation plans should be planned out in advance of kick-off approved by the Client; kick-off negotiations with firm timeline and prior first right of refusal has expired.
• Manage talent communication and ensure both talent and Client are informed of marketing programs regularly via talent branding tracking and planning meetings such as roundtables.
• Talent and their respective management understand the talent / client relationship and work to make sure all sponsor benefits are carried out.
• Talent sponsor benefits are managed,monitoredand maximized throughout the year.

Retail / Customer Program Development

• Understand Client’s retail/customer goals and systems to link marketing programs to sales
• Develop retail concepts that are relevant to Client’s consumer and resonate with the Client’s key customer (as needed).
• Retail concepts are on-strategy andleverageexisting marketing assets.

Budget/Invoice Management

• Develop program budgets for new projects, conduct ongoing project budget and spend/approval management, manage quarterly budgetreconciliationsand conduct client billing follow up communication
• Budget planning, budget management via NetSuite, spending/approval,reconciliationand client billing follow up is completed thoroughly, accurately and on time.
• Projects are completed withinapprovedbudget range.

Status Report Development, Delivery and Monitoring

• Updating ofweekly Fuse internal status reports with Account Director and updating client statusreport
• Following up on Client requests ina timelyand thorough manner.
• Status reports are formatted correctly, are updated weekly or morefrequentlyand free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Additional Responsibilities

• Traveling to Client meetings and events
• Physical demands include modest lifting at events, in the office, at storage locations, etc.
• Other duties as assigned.

Successful candidates will have the following skills & qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related field
• 3-6years of marketing agency and / or brand experience; client management and communication experience
• In-depth knowledge of brand marketing
• Knowledge of youth culture - sports, campus, lifestyle, and more
• Ability to deliver professional, error-free business documents and project reports
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make quick, effective decisions when presented with unplanned challenges
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills