Senior Manager, PR, Communications & Culture (Agave, Whiskey and Rum) (New York, NY, US) presso Campari Group

Campari Group today is a major player in the global branded spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, marketed and distributed in over 190 markets around the world, with leading positions in Europe and the Americas.

Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Campari Group owns 22 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 22 countries, and employs approximately 4,000 people.

Shares of the parent company Davide Campari - Milano N.V. are listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. Campari Group is today the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry.

Position Overview

Campari Group is seeking a dynamic and strategic communications professional to lead PR and cultural partnerships for our Agave, Whiskey (American, Scotch) and Rum brands. The position will report directly to the Senior Category Director of Agave Spirits while also supporting the Sr. Category Director of Whiskey and Rum. This role is responsible for developing and executing high-impact communications strategies that amplify the voice and vision of our brands, tap and embed our brands into the cultural zeitgeist while aligning with Campari Group’s global narrative and business objectives. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, global environment and bring a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset to the team.

General Description of the Role

The Senior Manager, PR, Communications and Culture supports the Agave, Whiskey and Rum category teams (brand and customer marketing, across brands like Espolon, Wild Turkey, Russell’s Reserve, Glen Grant, Appleton Estate) with a clear mandate to place our world-class portfolio of premium spirits deep into the lives of our consumers through a myriad of earned media touchpoints. Media relations, earned-led creative, event/impact planning & execution, tastemaker engagement & cultural partnerships are the core of this role with the expectation of receiving outsized cultural conversations from our activities. The role will manage the PR agency relationships and will be on the front line of building relationships with key spirits industry & cultural influencers across the country.

Key Responsibilities and Activities:

Strategy & Planning:

• Owns the thought leadership, development, and integrated execution of the earned media programming for our portfolio of premium spirits across the Agave, Whiskey and Rum categories, working closely with multiple agencies and brand teams.
• Ensures agency partners are set up for success with clear briefing and direction, and helps educate brand teams on the role of PR.
• Responsible for ensuring our Agave, Whiskey and Rum brands have a point of view in conversations relevant to our consumer.
• Brings fresh, creative, earned-led ideas that could come to life 360 through the line (ATL/BTL/Online).
• Partners with the Portfolio Entertainment Marketing lead and the Consumer Marketing Center of Expertise team (collaborating on experiential, paid media partnerships, digital owned channels, and eCommerce promotion).
• Leads the execution of brand Entertainment Marketing opportunities identified/secured by the Portfolio Entertainment Marketing lead.
• Proactively assesses the target consumer landscape, keeping up with passion points and optimal ways of embedding our spirits portfolio into the fabric of consumers’ lives.
• Supports the Experiential Team (from Consumer Marketing COE) in the execution of brand event activities, including planning, sponsorship contracts, vendor coordination, resource allocation, celebrity contracts/negotiations, on-site management, and wrap-up reporting.

Leadership and Cultural Partnerships:

• Builds powerful, impactful media, cultural, and entertainment relationships.
• Leads PR/event agencies in the development and execution of programming including strategy, key message development, press materials development, pitch angle development, media outreach, product mailings, cocktail recipe creation, photography, b-roll development.
• Collaborates cross-functionally both internally and externally across brand teams, departments, and agencies.
• Regularly shares best practices across Campari America and Campari Group, serving as a thought leader on culturally relevant communications and partnerships for our world-class premium spirits portfolio.

Budget & Performance Management:

• Responsible for management of brand PR budgets.
• Analyze brand PR and Cultural Partnerships activity to assure delivery against brand objectives and ROI, working with agencies & brand team to optimize performance.
• On a monthly basis share activities, outcomes, and ROI with internal audiences inclusive of our sales team and distributors to inspire continued brilliant 360 execution against the brands.

Qualifications

• 7+ years’ experience in public relations and communications with a consumer products or similar company.
• Bachelor’s degree in communications, PR, marketing, or related field.
• Experience working with trade media and consumer media.
• Passionate about embedding brands into the cultural zeitgeist and fabric of consumers’ lives, with proven experience building culturally relevant programs that deliver brand growth.
• Proven experience delivering memorable brand experiences/media & event executions that drove consumer and business results with a 360-degree, holistic approach to communications & program building.
• Knowledge of and passion for media landscape and how to develop compelling media hooks that result in on-message and on-target coverage.
• Experience in cross-functional internal and external stakeholder leadership and engagement. Strong ability to collaborate across brand teams, agencies, and departments, upskilling teams in how to achieve brand objectives through earned media.
• High energy thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with experience successfully leading multiple agencies and stakeholders.
• Balances creativity and innovative thinking in program development with detail-oriented execution oversight. Excellent written & verbal communications and presentation skills to create compelling narratives for the brand both internally and externally.
• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time.

The expected base salary for this position ranges from $126,240 - $157,800. Salary offers are based on a wide range of factors and considerations. In addition to base salary and a generous employee benefits package, employees are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus.

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

At Campari Group we believe in building more value together, thus we see diversity in all forms as a source of enrichment. Our employment policies and practices ensure that we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities in all aspects of employment without regard to any individual’s race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or characteristics or expression, political affiliation or activity, age, veteran status, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Note to applicants:

Your application will be assessed based on your abilities, expertise, general knowledge and experience, not because of any confidential, proprietary or trade secret information you may possess. You must not disclose to Campari Group any such information. In the event that you are asked a question that cannot be answered without disclosure of any confidential, proprietary or trade secret information (including from a current or prior employer or their vendors or customers), you must decline to answer the question.

Notice to third party agencies:

Please refrain from cold-calling or emailing our executive leadership team or the HR community directly. The Talent Acquisition department manages centralized recruiting operations globally, including the selection and management of external suppliers. Currently, our preferred supplier list is at full capacity. To ensure we have your information on file for future consideration, we kindly request that you complete the online form provided here.