Senior Manager, PR, Communications & Culture (Agave, Whiskey and Rum)

Campari Group today is a major player in the global branded spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, marketed and distributed in over 190 markets around the world, with leading positions in Europe and the Americas.

 

Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Campari Group owns 22 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 22 countries, and employs approximately 4,000 people.

 

Shares of the parent company Davide Campari - Milano N.V. are listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. Campari Group is today the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry.

 

Position Overview

Campari Group is seeking a dynamic and strategic communications professional to lead PR and cultural partnerships for our Agave, Whiskey (American, Scotch) and Rum brands. The position will report directly to the Senior Category Director of Agave Spirits while also supporting the Sr. Category Director of Whiskey and Rum. This role is responsible for developing and executing high-impact communications strategies that amplify the voice and vision of our brands, tap and embed our brands into the cultural zeitgeist while aligning with Campari Group’s global narrative and business objectives. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, global environment and bring a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset to the team.

 

General Description of the Role

The Senior Manager, PR, Communications and Culture supports the Agave, Whiskey and Rum category teams (brand and customer marketing, across brands like Espolon, Wild Turkey, Russell’s Reserve, Glen Grant, Appleton Estate) with a clear mandate to place our world-class portfolio of premium spirits deep into the lives of our consumers through a myriad of earned media touchpoints. Media relations, earned-led creative, event/impact planning & execution, tastemaker engagement & cultural partnerships are the core of this role with the expectation of receiving outsized cultural conversations from our activities. The role will manage the PR agency relationships and will be on the front line of building relationships with key spirits industry & cultural influencers across the country.

 

Key Responsibilities and Activities:

Strategy & Planning:

• Owns the thought leadership, development, and integrated execution of the earned media programming for our portfolio of premium spirits across the Agave, Whiskey and Rum categories, working closely with multiple agencies and brand teams.
• Ensures agency partners are set up for success with clear briefing and direction, and helps educate brand teams on the role of PR.
• Responsible for ensuring our Agave, Whiskey and Rum brands have a point of view in conversations relevant to our consumer.
• Brings fresh, creative, earned-led ideas that could come to life 360 through the line (ATL/BTL/Online).
• Partners with the Portfolio Entertainment Marketing lead and the Consumer Marketing Center of Expertise team (collaborating on experiential, paid media partnerships, digital owned channels, and eCommerce promotion).
• Leads the execution of brand Entertainment Marketing opportunities identified/secured by the Portfolio Entertainment Marketing lead.
• Proactively assesses the target consumer landscape, keeping up with passion points and optimal ways of embedding our spirits portfolio into the fabric of consumers’ lives.
• Supports the Experiential Team (from Consumer Marketing COE) in the execution of brand event activities, including planning, sponsorship contracts, vendor coordination, resource allocation, celebrity contracts/negotiations, on-site management, and wrap-up reporting.

Leadership and Cultural Partnerships:

• Builds powerful, impactful media, cultural, and entertainment relationships.
• Leads PR/event agencies in the development and execution of programming including strategy, key message development, press materials development, pitch angle development, media outreach, product mailings, cocktail recipe creation, photography, b-roll development.
• Collaborates cross-functionally both internally and externally across brand teams, departments, and agencies.
• Regularly shares best practices across Campari America and Campari Group, serving as a thought leader on culturally relevan