Director, Brand Strategy & Integrated Marketing - 001486

Summary

The Director of Brand Strategy & Integrated Marketing leads the company's branding strategies for our three distinct brands-Excellus BCBS, Univera Healthcare and Lifetime Benefit Solutions-and marketing, advertising, communications, digital marketing, social media and proposal development, to create integrated marketing impacts and tailored messages that are relevant to each. Audiences include Medicare, commercial group, Safety Net commercial individual, and member market segments, as well as brokers. The primary focus of the position is to evaluate, identify, develop and produce strategies that will increase brand strength, create value, influence brand consideration, generate sales leads, engage customers, and retain them once they become members. These activities result in loyalty among our member population and profitable acquisition of customers. This position will be engaged cross-functionally to improve and/or stabilize brand performance.

Essential Responsibilities/Accountabilities
• Directs and stewards the overarching marketing priorities and strategic plan with responsibility for marketing presence across all brands, audiences and regions, including the development and implementation of plans to support segment and division goals, targets and initiatives.
• Provides strategic leadership to and oversees the brand/marketing staff in developing and executing brand, segment, and initiative specific strategies to acquire and retain customers. Includes integrated programs leveraging advertising, digital marketing, social media, collateral development, web, and direct response marketing - online and offline.
• Conducts market research to track brand performance, preference, and perceived value leveraging findings to influence ongoing strategies.
• Provides guidance for and partners with the BCBSA to advance brand building, protection and performance measures and acts as lead interface for the Advertising Collaborative and other related branding, marketing, and advertising activities.
• Influences strategies and processes to track, monitor, and report marketing performance and maximize return on marketing investment (ROMI).
• Develops and directs unique brand strategies for Excellus BCBS, Univera Healthcare and Lifetime Benefit Solutions including defining brand voice, architecture, positioning, and standards. Oversees centralized management of communications to ensure brand voice, standards and positioning are communicated across the organization and applied consistently internally and externally.
• Leads the strategic development and implementation of proposals to respond to RFPs and RFIs with the goal of both retaining current customers and acquiring new business. Leads development of finalist presentations for accepted proposals.
• Leads identification and creation of communication, trainings, tools and processes to support successful sales team enablement.
• Manages the quality, efficiency, relationship, and execution of deliverables for multiple external vendors who support research, planning, channel strategies, advertising, direct initiatives, web projects, printing, lead generation, direct mail, e-mail, social media and other relevant marketing activities.
• Manages marketing and advertising budget and ensures budget targets are met. This requires ongoing cost benefit analysis, marketing mix evaluation, negotiation, assessment of message &/or channel relevance, maximization of internal resources and vendor performance assessment.
• Contributes to development of audience segmentation and market profiling to identify and leverage market opportunities and high-performing audiences, leading to increased efficiency.
• Identifies complex marketing strategies and develops cutting edge solutions that require the integration of company resources outside of Marketing Function.
• Develops customer insight for key segments and audiences through both primary and secondary research. Assesses measures of impact and action pertaining to web interactions, category recognition, brand awareness, brand consideration, customer engagement, cost per impression, earned/value add media, brand message relevance, sales, customer value, awards, budget, creative execution, quality of work, innovation and customer responsiveness. Develops plans of action and course corrects as warranted by analysis.
• Creates and leads process development to improve marketing delivery and output within the team and efficacy throughout the enterprise.
• Interacts with senior executives and major decision makers for Health Insurance customers in providing strategic direction, positioning, communications, to support negotiations and influence customer decisions.
• Consistently demonstrates high standards of integrity by supporting the Lifetime Healthcare Companies' mission and values, adhering to the Corporate Code of Conduct, and Leading to the Lifetime Way values and beliefs.
• Maintains high regard for member privacy in accordance with the corporate privacy policies and procedures.
• Maintains knowledge of all relevant legislative and regulatory mandates and ensures that all activities are in compliance with these requirements.
• Conducts periodic staff meetings to include timely distribution and education related to departmental and Ethics/Compliance information.
• Regular and reliable attendance is expected and required.
• Performs other functions as assigned by management.

Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in business/marketing or related discipline with a minimum of seven years' experience in marketing, web and marketing communications management. Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years' experience in the health care industry
• Positive attitude, professional poise, and self-learner with enthusiasm to help move the team and organization forward.
• A deep, proactive service orientation, treating lines of business and expert areas as clients, enabling achievement of their strategic and business objectives.
• Demonstrated relationship development and management skills
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maximize high performing, integrated internal and cross-functional teams
• Excellent strategic planning, critical thinking, negotiation and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability evaluating and developing powerful brand strategies and identities.
• Experience with evaluating, creating, and building executive level consensus around business cases.
• Expertise in market research and segment insight
• Expertise in developing marketing strategies and integrated positioning and promotional plans and channel strategies
• Excellent presentation, oral & written communication skills
• Strong budget management skills and ability to negotiate greater value for marketing and advertising dollars.
• Ability to establish effective relationships with all levels of staff.

Physical Requirements

Ability to travel between regional offices and to clients and meetings as needed.

The Lifetime Healthcare Companies aim to attract the best talent from diverse socioeconomic, cultural and experiential backgrounds, to diversify our workforce and best reflect the communities we serve.

Our mission is to foster an environment where diversity and inclusion are explicitly recognized as fundamental parts of our organizational culture. We believe that diversity of thought and background drives innovation which enables us to provide leading-edge healthcare insurance and services. With that mission in mind, we recruit the best candidates from all communities, to diversify and strengthen our workforce.

OUR COMPANY CULTURE:
Employees are united by our Lifetime Way Values & Behaviors that include compassion, pride, excellence, innovation and having fun! We aim to be an employer of choice by valuing workforce diversity, innovative thinking, employee development, and by offering competitive compensation and benefits.

In support of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this job description lists only those responsibilities and qualifications deemed essential to the position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)