A Brand Planner is the starting point for discovering ideas that change behavior and drive success for our clients’ brands. We are looking for thinkers who are creatively curious, have an instinct for a good story, and have the confidence to challenge conventional thinking. 

The Brand Planner is someone who questions everything and reshapes every assignment they are given to build an inspiring creative brief. This individual must be willing to go beyond the assignment and be driven to find new doors of opportunity. We are looking for a creative and inventive spirit with a passion for solving complex problems.

The individual in this role will work with all disciplines of the agency to bring clarity, focus and, above all, inspiration to the creative work we do. This individual will assist in the work of brand positioning, developing insights, and guiding the creation of ideas, campaigns, content and experiences. This role will be based in St. Louis or Chicago and will require the candidate to be in the office 2-3 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Create a constant stream of inspiration, insights and thought starters (on category, people and cultural trends) for the brands and teams you work on
• Compile, analyze, distill and clarify consumer research and present findings with a clear point of view
• Collect data on competitors and the market and present/report that information to the team as actionable strategies for the brand
• Transform client assignments into innovative and inspiring creative briefs and conduct briefings when appropriate, distilling all that you know into a singular, strategic idea that is creatively interesting for teams to work from 
• Support the development of brand strategy, including taking the first pass at presentations and ensuring alignment to the strategy in every tactic throughout the course of creative/campaign development
• Take the lead in organizing content or stimulus for client workshops, internal work sessions or brainstorms with creative teams
• Assist Planning Director in creating consumer journeys, brand positioning, brand identity and messaging, communication architecture, and brand platform

• Confident, articulate and have excellent instincts for human behavior
• Curious and have a constant desire to always be learning and growing 
• Courage to tackle unsolved challenges and unafraid to take risks with new ideas
• Passion for culture and understanding how people think or interact with brands and the world around them
• Reasons both logically and emotionally to drive out-of-the-box solutions

• Two to five years of relevant advertising/marketing experience, ideally with experience in brand planning, strategy or research
• Experience developing creative briefs and strategic frameworks for programs, campaigns and messaging/content 
• Research/analysis skills
• Experience with competitive/marketplace auditing and trend analysis
• Experience with brand positioning, audience research, insight development, campaign platforms, message development, digital and channel strategies, building customer journeys and campaign ecosystems a plus

HLK is a creative and technology agency focused on understanding and changing audience behavior through deeply integrated brand experiences. We bring clarity of context and creative resolution capable of changing behavior and shaping belief in brands. Active clients include Ameren, Bayer, Envu, Marriott, MasterBrand, and Winchester.

There are many benefits to working at HLK, including the following:

A flexible work environment

A casual and creative atmosphere

Unlimited time off

Paid sabbatical

Parental leave

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) plan with a company match

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.