Senior Manager, Trade & Partner Communications, Penguin Ventures (12-month-FTC)
Penguin Ventures is the consumer products and experience team of Penguin Random House Children’s UK. We manage and exploit our portfolio of iconic literary brands and characters: Peter Rabbit, The Snowman, Spot, Flower Fairies and more, across product, experience and digital. We find new ways to tell the world’s favourite stories by creating strategic partnerships in licensing, retail, promotions, experiential, theatrical, exhibitions; in location-based experiences; and across the digital landscape.
This Communications role is focused on telling the Penguin Ventures story off the page by creating and delivering a clear, strategic, year-round narrative for Penguin Ventures and its licensing programme. It requires a blend of PR and marketing skills to communicate creatively and effectively across key channels including trade media, licensing awards, commercial advertising, Ventures experiences, and licensee trade communications and marketing.
Key responsibilities
Ventures Trade Media
- Ensure Penguin Ventures and its licensing programme maintains a strategic consistent profile across the licensing trade.
- Develop and deliver a strategic programme of trade announcements/stories that reflect wider licensing activity
- Write press releases, quotes and messaging; manage feedback/approvals with the wider PRH comms team
- Drive awareness of brand activity to support partner retention and new business development
- Secure profile opportunities for Ventures execs at key industry moments
- Build and maintain relationships with trade press, show organisers and awards stakeholders
- Trade shows (BLE, Licensing Expo): lead comms planning and delivery (advance editorial, show dailies, photography, stand activity/costume characters, coverage collation)
- Awards shows/sponsorships: support messaging and comms within sponsorship packages
- Own the Ad-Ventures licensee newsletter, coordinating inputs from Ventures/brand teams to deliver engaging partner updates
- Review ad hoc opportunities from trade press/global agents and assess fit against overall comms strategy
Licensing Awards
- Manage industry awards submissions end-to-end: identify entries with the team, coordinate licensee input, produce copy and imagery, manage timelines, approvals and final submissions.
Commercial Advertising Programme
- Support editorial and industry moments through paid trade placements.
- Identify and book print/online ad opportunities with key trade press partners
- Align advertising activity with trade shows and editorial moments to maximise visibility
- Coordinate creative and messaging with the Ventures Creative Director
- Deliver all print/digital assets on time and to specification
Ventures Experiences
- Amplify the experiences business and identify opportunities that drive trade and consumer coverage.
- Spot opportunities to integrate key licensees and deliver joined-up storytelling
- Consider audience experience, influencer angles and wider PRH tie-ins (including books)
- Ensure activity supports the overarching brand narrative for key properties
- Provide comms support to Ventures colleagues and attend meetings/calls where needed to mitigate reputational risk
Licensee Trade Comms & Marketing
- Build direct relationships with licensees to support brand PR and coordinated marketing activity.
- Manage social/marketing approvals with licensees
- Coordinate seasonal opportunities (e.g., Christmas gift guides) to promote licensee products and publishing in consumer media
- Develop gifted influencer activity and product integration to secure authentic, unsponsored coverage, co-ordinated with Owned Brand Marketing and Social Media Manager
- Support influencer events through product placement, theming/styling and goody bags
Consumer Brand PR
- Deliver consumer-first, brand-led integrated PR/marketing across key annual brands.
- Partner with and support Owned Brand Marketing and PR comms to deliver integrated campaigns (e.g., Peter Rabbit, Spot, The Snowman)
- Support and drive collaboration across PRH Children’s (Ventures, BMPR, editorial, sales, rights) to ensure joined-up delivery and messaging
What you’ll bring
A passion and deep experience in driving noise across the licensing industry. We’re looking for someone with longstanding relationships, a driven individual who can own and implement the annual strategy in order to cement Penguin Ventures as the No1 heritage literary consumer products and experience team in the industry.
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
- Strong experience in trade PR, communications or marketing within licensing and/or consumer products, with a clear understanding of key industry media and stakeholders.
- Proven ability to develop and deliver strategic, year-round communications plans aligned to commercial and brand objectives.
- Excellent copywriting and editing skills, including creating press releases, award submissions and marketing copy, and managing approvals.
- Demonstrable experience managing multiple stakeholders (internal teams, licensees, agencies and media partners) and navigating complex approval processes.
- Solid understanding of licensing, brand partnerships and/or experiential marketing, and how trade communications supports commercial growth.
Qualities
- Strategic thinker who can connect day-to-day comms activity to broader business and brand goals.
- Proactive and opportunity-led, with strong judgement on which trade/PR moments to pursue and how to maximise them.
- Confident relationship builder, able to work effectively with senior stakeholders and external partners.
- Creative and solutions-oriented, bringing fresh ideas to trade comms, events and campaigns.
- Highly organised and resilient, comfortable managing multiple priorities, deadlines and ad hoc requests in a fast-paced environment.
Disability Confident
As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role, and opt-in on their application form. The essential criteria for this role are listed as part of the ‘What you’ll bring’ section. There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview. We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable with, for us to support your request.
Circa £42,000 for 3 days per week plus bonus and benefits.
While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role we expect the successful candidate to work from our London-based office a minimum of twice a week currently on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Other in office days are required as well regular visits to licensees and retailers.
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