Urban Outfitters: Senior Marketing Manager - North America

Founded in 1970, Urban Outfitters (www.UrbanOutfitters.com) operates more than 200 stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe, all offering an eclectic mix of merchandise.  We stock our stores with what we love, calling on our—and our customer's—interest in contemporary art, music, and fashion.  From men's & women's apparel and accessories to items for the apartment, we offer a lifestyle-specific shopping experience for the educated, urban-minded individual in the 18 to 30 year-old range—both online and in our stores as well as through our catalog.

Reports to

Global Director of Creative Marketing

Overview

The Senior Creative Marketing Manager will develop marketing strategies and brand campaigns for Urban Outfitters’ Women’s, Men’s, Beauty, and Home divisions in North America and partner with the Europe marketing team to ideate and activate global initiatives.  This role requires a deep understanding of the UO brand and customer mindset. The Senior Creative Marketing Manager, North America is a creative and innovative marketer who can execute across a variety of channels while driving long-term strategies and building brand equity. This is a Creative Department role and requires a strong creative approach to marketing.

Responsibilities

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND EXECUTION

• Develop and execute annual, seasonal and monthly marketing strategies for UO North America that fall in line with Global UO brand. This includes initial concept, goals and objectives, creative briefs, through to timelines, budget, and execution.
• Responsible for UO North America’s role in Global Creative Marketing overviews, briefs and calendars delivered seasonally and monthly, as well as being the voice for UO North America in weekly Global Marketing Status meetings.
• Develop a global marketing and branding strategy for new growth in franchises, concessions and third party vendors and social platforms worldwide
• Integrate high-profile music and entertainment talent and platforms into creative campaigns where applicable, via experiential activations, social broadcasting, etc.
• Develop and manage a global marketing calendar, working to build marketing moments around international holidays and events such as Lunar New Year, sporting events, fashion weeks, etc.
• Act as campaign lead on large-scale timed product launches and accompanying events and social media happenings, developing a strategic, well-communicated plan for customers for online and in-store launches.
• Work with merchant teams and business analytics teams to gather insights into future brand initiatives, as well as hindsight of past successes and opportunities. Gather and process facts and observations from cross-departmental meetings into future marketing strategies.
• Strategize and work cross-functionally to activate initiatives that connect the in-store and digital experience to advance Omni experience for customers, working to bring the best of both worlds together for a richer brand story.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

• Develop a global community through strategic use of influencers, digital marketing and social media, events, external talent, brand partners, and external organizations.
• Build upon success of branded community categories, such as US@UO, UO Live, UO Music, UOTV, UO Pride, UO Campus Community, and develop new community initiatives.
• Integrate key non-profit partners and local organizations that align with UO brand values into campaigns where appropriate. 
• Develop regional and localized marketing initiatives as needed.  Leverage and encourage talent within store teams and local social accounts in planning community events, localized brand partnerships, pop-ups, and beyond.

BRAND PARTNERSHIPS

• Work collaboratively with the North America Partnerships Team to develop creative ideas in support of launches and campaigns for women’s, beauty and home brands at UO.
• Ideate and execute creative strategy behind partnership initiatives as well as collaborations, including influencer campaigns, in-store fixture programs, printed pieces and advertising opportunities, unique events, pop-up shops, and other innovative methods. 

PR AND BRAND MANAGEMENT

• Develop a press outreach strategy in conjunction with monthly and annual marketing initiatives, crafting and sending press releases.
• Manage and respond to incoming press communications as needed for women’s, men’s, home and beauty-specific requests. Develop active and fruitful relationships with appropriate media outlets and individuals.
• Partner with Events Director on Press-Only events and invitations.
• Create Monthly PR & Marketing Recaps, a comprehensive report on the brand’s campaigns and initiatives, showcasing resulting press impressions, social mentions, and sales metrics.
• Develop Branded Marketing Programs for Corporate Gifting and Studio/Stylist Services.
• Continually evolve the traditional expectations of marketing by innovating new ways of connecting customers to the Urban Outfitters brand via community initiatives, lifestyle, in-store environments, social and traditional media, content, and emerging territories and conversations in the brand-consumer landscape.

COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION

• Partner with Affiliate marketing team and Social Media/Content teams to identify UO influencers and connect the dots between PR, community-building, social media, events and other cross-channel initiatives.
• Work in tandem with Retail Creative leads on opportunities for 360-degree marketing initiatives that involve in-store elements like pop-ups, store display, fixture programs, event spaces, and more.
• Partner with retail creative team to develop shops in store that align with online shopping experience to advance customer recognition and Omni experience, including “New Arrivals,” Brand Partnerships, Monthly and Seasonal campaigns, and department/category shops that are branded and recognizable. Roll out globally and as part of concessions and partnerships as appropriate.
• Excel at communicating big ideas and leading meetings and presentations.  Be highly articulate in all areas of brand communication, including writing decks, releases, and recaps.

Qualifications

• 5+ Years in creative marketing or related role.   Retail brand experience is helpful.
• Demonstrate a passion for and understanding of the Urban Outfitters brand, customer, and product.
• Experience building awareness and discovery through unconventional marketing strategies.
• Exceptional project management, process management and organization skills. Ability to effectively communicate and coordinate efforts across a large organization (both internally and externally).
• Effective written and verbal communication skills: must be able to present and inspire! 
• Analytically oriented individual who can operate seamlessly at a tactical and strategic level. 
• Ability to interact effectively in a complex organization. Must be able to establish excellent working relationships and communication with individuals and teams at various levels and from various fields of expertise.
• Ability to identify trends: Have finger on the pulse of relevant lifestyle trends, fashion and culture.
• Creative decision maker: Able to problem-solve and create compelling short and long-term solutions.
• Builds Relationships/Influences: Ability to persuade and negotiate among multiple divisions. Experience in successfully collaborating with many different personality types while maintaining point of view and marketing objectives.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.

Location

Philadelphia, PA

Travel

Some travel required.