Job Opportunities at Publicis Groupe

• As an Intern/Account Assistant at MSL, your goal is to learn and become an expert on all PR processes and administration tasks for the smooth running of the account portfolio. Key focus areas are effective time keeping (via Chase), assistance with general team administration (e.g. meeting notes), coverage tracking and reporting.

Core capabilities

• Media lists: Keep media lists updated, inform agency colleagues of media moves/changes, and compile tailored media lists per client content piece, while maintaining an updated master media list for each client in your team.
• Media relations: Build a solid knowledge of the South African media landscape, and start making and keeping media contacts.
• Pitching skills: Grow in ability and confidence to pitch stories and find creative angles that resonate with journalists.
• Writing: Develop basic writing skills, especially (but not limited to) email communication and media pitches.
• Research: Demonstrate basic research skills, and assimilation and presentation of information.
• MSL Newsdesk: Participate in daily newsdesk/media meetings, taking notes when asked.
• Computer skills: Strong proficiency in all Microsoft Office packages including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook (or other company-preferred applications), taking Marcel Classes to become an advanced user of these programmes.

Personal attributes

• Taking initiative: Demonstrate consistent, proactive, positive contribution at all times, as well as a self-starter approach to your work.
• Proactive upskilling: Demonstrate efforts to understand content for all clients (even beyond your portfolio), your client’s industry, staying abreast of the broader news environment, and spotting opportunities for media conversation building.
• Communication skills: Develop and continuously improve face-to-face, telephonic and email etiquette (internally and externally).
• Time management: Effectively use and manage your own time to meet deadlines, always informing your team if you are falling behind on a task before it is due.
• Prioritisation: Start to build an ability to prioritise tasks.
• Detail-orientated: Work to become a stickler for unwavering attention to detail in all aspects, including documents, presentations, emails and all other communiques.
• Quality: Consistently strive to deliver quality work to professional, MSL standards.
• Proactive learning: Demonstrate use of the Marcel Classes portal and other internal training sessions to upskill yourself, taking initiative and responsibility for your learning journey.
• Respect: Acknowledge and respond to instructions from senior staff as soon as possible (email, instant message or spoken).

Client services
 

• Understanding: Demonstrate a keenness to learn and grow your understanding of the agency’s clients’ businesses and knowledge of competitors.
• Client knowledge: Develop confidence to contribute own ideas to planning and brainstorm meetings.
• Client relations: Start to develop personalised, friendly rapport with clients.

Agency operations

• Coverage: Take ownership of daily coverage tracking for reports and timeous client coverage updates.
• Reporting: Work with AE/AM to ensure quality, timeous monthly reports are delivered to clients.
• Timesheets: Demonstrate effective time recording (daily, accurate data logged on Chase, as per Groupe deadlines).
• Client birthdays: Keep an updated record of all relevant client birthdays for your team, and liaise with the operations team weekly to plan for client birthdays in the week ahead. Take responsibility for informing your team and ensuring actions are taken to acknowledge clients’ birthdays.
• The MSL Way: Work to learn and live MSL’s company values in all professional interactions and work.
• Know the agency and the Publicis Africa Groupe (PGA): Demonstrate an interest in becoming familiar with both MSL and PGA's organisational structures and offerings.

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• As an Account Executive, you should be someone who views marketing and advertising as a career and not just a job. You must be passionate about working in a fast paced and energetic environment, no two days are ever the same - so if new challenges excite you, have the ability to multitask like a pro and have a strong project management skillset, then this role is perfect for you.
• As an Account Executive you’ll be supporting the team to produce memorable and effective campaigns for our clients. All the while building strong relationships with both our clients and internal agency stakeholders. You’ll also be involved in running internal agency projects and tasks, which gives invaluable experience in understanding the many facets that make up and advertising agency.
• You will be reporting into the agency Brand Director, Operations Director and Business Lead across multiple clients and multiple disciplines pertaining to the agency brand itself. You need to be able to hit the ground running from day 1, be a self-starter and consistently drive excellence with a keen eye for detail.
• We’re looking to build something awesome, and for that to happen we need the right people. In other words, we’re going to be fussy. In fact, the right personality is just as important as the right experience. We’re here to work hard and have fun.

