Lead PR - Newsroom EMC

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization

PR Manager leads and drives short and long-term PR strategies and toolkits to generate strategic, qualitative brand, categories, and product exposure. Uses PR as a strategic, effective, fast, flexible integrated and cost-efficient communication tool in the overall marketing mix.

Activate local brand social channels and local partners channels to amplify PR strategy and projects across social media.

As well as a crucial part of the marketing mix, PR Manager will have a intuitive sense and track record in issues and crisis management and mitigation, able to step in and lead our Protect the Brand workstream as an ongoing hygiene factor and at major sporting events.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and lead the integrated PR strategy. Drive, oversee or connect to all global and local PR activities.
• Act as a thought-leader in the arena of PR to help provide guidance to the field, working closely with cross-marketing teams to develop stand-out, seamlessly integrated communication and PR concepts.
• Work closely with Brand Marketing (Social, Communications, Digital, and Retail) teams to deliver results-oriented strategies and programs that increase awareness of adidas brand messaging, campaigns, products, technologies, innovations, and events.
• Establish and maintain key relationships with the Global Newsroom Network and local stakeholders.
• Provide relevant media outlets and adidas subsidiaries with innovative cross-channel PR strategies, compelling story ideas, clear messaging, and exciting tools (e.g. photography, press kits, releases, interviews and briefing documents).
• Steer and lead the development of communication and PR tools from concept to activation, ensuring that all projects are on time, within budget and on brief.
• Proactive member of local Marketing team, contributing to the alignment, integration and media relevancy of activations, products, and concepts.
• Ensure, coordinate, and contribute to the global consistency of the overall adidas brand media message.
• Lead and organize media events (press conferences, interview sessions, media days) celebrating products, campaigns, and athletes / partners.
• Contribute to product and communications teams to improve media relevancy and newsworthiness to products and concepts.
• Steer and track the implementation and results of PR activations and tools, developing summary and conclusion reports.
• Manage PR agency from end to end: budget and resource planning, briefing, execution, and reporting.
• Manage local brand’s and partners’ social channels to extend PR storytelling across social media ecosystem.

Key Relationships:

• Marketing functions: brand comms, Sport Marketing team, EIM, retail, brand media, membership team.
• PR, social media, and creative agencies.
• External partners & key accounts
• adidas Procurement
• adidas EM hub team
• Global Newsroom community 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong interpersonal/communication skills and high level of strategic thinking.
• Experience in marketing campaign development and execution.
• Ability to manage and / or collaborate with internal and external cross-functional groups: social, communications, partners activation, digital and retail.
• Solid understanding of consumer messaging and brand reputation.
• Affinity with cross-channel PR and a strong background in strategy, media relations, journalism / writing and digital PR / social media.
• Broad understanding of and passion for the sports and fashion/entertainment industry.
• Strong written and verbal, presentation, and organizational skills.

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• University degree in Marketing, PR or business, or a minimum of 6-8 years equivalent professional experience in Marketing.
• Previous experience in a Matrix organization with Global and Local exposure.
• Fluent Reading & Writing English, Arabic as a plus.