With a monthly reach of more than 131 million, MTG is the largest automotive media company in the world. With franchises including MotorTrend, Hot Rod, Automobile, Wheeler Dealers, Roadkill, Best Driver’s Car, and dozens of other world-class brands, we are reimagining storytelling around mobility. Our portfolio brings together Discovery’s #1 TV network for automotive super fans, with our vast automotive digital platform that includes direct-to-consumer products, websites, apps, connected TVs, social, and live events.

Our People

The people who work at MotorTrend embody the passion of our content, and wake up every day intent on embracing, entertaining, and empowering the motoring world.

The Role

Job Summary & Responsibilities:

The Creative Director, Marketing & Brand (full-time, salaried, regular) will shape the creative look, feel and impact of the company’s Marketing, Branding, Advertising Campaigns, and Performance Creative. In addition to determining the creative, communication and design look, tone and feel for all MotorTrend marketing and promotion efforts, this person will be accountable as the strategic creative lead on subscriber acquisition campaigns including performance media (for its streaming service), viewer recruitment (on its linear television and digital platforms), and fan/community recruitment across social platforms.

The Creative Director will supervise, manage and develop creative teams based in (primarily) El Segundo, CA, and in Silver Spring, MD but all currently working remotely until at least Spring 2021. These teams serve across the business, supporting business initiatives, acquisition campaigns, show launches, platforms, partnerships, merchandise, print, and events. The role will work closely with marketing strategy, product, content programming, studios, performance marketing, paid media strategy, research, business intelligence, and sales to develop materials that build brand relevance, drive growth of customer acquisition, conversion, engagement and retention and invite the participation of sponsors and partners.

The ideal candidate has a deep appreciation for car culture, media, storytelling, journalism, television, entertainment, and digital storytelling. They have a track record in managing collaborative, energetic teams that build innovative, creative, high-impact, and results-driving campaigns. This person must be results-oriented with experience working in an environment that tracks, measures and optimizes the impact of their work based on objective KPIs. A willingness and drive to achieve business results and a commitment to testing, optimizing, and even pivoting creative strategy and approach is required.

Essential duties and responsibilities include but not limited to:

Develop a world-class creative team with a vision and structure that attracts top talent and meets the needs of a growing organization
Serve as the respected Marketing Creative Leader for a tech-forward, data-driven media company focused on transactions that drive subscription, advertiser, and membership revenue
Collaborate with key stakeholders and outside agency partners to develop high-impact campaigns that bring the brand to life while prompting engagement and enrollment
Articulate creative strategies and plans that are easily understood and embraced by a range of partners within the organization: acquisition marketers, marketing and PR teams, show developers and producers, product designers, senior management and Discovery partners
Lead, mentor, and develop a cross-functional team of creatives to execute across all major creative projects across video (TV and digital), audio, social, digital, OOH, experiential and content with an expertise in performance creative
Work with leaders and marketing colleagues to identify and prioritize key brand and acquisition creative initiatives to support growth and experience for existing and prospective customers
Leverage best practices, consumer insights, and data to inform creative concepts, decisions, and execution with the goal of achieving campaign and business KPI targets
Cultivate ownership of marketing initiatives and performance across the creative team through iteration, experimentation and subject matter expertise in products, platforms, and/or channels
Implement creative strategies that aim to improve the connectivity of the consumer to the MotorTrend brand and products
Identify and manage external creative agencies and production partners as needed
Stay informed on the latest trends and best practices across media channels and platforms (paid performance, mobile storefronts, linear TV, etc.) so as to customize creative and messaging according to maximize performance
Manage to creative budget

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position includes supervising a creative team of 15+ employees including designers, art directors, producers, editors, etc. Supervisory responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Provide consistent training, support, and mentorship to team
Review and approve individual timecards (as needed) and time-off requests to ensure optimal staffing levels
Effective, fair, and consistent performance management
Fairly and consistently ensure compliance with company policies and procedures

Education/Experience:

Preferably a bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Advertising, Cinema/Television or related field.
Minimum 10 years’ experience at a media organization and/or creative agency focused on marketing entertainment properties with creative direction experience
Worked in a studio, network, or agency environment with knowledge of the layers and creative development process behind creative marketing and brings that experience to bear in a complex international organization
Understands the creative production process for both AV assets and print/static assets
Experience defining and implementing project management process and leveraging tools like ASANA, JIRA, etc.
Experience with AVOD / streaming subscription services

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

Must have a track record that demonstrates strong leadership, managerial and mentorship skills and have the ability to build strong working teams within a digital-forward and data-driven company
Proven track record of implementing successful performance marketing, branding/creative strategies in the digital space, preferably with demonstrated success in driving acquisition for subscription or membership products
Must be able to exercise strong interpersonal skills and be an excellent communicator with the ability to relate to a wide variety of audiences
Keen eye for detail and ability to direct agencies and internal teams in a proactive, productive, and positive manner
Must have a track record as a creative leader who is able to think outside the box to lead conceptual thinking in addition to clearly articulating the creative vision for the brand across multiple channels
Proven creative excellence developing trailers, promos, digital and social creative, performance media, ecommerce, and mobile storefront assets
Advanced knowledge of video production and post-production with experience with systems implementation in a successful environment
Experience in emerging visual design trends, including Print, OOH, Interactive, Email, Mobile Digital, and Social
Must be a great teammate who practices selfless leadership in order to develop and foster the best team possible
Proven ability and experience collaborating with teams and delivering constructive, inspired, creative feedback
Take a well-rounded approach to making important business decisions
Ability to be flexible and shift easily between projects while remaining focused on key business objectives
Results-oriented and comfortable working in an environment that tracks, measures and optimizes the impact of creative
Must thrive in a fast-paced work environment and have the ability to easily adapt to changes and new developments
Must be able to deliver strategies that are consumer centric and that strive to connect the customer to the product
Be a proactive, self-starter with an outgoing personality and business savvy
Must be energized by the potential of growing, developing and driving a business forward
Deep appreciation and passion for the car culture, media, storytelling, journalism, television and digital storytelling.
Strong project management skills and the ability to prioritize against goals
Excellent oral and written communication skills with strong attention to detail
Demonstrated ability to prioritize, ideate, meet deadlines, make decisions, and change course of action quickly
Excellent interpersonal skills to ensure successful interactions, strong working relationships, and the ability to interface with varied levels of stakeholders, colleagues, partners, and talent
Highly collaborative creative sensibility, with ability to be open minded to feedback and committed to delivering the best performing creative leveraging proven best practices and historical data whenever possible
Business-minded, with an understanding and open-mindedness to data/analytics helping guide creative choices
Ability to work collaboratively with multiple creative and executive stakeholders and come from a place of “yes”

Physical Requirements:

The ability to sit for prolonged period of time and view computer screen.
Some travel may be required for this position (primarily for production shoots)

Equipment/Software Used:

Slack
Experience video editing with Adobe Premiere or Avid software
Experience using team collaboration platforms like Asana or JIRA
Proficiency in G Suite (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Groups, Chat) and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Photoshop/InDesign
ASANA, JIRA

Work Environment:

Position is remote until at least Spring 2021 then located in El Segundo, CA office
Work is performed in an office environment that is well lit and ventilated

NOTE: This position description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict any other tasks that may be assigned.

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Creative Director, Marketing & Brand

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