Brand PR Manager, Newark, NJ

A mutually rewarding experience.

Work. Realize your ambitions. And realize there’s more to being in business than just making a profit. That’s the Mars philosophy. And the opportunity we offer every one of our Associates. An opportunity to take what you do and make it mean more for you, for those around you and for the planet. What you get here is challenging, interesting work. You get the tools you need to do a great job and you get to have the best possible people on your side to help you do it. And at the same time as getting to find ways to do business better today than we did it yesterday and driving a great career, you also get to build a more enlightened business and drive sustainability.Because it’s never just about a single person, a single project or a single brand. It’s about how you can grab everything that’s within your reach here and use it to pursue mutual, long-term gain. It’s about having ideas. And ideals. Being prepared to risk failure because the promise of success means we’ll all be a little better off. It’s that mix of integrity and ambition that makes Mars such a special place to work. And why working here is always about more than just a job.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN’S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

Brand PR Manager, Mars Wrigley U.S.

Starting in the Hackettstown, NJ office and will move to the new Mars Wrigley office in early 2020 located in Newark, NJ.

Purpose

This mission critical role supports the creation, management and execution of Public Relations (PR) programs for the Mars Wrigley brands across the US. Working within the Corporate Affairs function, as well as in close collaboration with the Marketing teams, this position will support strategic planning and execution of key programs and activities, establishing clear objectives to drive results and deliver against brand objectives. The role will also play a critical role in protecting brand reputation across multiple external communications platforms including digital and social media.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive awareness of priority Mars Wrigley brands by developing engaging, digital and social-first programs that deliver incremental earned reach and drive consumer buzz.
• Actively seek opportunities to make key brand moments bigger and drive awareness of Mars Wrigley US brands by collaborating with internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Manage PR agency relationships, setting clear goals and objectives, regularly tracking results and providing feedback for improvement.
• Responsible for the US Press Office, fielding incoming inquiries and responding to media on behalf of the company.
• Serve as a liaison with internal, external and sales communications teams to enhance awareness of PR initiatives.
• Participate in the collaborative planning process to develop integrated plans that amplify brand campaigns and product launches across multiple channels of communication.
• Support the strategic planning and execution of entertainment initiatives (TV and film product placement) and company sponsorship programs.
• Train media spokespeople, both internal and external, and act as back-up when necessary.
• Understand and benchmark competitive environment and ensure leading-edge programming.
• Evaluate brand content in compliance with company standard and Marketing Code.

Key Accountabilities:

• Agency management and counsel to build relationships with key external audiences including media, integrated agency teams, thirdparty vendors and sponsorship partners.
• Management of annual Brand PR budgets ($57M across a variety of priority brands)
• Meet and exceed KPI’s and impressions goals on Brand PR programs across the portfolio

Skills:

• Strong prioritization skills with the ability to multi-task and problem solve.
• Ability to handle sensitive, confidential information.
• Comfort around higher management and the ability influence without authority.
• Knowledge of media relations practices, as well as current/ongoing media relationships.
• Agency experience with demonstrated track record of implementing PR programs which achieve measurable results.
• Marketing communications planning and implementation experience, including special event management and promotions support.
• Strong understanding of digital technologies and their application to consumer public relations and media relations.
• Demonstrated public speaking skills.
• Proficiency in writing press materials and pitching media.
• Approximately 20%-30% travel

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required
• 4 years of experience in external/brand communications in corporate/CPG environment
• Active PRSA member, preferred
• Event management experience
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.