Media Associate in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Open position in all True Media office locations including Kansas City, MO, Columbia, MO, St. Louis MO, and Minneapolis, MN; Hybrid work schedule: 3 days in the office, 2 days working from home The Media Associate will gain exposure to a variety of departments with tasks that support the True Success processes. They must become well versed in internal media software including Advantage, Asana, and DataStride, as well as client dashboards, some research tools, and general media practices. They should be a self-starter to keep up with our fast-paced environment. They should be inquisitive, proactive, take pride in their work, and enjoy being part of a team. They must become well versed in digital, traditional and emerging media and be a self-starter to stay abreast in a fast changing environment. An important part of the associate position is to determine which discipline they have an aptitude and passion for, therefore exposure to and work within each department across the agency is important. Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Other duties may be assigned) Account Management Assist with the creation of client materials including presentation decks, performance reports, and flowcharts. Develop an understanding of the purpose and basic structure of a media brief and MAP doc. Attend client meetings to understand the basics of how to effectively and expertly present deliverables. Actively participate, establish and provide POVs on various topics internally to the account team. Planning & Strategy Develop a basic understanding of media research tools available within the Agency and gather media research required for planning. Develop a working ability to perform basic platform pulls from identified platforms such as Simmons. Understands the difference between a channel and a tactic. Compile demographic data and consumer profiles to identify desired target audiences for specific media channels, including lifestyles and psychographics, which can be used in developing media plans. Develop introductory abilities in the roles and responsibilities of a Planner in reporting. Activation Strategy – Digital, Performance, Spot, & Spot Traffic Develop a basic understanding of media research tools available within the Agency and gather media research required for activation. Assist with buying guideline creation, generating and issuing IOs (Insertion Orders) and creative spec development across all media types. Assist in creating and sending vendor RFPs and organizing responses. Gain a working knowledge in how to input data into Advantage Planner, Strata Eleven, and other systems. Assist with sending traffic instructions through Strata STraffic. Develop paid search keywords and conduct audience research, draft ad copy, understand campaign structure and conduct builds, traffic ads, identify optimizations, and help pull reports for the purpose of reporting. Participate in the activation phase by assisting with buying guideline creation, generating and issuing IOs (Insertion Orders) and creative spec development across all media types. Collect, develop and issue deadlines for materials needed and report deadlines for creative and internal traffic team. Assist in investigating and resolving esheets. Assist with the development and proofing of media plans across all channels, working with specialized activation teams in areas of traditional and digital media. Project Management Develop a basic understanding of Project Management as a discipline and the role it plays in strategic work – including but not limited to scopes of work, hours estimates, timelines, media authorizations, and file architecture. Assist with creation of status agendas and Asana tasks. Follow up on outstanding tasks as needed. Collect, develop and issue deadlines for materials needed and report deadlines for creative and internal traffic team. Manage and organize creative intake and updating the launch doc. Pull reports to conduct spend checks. Thorough project set up and s ructure, outline and monitor adherence of the account team to agency roles and process. Proactively facilitate internal account communication, including resolution of issues. Campaign Operations Develop an understanding of campaign measurement strategies including the use of DataStride and working with RADaR where appropriate. Monitor campaign delivery and media delivery reporting as needed. Understand and assist with campaign trafficking and pacing. Able to pull data from GA4 and GCM for reporting needs. Review and understand campaigns and implement tracking that aligns with client goals. Monitor campaign pacing and work with a Specialist or Supervisor to understand how to resolve any issues that arise. Traffic creative to meet vendor specifications and communicate effectively in relevant channels at each step. Billing & Auditing Develop understanding of media accounting which includes billing, reconciliation and budget management. May be required to manage invoice discrepancy, actualize flowcharts or review client billing. Establish and maintain positive relationships with media partners and internal team members. Appropriately respond to all communication, including email and calls within 1-business day. Identify issues and problems that may arise, troubleshoot and provide solutions to supervisors. Understand and identify in all cases when escalating issues to a more senior team member is necessary. Develop cross-function rapport and understanding in order to move client work forward in an effective and efficient manner. This includes but is not limited to members of True Independent Holding affiliates. Demonstrate a high level of understanding of Advantage, Report Writer and Excel Pivot tables in order to organize, analyze and present key media and client data. Maintain current and accurate time records related to functions of agency and client work assignments in the Advantage software system. Attend internal training, online conferences and seminars related to areas of focus. Maintain up-to-date certifications and keep up with industry trends.