Associate Strategist

Reporting Location: Chicago - 345 North Morgan

Workplace Type: Hybrid

ABOUT US

tms unites technology, marketing, and sourcing to drive transformational change for the world’s leading brands. With 1,200+ employees across 26 countries, we offer an impressive range of solutions – from inspiration and innovation to category management and delivery.

Operating as a creative agency, a strategic consultancy, a sourcing business, and a technology provider, we engage with over 110 million customers every single day for our clients, including McDonald’s, T-Mobile, O2, Starbucks, and adidas.

Most importantly, we're a place where you can achieve great things, and be recognized as the best.

WHAT MATTERS THE MOST

Breakthrough, business-driving ideas come from extraordinary people with the freedom to be their most authentic selves at work. Authenticity and diversity are critical elements of our business. They can only be realized when we create access and equity for all. We foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and aspire to be ever-evolving.

tms is a place where brilliant people are better together. If you want your ideas to be heard and to contribute to a culture of inclusion and authenticity, bring us your voice! Visit us at tmsw.com.

WHY WE THINK YOU WILL LOVE THIS ROLE

As an Associate Creative Strategist, you will support senior strategy team members by conducting research, analyzing data to generate insights, and staying plugged into the latest and greatest in culture, branded activations, and promotions. As a junior member on the team, you will have the opportunity to develop fundamental strategy skills while receiving mentorship and guidance from those around you.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THE ORGANIZATION

As a junior member of the team, your day-to-day will be supporting the senior members of the team with cultural research, insight generation, and support in the crafting of strategic marketing plans for our key clients. You have an inquisitive mind, can uncover breakthrough customer and cultural insights, and inspire impactful cross-channel marketing programs.

We’re looking for an independent thinker who is curious and passionate about people, brands, marketing, content, social, and digital.

You will be expected to work as part of a team identifying threats and consistently searching for opportunities for the client and agency. You will always be questioning and challenging what has been done and inspiring new ideas.

Responsibilities

Your day-to-day will be supporting the senior strategy team members with category analysis, trend reporting, and learning how to craft creative briefs and thought leadership.

Be a knowledge champion by conducting secondary research on customers, culture, emerging tech, and industry trends, helping our team better understand our client’s landscape

Assist senior strategy team members in the development of creative briefs and briefing sessions and work closely with strategy team as well creative teams to nurture the ideas generated to ensure they deliver on brief and strategy

Supports strategy team in partnering with account teams (agency and client) on annual brand calendar planning

Fosters consistency over time and across projects and identifies opportunities to improve the quality of the thinking applied to client businesses

Assist in the development of client-facing and internal thought leadership that guide creative development for cross-functional partners

Develop market overviews, competitive analysis, and trend reports

Support our partnership and e-commerce team with industry trends across a wide spectrum of client categories (entertainment, travel, sports, food, retail, etc.)

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO HAVE

Bachelor’s Degree in business related field preferred

1-2 years in a marketing-related role, including past internship experience

Innate curiosity with the ability to connect insights and see creative opportunity

Strong verbal, written, and presentation communication skills

Ability to perform core strategy tasks – cultural insights, human insights, audience understanding, positioning development, campaign development

Willingness to learn and grow within the team and collaborate

Unafraid to dive into new platforms and acquire new knowledge

Strong ability to brainstorm and participate in group discussion