Director of Advertising and Public Awareness Campaign

CFP Board seeks a dynamic and innovative Director of Advertising & Public Awareness Campaign to increase awareness and preference for CFP® certification as the must-have financial planner credential for consumers and advisors. Reporting to the Managing Director of Marketing & Communications, this experienced advertising leader will drive CFP Board’s public awareness initiatives to ensure targeted KPIs are met.

Job Summary

As Director of Advertising & Public Awareness Campaign, you will be responsible for developing and executing programs that increase CFP® brand awareness among consumers and other brand health measures among target audiences. The programs include a $14MM+ annual paid media advertising campaign, public relations and communications, consumer-facing website (LetsMakeAPlan.org), essential research (primary, secondary, and competitive), and analytics to support the campaign goals and performance. Working cross-functionally and in close collaboration with agency partners, this role will champion the strategy, planning and execution for the CFP® certification and CFP Board brands’ messaging and creative treatment across all awareness marketing and communications vehicles and deliverables. The Director will also be responsible for cultivating and managing a group of volunteer CFP® professionals who serve as ambassadors with national media and in their local communities. The ideal candidate will have agency experience working on national integrated advertising campaigns.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop/improve, plan, and implement the public awareness campaign and its programs to achieve stated organizational goals.
• Manage advertising agency to create, test and implement annual advertising campaign within budget and schedule.
• Oversee communication activities that support and complement the advertising campaign and ongoing consumer awareness of CFP® certification.
• Manage the volunteer CFP Board Ambassador program, assign consumer-focused content articles to be written for LetsMakeAPlan.org, track engagement, host quarterly webinars to foster engagement and deliver relevant resources, and produce monthly volunteer e-newsletter.
• Evaluate and edit consumer content for LetsMakeAPlan.org, consumer-focused placed articles and press releases to ensure brand messaging and positioning.
• Manage monthly consumer e-newsletter featuring content from LetsMakeAPlan.org.
• Direct the design, content, functionality, and outcomes of LetsMakeAPlan.org, ensuring accuracy and timeliness of content and positive user experience.
• Leverage consumer insights and research to drive creative development, placement and positioning.
• Identify secondary research data and manage primary marketing research programs that advance and support advertising strategy.
• Pursue and synthesize research and analytic insights to track performance, solve business problems and, as appropriate, recommend actions to achieve goals.
• Implement ongoing consumer and/or user testing of programs (advertising, communications, website) as appropriate.
• Present qualitative and quantitative data in a meaningful, audience-relevant manner.
• Conduct competitive analysis of CFP® certification mind share and positioning annually and provide recommendations for improvements, if any.
• Adopt ongoing evaluation and analysis of activities and outcomes and provide accurate, insightful information to executives.
• Ensure the delivery of quality, high-impact programs in advertising that elevate awareness, preference and intent to use CFP® professionals.
• Prepare, write and edit communications and presentations related to the campaign for the Executive Leadership Team and the Board of Directors.
• Ensure budget and schedule compliance and provide regular briefings.
• Drive the internal process of approvals and coordinate the logistics of campaign launches.
• Evaluate agencies' performance and provide recommendations for improvement and other courses of action.
• Collaborate with teams across the organization, including Legal/Compliance and Finance, for contract negotiations and agency Scope of Work (SOW) implementation.
• Work with marketing and communications colleagues and core business teams to translate short and long-term goals into successful creative across all channels – offline and online.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Business, or related field; master’s degree a plus.
• 7+ years of experience in advertising or brand management, including agency and/or corporate experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in functional roles, successfully leading large-scale multi-million strategic campaigns.
• Business acumen, intellectual curiosity and corporate maturity are essential.
• Experience creating integrated campaigns across multiple media types and understanding how creative can be effective across varying media channels.
• Experience developing a national media strategy, working with agencies on media buying and having a solid understanding of media performance measures.
• Strong analytical skills, comfortable reviewing and analyzing performance metrics and ability to pivot according to data insights.
• Excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills are required.
• Budget management experience is required.
• Aptitude for problem-solving, consensus-building and inspiring others to achieve great work.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented; capable of working independently and being a self-starter.
• Ability to oversee, interpret and utilize effective market research.
• Experience developing positive and productive agency and vendor relationships.
• Ability to adapt to changes quickly, agility in strategic thinking and tactical implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and creatively.
• Flair for negotiating, persuading, and networking.
• Proficient with all standard office software, especially PowerPoint presentation skills.