As the Account Executive you will be responsiblefor:

• Supporting your senior Account Management team with the project management of TTL campaigns (often with a digital focus).
• Communicating with clients on a day-to-day basis across multiple brands and disciplines.
• Management of client expectations, timelines and service delivery through day-to-day communication with the client.
• Assisting Machine’s Operations Director and Brand Director to facilitate, project manage and drive out internal agency projects, events and day-to-day acumen.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Working efficiently and smoothly with seniors
• Learning and following process from seniors
• Following company process, contact reports, Chase management (briefs into studio etc.)
• Honing excellent communication skills
• Developing effective and confident presentation skills
• Oversight and guidance of the campaign-building process
• The ability to determine and prioritize hi-low priority work
• Management of internal and external stakeholder expectations
• Constantly drive for client satisfaction and positive feedback
• Constant, effective communication with internal and external stakeholder on all work you are responsible for. Being proactive in the way you communicate and upward manage is essential.
• Problem solving
• Timekeeping, deadline management and punctuality
• Co-worker relationships
• Skills growth, industry research and constantly seeking personal growth and upskilling yourself
• Ensuring high and consistent quality of your own work
• Ensuring quality control of work delivered from studio

Qualifications

• Educated to a Diploma or Degree level
• Marketing and Communication qualification essential
• Managing the expectations of multiple stakeholders seamlessly to deliver according to the brief and strategy, and always to the highest standard
• Digital communication knowledge and interest
• Advertising and communication knowledge and interest

Personal Profile:

The successful new candidate will be passionate about the advertising and communications industry, highly motivated with excellent communication and problem-solving skills. The following attributes are also essential:

• Highly organised
• Multi-tasker
• Ability to self-manage with ease
• A team player
• Enjoy working under pressure
• Working independently and collaboratively with key team members
• Hungry to learn and grow - always willing to try something new
• Thrive in an ever-changing environment
• A passion for storytelling
• A keen eye for detail and a drive for perfection
• Deadline awareness and ability to handle pressure
• Taking initiative and ownership of your projects, be your authentic self, never be a paper-pusher!
• Pro-actively solving problems
• An acute sense of responsibility and accountability
• Cool, calm and optimistic
• Enjoying the thrill of a challenge
• Motivated by a desire to add value to the agency and your clients’ business
• A sense of humour. Remember, we work hard but we play hard too.
• Celebrate the small stuff, and praise fellow colleagues for jobs well done.

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Are you an imaginative and passionate writer with out-of-the-box ideas and excellent grammar? If so, get ready for a copywriting opportunity at Publicis Groupe – an exciting, fast-paced organization where you’ll gain valuable hands-on experience. Our graduate will help build and write content that will help.

• Gain understanding quickly with clients' products and services, the target audience and competitors' activities
• Amending, revising, or redeveloping adverts or campaigns in response to feedback from the creative director, account team or clients
• Perform additional duties and help with other projects assigned by the manager
• Conduct research on assigned topics, competitors, target audiences, and the platforms the content will be published on
• Assisting in writing, proofreading, and editing copy
• Ensuring brand consistency in all copy by following existing writing guidelines
• Communicating with superiors and other departments to ensure the written content matches any auditory or visual elements it accompanies

Qualifications

• Ability to think critically under tight deadlines.
• Diploma or Bachelors in related field in communications.
• Know the digital kingdom and transcend into magic.
• Passion and skill for writing and communicating
• Excellent communication skills, both orally and written with the ability to express ideas clearly and concisely
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, ever changing environment
• Strong work ethic and listening skills ethic while also being able to tackle multiple projects at once

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• To negotiate, buy and place client media, using correct rates with the correct Media Owners and ensuring right and accurate documentation to allow for invoicing.

