Brand Strategist - Category Marketing

We are seeking a Brand Strategist to support the Brand Marketing Manager for a key consumer category. This role sits at the intersection of brand strategy, marketing execution, creative development, and cross-functional project management.

The Brand Strategist will help translate category and seasonal strategies into actionable marketing briefs, communicate priorities across the broader marketing organization, and follow initiatives through execution. This is a highly collaborative, fast-paced role ideal for someone who is comfortable managing multiple priorities, adapting quickly to changing business needs, and presenting to large groups.

The role will focus primarily on in-season marketing execution and optimization, with additional opportunities to support special marketing initiatives and store marketing.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Brand Marketing Manager in bringing category strategies and growth opportunities to life.
• Help identify relevant consumer, competitive, cultural, and market trends that can inform category storytelling.
• Partner across merchandising, planning, creative, copy, and marketing teams to execute category-specific marketing priorities.
• Support high-priority seasonal and in-season brand initiatives.
• Translate strategic direction and business priorities into clear, actionable plans for cross-functional teams.

• Develop, manage, and present marketing briefs to the broader marketing organization.
• Communicate strategy and priorities clearly to large cross-functional audiences and confidently answer questions or provide clarification.
• Support go-to-market execution across channels including site, app, social, email, SMS/push, paid media, and stores.
• Manage multiple briefs simultaneously, from initial briefing through downstream creative execution.
• Maintain Brand Strategy marketing frameworks, seasonal materials, and key planning documents.
• Coordinate cross-functional partners around promotional, cultural, and trend-driven marketing moments.

• Partner closely with creative and copy teams to ensure briefs are fully understood and executed against the intended strategy.
• Review creative work and provide clear, constructive feedback from a Brand Strategy perspective.
• Ensure messaging and creative execution remain consistent with category priorities.
• Build strong relationships across a large, highly cross-functional marketing organization.

• Monitor business needs and help execute quick marketing pivots based on performance, leadership direction, emerging trends, or changing priorities.
• Support test-and-learn initiatives, emerging category moments, trend drops, and other in-season opportunities.
• Contribute to hindsight analysis and translate learnings into actionable recommendations.
• Effectively communicate changes in strategy or priorities to cross-functional partners and help teams adjust execution accordingly.

• Provide executional support for special brand and marketing initiatives as needed.
• Assist with store marketing programs, including maintaining key documents and resources and ensuring information remains accurate and current.
• Support other high-visibility marketing initiatives and seasonal projects based on business needs.

What We're Looking For

• Approximately 2-3 years of relevant marketing, brand strategy, brand management, or integrated marketing experience.
• Recent graduates may be considered with strong, relevant internship experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, or a related field preferred.
• Consumer-facing retail, fashion, beauty, or CPG experience is highly desirable.
• Agency experience supporting consumer brands may also translate well to this environment.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, including confidence presenting marketing briefs to large groups.
• Comfortable providing feedback and collaborating closely with creative and copy partners.
• Highly adaptable and able to operate effectively when priorities or direction change quickly.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and able to move projects forward without always having detailed direction.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, and time-management skills.
• Strong written communication skills and attention to detail.
• Proficiency with standard Microsoft Office tools.
• Outgoing, collaborative, friendly, and comfortable speaking up in a large-room environment.
• Ability to ask thoughtful, strategic questions and quickly understand business priorities.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate combines strong marketing fundamentals with excellent execution and project management skills. They don't need to be the person developing every piece of high-level strategy from scratch; they should excel at taking strategic direction and turning it into clear briefs, communicating that direction across teams, reviewing the resulting creative, and ensuring initiatives move successfully through execution.

They should be comfortable in a fast-moving consumer environment where priorities can change quickly and have the confidence to communicate those changes effectively across multiple teams.

Assignment Details

• Schedule: Approximately 25 hours per week
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid
• Location: Columbus preferred; New York candidates may also be considered
• In-Office Expectation: Hybrid schedule with regular in-office collaboration
• Assignment Type: Temporary

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About Aquent Talent:

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.