Our Client:
Our client is a contemporary art gallery that believes in the preservation and celebration of creativity. Since the gallery’s inception, it has been dedicated to amplifying contemporary artistic voices to ensure their vital contributions to creativity continue to inspire, challenge, and enrich our world. The gallery’s mission is to increase accessibility to art by engaging new audiences and amplifying the reach of distinctive and important contemporary artists. As an artist-led space, the DNA of the company is fundamentally creative.
The Role:
The Communications Director serves as the guardian of the gallery’s brand, responsible for crafting and executing marketing strategies, messaging, positioning, tonality, and maintaining a strong public image. The Communications Director will direct all aspects of the gallery’s communication across all touchpoints, from the website and newsletters, social media presence, exhibitions, art fair projects, sales materials, industry events and more. They will carefully balance the gallery’s core commercial, development and positioning objectives and hone the brand communications, accordingly, ensuring both internal and external messaging is aligned. This role requires acute attention to detail to ensure that the gallery’s storytelling is cohesive, compelling, and aligned with the gallery’s wider strategic objectives. They lead and are responsible for the output of the PR, marketing, and design teams, ensuring that all work aligns with the gallery’s overarching brand guidelines and strategic vision.
Requirements:
- Proven track record in high-level strategic communications, branding, or marketing roles within the art and culture or luxury sectors.
- Exceptional writing and editing skills, with a keen eye for detail and aesthetics.
- Accomplished leadership skills, with a track record of successfully leading cross-functional teams.
- In-depth knowledge of the art world, including artists, industry trends, historical contexts, and contemporary culture with a strong network of influential industry contacts.
- Demonstrated expertise in developing and implementing brand strategies, messaging, and positioning.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively network and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
- Exceptional in media relations, crisis communication, and performance analytics.
- Creative thinking and problem-solving abilities, with a passion for art and culture.
Key responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Execution
- Develop and implement holistic communications strategies aligned with the gallery’s overarching goals, leveraging market insights, audience segmentation, and trend analysis to drive strategic decision-making.
- Lead the execution of strategic initiatives across traditional and digital communication channels, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and delivering measurable impact.
Brand Development and Management
- Define and maintain the gallery’s brand identity, voice, and messaging architecture, ensuring consistency and coherence across all communication touchpoints.
- Develop brand positioning strategies that differentiate the gallery in the competitive landscape and drive brand awareness, affinity, and loyalty.
Media Relations and Thought Leadership:
- Cultivate and nurture relationships with key media outlets, journalists, critics, influencers, and industry stakeholders, positioning the gallery and it’s founders as thought leaders and cultural figures.
- Identify and deliver opportunities for media coverage, interviews, and editorial features to amplify the gallery’s message and reach diverse audiences.
Content Strategy and Development:
- Oversee the development of compelling and relevant content across multiple platforms, including press releases, articles, blog posts, social media content, videos, and podcasts.
- Collaborate with internal teams, artists, and partners to create engaging storytelling experiences that resonate with target audiences and drive engagement.
Digital Engagement and Innovation:
- Develop and implement digital engagement strategies to enhance the gallery’s online presence, drive traffic to digital platforms, and foster meaningful interactions with online audiences.
- Increase reach and engagement across different audience segments by experimenting with appropriate content and deploying on the relevant platforms.
- Excite, delight and educate our online audiences.
- Stay abreast of emerging digital trends, technologies, and platforms to identify opportunities for innovation and optimization in digital communication strategies.
Audience Insights and Segmentation
- Utilise data analytics and audience segmentation techniques to gain actionable insights into audience demographics, behaviours, and preferences.
- Understanding and developing the gallery’s various audience segments – building an intimate knowledge of what makes them tick.
- Develop targeted communication campaigns and initiatives tailored to specific audience segments to maximise engagement and impact.
Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations
- Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships and collaborations with cultural institutions, brands, influencers, and community organisations to expand the gallery’s reach and relevance.
- Negotiate and manage partnership agreements and collaborations to ensure mutual benefit and alignment with the gallery’s strategic objectives.
Leadership and Team Development
- Provide strategic direction, mentorship, and professional development to the communications, marketing and Studio, fostering a culture of creativity, innovation, and excellence.
- Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and external partners to achieve shared goals and deliver exceptional results.
Expected Working Hours: 9 am – 6 pm / 10 am – 7 pm Monday – Friday (Attendance at exhibition openings expected)
Contract: Full-time; possibility to work in the office 3 days a week at the moment & 2 days a week from home
Salary: around £80k DOE