Responsibilities:
Account Management

• Responsible for delivery of buying service on portfolio
• Attend client/team/status meetings
• Maintain key stakeholder relationships (agencies, brands, client portfolios)
• Develop negotiation strategy on client portfolio

Media Buying, Administration & Budget Management

• No PO, No Booking
• Implement the approved media plan across all mediums
• Provide clear briefing to media owner sales representatives
• Negotiate the best deals in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, price, quality and value added opportunities of the agreed media plan if not already included
• Strive for optimal savings on all media buying
• Issuing of chase lists to Creative Agencies / Client
• Liaising with Creative Agencies – flighting codes / material etc.
• Ensure that media schedule rates match the media flowplan
• Check all contracts timeously and flag discrepancies with planner immediately
• Check that monthly billings match expectation created by PO’s and/or flowplan and highlight discrepancies and corrections to campaign managers/media planner/BUD where applicable to enable them to correctly update their plans and PO trackers
• Supply alternative TV spots to planner where applicable and book alternatives within 48 hrs
• Amend or cancel bookings as and when required by Client, re-negotiating deals in order to avoid penalties wherever possible
• Negotiate maximum compensation for non-adherence to booking parameters or poor quality reproduction
• Respond to ad hoc buying requests from Client and planners
• Provide Resources with all relevant documentation for billing purposes, including signed Cost Estimate, Purchase Order, Signed Schedule, Updated plans from Planners/Campaign managers, Proof of Service and/or other approvals.
• 80% of Billings to be invoiced by billing closure and remaining 20% by no later than the 26th of every month
• Adherence to billing deadlines
• Weekly timesheets completion
• Adhere to audit and process protocol
• Respond to all Resources queries within 48 hours

KPA’s

• Buying Media
• Billing Accuracy
• Process /Audit Compliance
• Negotiation
• Admin/Filing Management
• Self Improvement/Training /Intern Mentoring
• Timesheet completion
• Financial Performance: Cash no more than 9.5% of book outstanding
• Client appraisals at 80% average and not less than 70% for Buying, Invoicing and Training.

Key Interfaces:

• Buying Manager
• Business Unit Director
• Media Owners
• Creative Agencies
• Planners/Clients
• Finance/Resources

Key Competencies/Skills.

• Accuracy
• Able to communicate on all levels
• Relationships
• Systematic
• Resilience and ability to work under pressure
• Strong administrative skills and attention to detail
• Aptitude for numbers
• Negotiation and problem solving skills
• Accountability
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Timeline Expectations:

Booking completed

• Within 2 working days depending on complexity.

Chaselists

• Within 24 hours where the booking and material deadline has expired and within 48hrs for all other deadlines.

Copy Instructions, Booking Instructions,

• Within 1 working day for all expired booking material deadlines and 48hrs for everything else.

ATL billing

• As per deadline grid shared by Buying Manager or as directed by CFO

Digital billing

• In arrears within the first two weeks of the next month (by the 10th), provided post campaigns and invoices have been received and packs complete.

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As part of a global Groupe that creates through the line advertising campaigns for some of the most known brands, we are looking for highly motivated and creative graduate majoring in Graphic Design to join our growing team. The job role will require your creativity in designing and implementing posters and banners to be promoted on various social media platforms.

• Mesmerize with your graphics along with visual and audio concepts for the purpose of product illustrations and logos.
• Present design drafts to the relevant managers and must be flexible in incorporating any feedback given into future designs.
• Create slick e-mail marketing campaigns for customers.
• Come up with fresh creative ideas and concepts.
• Must be willing to coordinate with the advertising team to design promotional artwork which will be integrated into the larger marketing campaign.
• Prioritise pro-active work wherever possible
• Get to know each brand and how to apply their C.I and tone of voice correctly
• Participate in company events and culture building

Qualifications

• Major in Graphics Design/Multimedia.
• Excellent written & verbal skills
• Amazing portfolio or relevant work
• Punctuality to work every day.
• Highly proactive and possess attention to detail.
• Basic knowledge of creative platforms and trends in digital advertising
• A Can-do attitude is essential

Additional Information

Brief 1: Self-portrait poster - Designer

Create a self portrait that will be presented as a poster selling you and your creativity/skillset as a product.

