Director, Consumer Strategy & Insights

Job Description

Job Description

Canvas Worldwide dares to be the challenger the ad industry needs. Do you "Challenge the Comfortable?" Then you'll fit right in here at Canvas.

Recognized as one of Ad Age's "Best Places to Work" for three consecutive years, Canvas Worldwide is an independent media agency committed to providing creative solutions for brands that challenge the status quo. Our clients include Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, MGM, Zillow and McDonald’s (to name a few…).

Our agency cultivates an environment where all are welcome to push outside their comfort zones to solve problems in new ways. We encourage the team to be its best by creating the most positive workplace experience for all. For instance, we outpace the industry on diversity and inclusion AND offer continuous training and workshops for career development. So, if you dare to challenge the comfortable… then keep reading.

The Role

You will be responsible for directing the consumer insights practice for your assigned brand. This will include a deep investigation into culture, brands, and people, with a specific focus on the automotive culture, larger competitive landscape, and potential buyers, influencers, and other market drivers. Your purpose is to understand consumers as real people making real decisions and choices in real life. To succeed, you’ll need to figure out what matters and motivates them, how they connect with relevant brands, sub-brands, and cultural icons, and how marketing communications may influence their decision-thinking. This will help you to yield richer insights as a jumping off point for innovative and breakthrough thinking in your approach to marketing communications and media planning. As a key player in the department, you will also work with the department head to expand the evolving Decision Road practice and to identify new ways to integrate the department’s capabilities with other marketing disciplines within Canvas.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

UNDERSTAND (35%)

• Develop a deep understanding of the category in which the brand competes, allowing for a closer connection between audiences and our communication strategies.
• Seek insights from both primary and secondary research to understand attitudinal (qualitative) and behavioral (quantitative) aspects of the consumers’ relationship with both brands and potential communications channels.
• Master the use of all available planning and insights tools, including Linnaeus, MRI/Simmons, GWI, VideoAmp, and others.
• Proactively mine all available resources for any information that can lead to a better understanding of the consumer, the brand, or the communication challenges at hand.

 

MANAGE (15%)

• Develop a tight, collaborative relationship with the Canvas brand strategy and channel planning teams.
• Maintain an intimate understanding of each target audience’s thoughts and behaviors, especially with respect to potential communications channels.
• Support Canvas and your clients in continuing to evolve and enhance consumer insights and the value it affords Canvas and its clients (new tool development, for example).
• Develop and maintain a close working relationship with agency partners.

 

CREATE (50%)

• Develop compelling stories using analysis and data from a variety of credible sources; create effective presentations with clear narratives that drive to a specific point-of-view or recommendation.
• Craft Activation Briefs as required for your assigned brand and new business and ensure that resulting recommendations and actions remain on strategy.
• Lead ideation sessions that bring activation ideas to life through media channels; inspire teams to bring creative thinking to how we use existing and new media vehicles.
• Provide in-depth insight for both Canvas and client strategists specific to emerging trends that will affect our clients’ businesses.
• Develop relevant thought-leadership pieces that bring fresh insights to our clients and the agency. 

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated leadership through influence
• Expertise in synthesis of qualitative and quantitative findings to deliver compelling storytelling to inform, influence and shape strategy and ideas
• Exceptional communication (written & verbal) and presentation skills
• An eye for effective presentation design
• Proactive with an ability to think on your feet
• Resourceful and scrappy, able to solve problems with whatever resources are available
• Ability to work independently as a self-supported team-of-one when necessary
• Capacity to learn and master new software tools and platforms
• Intellectually curious and inquisitive
• Service-oriented
• Committed to truth and objectivity
• High-level of personal accountability
• Strong work ethic; self-starter with proven ability to drive projects from start to finish in a timely manner
• Willingness to try new things that just might (or might not) work
• Ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks with flexibility
• Ability to build and maintain strong internal and external relationships

• A collaborative team player who can work within a matrix structure
• Essential: Unflagging positive energy

Experience & Education:

• Six to eight years’ experience at an agency or in a consumer-focused role (for example, strategic/account planner at a creative agency or connections planner at a media agency)
• Previous experience working in the automotive industry is a PLUS
• Facility with all relevant data sources (1st, 2nd, 3rd party)
• Strong consumer quantitative/syndicated research expertise
• Client presentation history

Salary and Benefits

Actual base salary is determined upon factors such as experience, qualifications, training, certifications, and internal equity. The Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Base salary is part of a total rewards package that includes highly competitive benefits like generous medical, dental, vision, pet insurance, commuter benefits, disability and life insurance coverage, 401(k) matching, up to 14 holidays per year, a “Do Good Day,” and unlimited PTO.

Additional perks include employee social and wellness events, a DEI Council, auto purchase rebate program, monthly wellness allowance, and in-office amenities such as fresh kombucha and an in-house barista inside our beautiful, new vibrant El Segundo office.

In-Office Work Schedule

This is a hybrid role, requiring a minimum of 3 days in-office per week.

Canvas Worldwide is an Equal Opportunity Employer : All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

CA Applicants: Canvas Worldwide practices Fair Chance Hiring

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.