Associate Creative Director | Creative | Ogilvy Africa

Job Purpose – Summary

The Associate Creative Director will be a key contributor to the creative vision and execution for Ogilvy Africa's in-house agency team. This role focuses on developing compelling content for a large portfolio of alcohol beverage brands within a fast-paced social media newsroom. It requires strong creative talent, particularly in copywriting and content creation, combined with an understanding of visual trends, social media dynamics, social listening, and in-culture content creation.

• Creative Development & Execution:
• In-Culture Content & Storytelling:
• Collaboration & Communication:
• Brand Voice & Messaging:
• Performance & Optimization:
• Develop and implement innovative creative strategies for social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, etc.).
• Create compelling copy and content for various social media formats, ensuring consistent brand voice.
• Collaborate with designers and art directors for visually engaging content.
• Utilize AI-powered tools to enhance creative output.
• Lead and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure digital media assets are delivered.
• Develop content that taps into current trends, memes, and cultural moments.
• Integrate social listening insights into the creative process.
• Create authentic and culturally relevant content.
• Work closely with designers, art directors, and content creators.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (social media managers, strategists, account managers).
• Present creative concepts and copy ideas effectively.
• Review creative output from content writers and designers.
• Ensure all written communications adhere to brand guidelines and maintain a consistent brand voice.
• Elevate the written aesthetic and messaging of brands.
• Uphold high standards of creative excellence for all written content.
• Monitor and analyze content performance using data and analytics.
• Identify opportunities to enhance engagement and drive key metrics.
• Stay updated on platform algorithm changes and best practices.

Role Requirements:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in English, Journalism, Creative Writing, Marketing, or a related field.
• Experience: 5+ years in copywriting or content creation, with a strong focus on social media.
• Proven track record of successful creative campaigns with a strong copywriting portfolio.
• Experience in a fast-paced, digital-first environment, preferably in an agency or in-house creative team.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Strong understanding of social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube).
• Familiarity with design software (Adobe Creative Suite is a plus).
• Strong knowledge of storytelling principles, content strategy, and social media best practices.
• Excellent understanding of social media analytics.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and collaboration skills.
• Strong understanding of Gen-Z and Millennial culture, internet trends, and online communities.

Personal Attributes:

• Highly creative and innovative.
• Strong collaborator.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple projects.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Passion for social media, pop culture, and in-culture content.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, and ever-changing environment.

Company Overview: Ogilvy Africa

Ogilvy Africa is the largest network agency on the continent, catering to 40 countries with a team of approximately 900 people across Central, East, and West Africa. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, Ogilvy Africa manages a portfolio of over 100 brands for clients such as AB InBev, Airtel, Africa CDC, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Distell, Equity Bank, Exxon Mobil, Kenya Airways, Mondelez, NCBA, Nestle, Philips, PWC, SAB Miller, Sanlam, Total, UNICEF, Unilever, and WWF, among others.

Ogilvy holds a distinctive positioning and proposition that is crucial in current times, where clients seek a partner to help them realize or regain their growth ambitions. Our ambition is simply stated as: "The Best Platform and Partner for Growth on the Planet."

This proposition is anchored on true shared value, aligning with what our world needs now by creating human (societal) value, employee value, and commercial value. This proposition spans our key mega-businesses: ABC (Advertising, Branding and Content), Experience (including CRM and e-commerce), PR & Influence, and Media (focused on performance marketing).

Additionally, we have developed proprietary marketing products in areas such as real-time marketing, social intelligence, performance marketing, e-commerce enablement, and content hubs. Our unique operating model, "One Ogilvy," enables clients and brands to simplify complex agency structures and create seamless omni-channel experiences for their consumers across all touchpoints. Fueled by the "holy trinity" of content, data, and technology, Ogilvy Africa strives to be the best-practice agency model for Developing & Emerging markets.

In our 20+ years in Africa, we have won the highest number of regional and global awards for the region, including Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, Dubai Lynx Festival, SABRE Awards (Global and Africa), and WARC Effectiveness, to name a few.

Ogilvy is a leading global network of WPP. Launched by David Ogilvy over 70 years ago, it is referred to as the "Agency of Giants" by several industry experts. The 2021 WARC rankings named Ogilvy the #1 creative network in the world.

Ogilvy Beliefs (Our Culture & Values)

• People Need Regular OS Upgrades: We believe that even the best operating system becomes obsolete without constant upgrades, and the same applies to people.
• We Need More Cows Than Milkmen: We foster a culture of practitioners, not just managers. We believe in contributing actively before commenting.
• Creative About Creativity: Creativity is, and will always be, our core differentiator. Our definition of creativity now encompasses the holy trinity of Data, Content, and Technology.
• Diversity is a Competitive Advantage: We recognize that new profiles, skills, and leadership styles make us a stronger and more innovative company.
• Collaborative Advantage > Competitive Advantage: We seek out partners who excel in the skillsets we need. This approach allows us to scale rapidly without needing to possess all the answers internally.
• Team > Individual: We believe that more is accomplished when everyone focuses on collective success rather than individual credit. Teams succeed, individuals fail.
• Fail Often, Fail Fast: We see entrepreneurs in all our people and encourage a culture of pilots. We advocate for testing, succeeding, and scaling; or failing fast, learning from the failure, and starting something new.