Rubric for poster

• Rationale - ( 1/10)
• Visual hierarchy - (2/10)
• Choice of media - (2/10)
• Concept - (3/10)
• Finishing - (2/10)

Qualifications

• Major in Graphics Design/Multimedia.
• Excellent written & verbal skills
• Amazing portfolio or relevant work
• Punctuality to work every day.
• Highly proactive and possess attention to detail.
• Basic knowledge of creative platforms and trends in digital advertising
• A Can-do attitude is essential

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The Job Description:

• A Media Planner is expected to be data driven, insights lead and a solutionis thinker, who strives to make meaningful impact on the business.
• This role demands confidence, presence and the skills to make a meaningful impact. Never just taking and executing orders, Starcom Planners are expected to direct, inspire and add value at every turn. They need to hustle, negotiate and demand value from media partners.
• A high level of collaboration, a willingness to teach others and a real desire to push the boundaries is what will be expected.
• In addition, this role requires a high level of accountability and responsibility over the digital media investments we are entrusted to manage.
• Some working outside the standard working hours may be necessary.

The Job Purpose:

• To demonstrate real passion, care and vision for the brands in your portfolio.
• Together with the team, successfully meet the client’s contracted KPI’s and the commercial targets.
• To be accountable for the successful delivery of media plans, schedules and budget management sheets. To deliver accurate implementation plans on time, every time.
• To ensure the best iner-media channels selections take place on every plan – the best stations, tiles, programs and touchpoint recommendations are made on every schedule.
• You will be given a small digital portfolio to start planning on with the digital implementation strategist.
• All post-campaign reports to completed and delivered accurately and on time.
• All TV rating and KPI tracking requirements are to input into the live digital dashboards.
• Work collaboratively with the offline and online strategist and the Communications Strategist at Cheil.
• Ensure collaboration and alignment with other external agency partners and media owners.
• To deliver ongoing incremental media improvements, based on live optimization reports, post campaign analyses, MMM’s and audit results.
• Resolve planning related issues with a solution driven mindset, whilst maintaining strong relationships with colleagues, agency partners and clients.
• Ensure budgets are properly managed and financial losses mitigated due to under / over-spends.
• To grow the strategic reputation of the agency by delivering world-class planning and trading excellence.

What you can expect in an average week:

.Your average week may include:

Manage quality of work in terms of:

• Agency processes
• Global tools and processes
• Accurate consolidated flowplans (where required, offline and online) within budget.
• Flowplans updated timeously to reflect current state of campaign.
• In charge of developing all offline media plans and coordinating bookings with buyers
• Post-campaign analyses 2 -3 within weeks of campaign ending.
• Collate media tracking data for client (e.g. Afstereo), compensating client where necessary
• Negotiating best deals and managing admin related to dealings with media owners
• Create, send and manage CE’s to brand managers
• Lead the billing process on your portfolio with buying team
• Manage billing queries with buying team
• Build and maintain solid client relationships
• Attend regular status meetings.
• Attain bonus-related client KPIs for planning.
• Lead in tracking savings across the business YoY
• Effective representation of Publicis Media: Keep abreast of international and local trends, across all agency disciplines and practices.
• New Business: Assist with new business pitches on costing exercises when required.
• Update monthly forecasting reports.
• Keep your Telmar and Google training and certifications up to date and participate in required training sessions.
• Ensure that your time sheets are maintained and timeously updated.

Hard Skills:

• Able to effectively project manage
• High attention to detail
• Numerically strong and analytically able
• Strong communicator with effective interpersonal relationships across team and clients
• Advanced IT skills including Microsoft Word, best-in-class Power Point, Excel, Outlook and web-based applications.
• The ability to synthesize and reduce different inputs to create a well-considered and accurate representative view.
• English fluency and language skills for effective business writing
• Strong presentation skills
• Solid data interpretation and analytics skills
• Be able to exercise strategic principles and structured thinking to tackle business development projects assigned by client
• Be able to select appropriate frameworks, tools and approaches to use in solving client problems
• Develop strategies that interpret cultural and social trends as well as data relevant to client business

Soft Skills

• Is open to constructive feedback and challenges accordingly.
• Is effective at building relationships and working as a team
• Shows leadership and decision-making ability
• Manages change well – adapts and remains flexible to business priorities
• Ability to collaborate without ego as well as work effectively independently
• Is willing to transfer skills and share knowledge openly
• Ability to self-start and self-manage

Qualifications

Qualifications & Training:

• Advanced Telmar training to be updated annually – Survey Time, Autographics, Geographics, Transmit, Radio Planner, Radio Tracker, Print Planner etc.