Strategist, Contract

Responsibilities

• Translate research (visitor segments, perception studies, market analyses) into audience insight, actionable brand and marketing strategy
• Lead brand workshop facilitation, in-person and virtual, to surface destination identity, stakeholder consensus and creative direction
• Collaborate with DCI's creative and research leads to align brand positioning with visual identity development
• Develop destination brand frameworks: value proposition, brand promise, personality and tone, messaging pillars and audience-specific key messages
• Build phased multi-year marketing strategies inclusive of media mix recommendations, earned/owned/paid tactics, co-op opportunities, and KPI frameworks
• Guide clients through the relationship between marketing strategy and broader destination outcomes, including visitation, stakeholder value, economic impact and market share.
• Contribute to annual planning, budget discussions, market prioritization and long-term strategic thinking for assigned accounts.

Requirements

• 15+ years of brand strategy experience, with meaningful work in destination marketing, tourism, or place branding
• Proven ability to think strategically while also maintaining a practical understanding of execution and performance.
• Strong understanding of destination marketing strategy, traveler behavior and the role advertising plays in influencing visitation.
• Ability to interpret tourism research, audience insights and campaign performance data and turn findings into brand frameworks.
• Skilled workshop facilitator who can lead diverse stakeholder groups and generate alignment without losing strategic edge.
• Strong writer who can produce strategy documents that are clear, concise, and built to be used, not just read
• Strong client leadership skills and the ability to manage multiple brands, priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced agency environment.
• Comfortable operating autonomously on active accounts while collaborating closely with creative and account teams

Nice To Have

• Experience working on domestic or international destination accounts targeting U.S. and Canadian travelers.

Benefits