Manager- Connections Planning

Role Purpose

Lead Connections Planning across brands in India, translating brand and business priorities into consumer-led, integrated connections strategies. The role will identify where, when and how brands should connect with consumers across social, creators, digital, search, owned ecosystems, CRM/1PD, experiences and emerging platforms. It will work closely with Brand, Media, Consumer Insights, Commercial and agency partners to deliver one connected consumer journey across touchpoints.

Key Responsibilities

1. Connections Strategy & Integrated Planning

·    Translate brand and business objectives into consumer-led Connections strategies and architectures.

·    Identify priority consumer moments and define the role of relevant touchpoints across the consumer journey.

·    Integrate social, creators, digital, PR, experiences, partnerships and owned ecosystems into cohesive brand plans.

·    Ensure Connections Planning is embedded upstream in campaign development and not treated as a channel activation exercise.

·    Partner with the Media team to ensure paid media activation aligns with the overall Connections Architecture.

2. Digital & Owned Ecosystem

·    Drive the brand’s digital ecosystem across websites, social, search, WhatsApp, CRM and other relevant owned touchpoints. Plan and execute all digital marketing initiatives – email, social media, SEO, CRM

·    Develop engagement strategies to strengthen consumer discovery, engagement and Share of Search.

·    Lead SEO and owned-content strategy in partnership with specialist agencies

·    Build 1PD and CRM strategies to acquire, engage and activate consumers across relevant brand touchpoints.

·    Measure and report performance of all digital marketing campaigns and assess against goals (ROI and KPIs) & identify key learnings/insights on the same

·    Continuously optimise digital consumer experiences based on consumer behaviour and performance.

3. Social, Creators & Innovation

·    Define the role of social and creators within the broader Connections strategy.

·    Identify relevant cultural conversations, communities, creators and emerging consumer behaviours that brands can credibly participate in.

·    Drive social-first and creator-led thinking in partnership with Brand teams and agencies.

·    Identify and test relevant opportunities across emerging platforms, technology, AI and new content formats.

4. Consumer Intelligence & Measurement

·    Lead social listening and use search, social and digital signals to identify consumer, category and cultural insights.

·    Translate consumer and performance data into actionable recommendations for brands and future campaigns.

·    Establish relevant KPIs and measurement frameworks across digital, social, search, creators, owned channels and CRM/1PD.

·    Track key measures including Share of Search, engagement, organic traffic, consumer participation and 1PD/CRM effectiveness.

·    Build and share learnings to continuously improve Connections effectiveness.

5. Stakeholder & Agency Management

·    Work closely with Brand Marketing, Media, Consumer Insights, Commercial and regional/global stakeholders.

·    Lead integrated briefing and ways of working across digital, social

·    Drive stronger integration across agencies and challenge siloed or channel-first recommendations.

·    Ensure clarity of roles, deliverables and accountability across partners.

Key Interactions

INTERNAL: Brand Marketing, Digital, Media, Consumer Insights, Commercial/Sales, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Regional and Global Marketing teams.

EXTERNAL: Creative, digital/social, PR, creator, experiential, SEO, CRM and technology agencies/partners.

Profile

Qualification

MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification in Marketing, Business or a related discipline preferred.

Experience

·    5–8 years of relevant experience across Connections Planning, digital marketing, social strategy, integrated marketing or communications planning.

·    Experience working with established consumer brands, preferably FMCG, lifestyle or other culturally driven categories.

·    Strong understanding of the Indian digital, social, creator, search and consumer ecosystem.

·    Experience developing integrated campaigns across multiple consumer touchpoints.

·    Experience across owned digital platforms, SEO, CRM/1PD and social ecosystems.

·    Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate consumer and performance data into actionable recommendations.

·    Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders and specialist agency partners.

·    Alco-Bev and/or experience working in regulated categories is desirable.

Functional Competencies

·        Connections and consumer journey planning

·        Digital and social strategy

·        Creator ecosystem understanding

·        SEO, search and owned ecosystem strategy

·        CRM and first-party data

·        Social listening and consumer intelligence

·        Measurement and effectiveness

·        Integrated agency management

·        Strategic storytelling and presentation

Leadership Competencies

·    Consumer-centric and strategic thinking

·    Curiosity around culture, technology and emerging consumer behaviour

·    Strong collaboration and stakeholder management

·    Ability to influence and challenge constructively

·    High ownership and ability to work independently

·    Analytical and learning-oriented mindset

Job Posting End Date:
2026-11-28

Target Hire Date :
2027-02-28

Target End Date :