Creative Director & Global Brand Leader, W Hotels

Job Description

Additional Information Creative Director & Global Brand Leader, W Hotels
Job Number 23012646
Job Category Brand Management
Location MI Lab, 417 5th Ave 9th Floor, New York, New York, United States VIEW ON MAP
Schedule Full-Time
Located Remotely? N
Relocation? N
Position Type Management

JOB SUMMARY

This leader is the creative director and brand leader for W Hotels globally. W Hotels is one of the most inspiring brands in the travel industry. It was born from the energy, pulse and 24/7 lifestyle that is New York City. The Creative Director will shape the brand strategy, programming and overall aesthetic direction to inspire a new generation of customers. The leader’s vision will drive investment by owners and developers ultimately increasing profitability and growth for W Hotels globally.

The right leader will be a charismatic brand activist, with a vision to shake things up and find what is next. They will serve as the face of the brand to all stakeholders. They will have a tireless spirit, be a trailblazer with a bias toward innovation, and a desire for creative risk taking. They will have the ability to drive design thinking from ideation thru concept development, refinement, and execution, building the brand through values and culture.

The Creative Director will define all elements of the brand experience, ensuring consistency across all guests touch points, tapping into innovation and experimentation, and seeking to establish an intangible, emotional connection between guests and the brand. They will be accountable for leading product development and enhancement by creating new products and services and evolving existing ones. The leader will collaborate with cross-functional project teams to design new concepts and refine existing features to continually improve adoption and overall guest experience. A key component of this role is leading all parts of a guest-centered design process (i.e., ideation, proof of concept, build, pilot, and deployment) and in creating deliverables at varying levels of fidelity; from quickly capturing a concept’s value proposition to creating final products and services.

The role is responsible for driving commercial performance, brand health, and guest satisfaction for the brand. They will partner with relevant teams across Marriott to support development, owner relations, on strategic portfolio growth, and on strategy design and construction of new hotels. By ensuring each hotel flawlessly executes the W Hotels ethos, the attitude of the brand will be apparent and distinctive, building unbreakable brand loyalty.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

• 4-year degree from an accredited university in Design, Marketing, Business, Communications or related field. Advanced degree in business or related field preferred.
• 12+ years of relevant professional experience in creative, development, marketing, brand management, or related function, demonstrating progressive career growth and pattern of exceptional performance. Lifestyle, luxury or global brand experience preferred
• Preferred candidate will be from fashion, retail, entertainment or related industry and have experience in building breakthrough brands

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Brand Experience Design

• Leads brand experience design to bring W Hotels to life in unique and consistently unparalleled ways, ensuring the brands place as the iconic lifestyle brand globally that appeals to the Connector audience
• Uses market research and consumer insights to influence experience design, product development, and brand initiatives
• Advises on hotel configuration to optimize the revenue potential with the luxury lifestyle experience
• Develop brand blueprint, voice, and strategic pillars along with brand service strategy and culture and ensures understanding and alignment by key internal stakeholders
• Responsible for maintaining the integrity of the brand by ensuring that appropriate brand standards are established and monitored
• Serves as brand advocate to lobby for what is right for the brand
• Responsible for ensuring strong growth of the brand by delivering an efficient and effective operating model
• Ensure that brand is fashion-forward, creative, and generates brand conversation and buzz
• Implement innovative design, beverage and food, and entertainment concepts, ensuring a dynamic and vibrant expression of the brand

Brand Business Leader

• Serves as the W Hotels business leader to key internal and external partners, to drive the growth of the brand globally
• Partners with Marriott Development and Global Design on the hotel development process and evolves and repositions W Hotels to lead in the luxury lifestyle space
• Participates in the selection of beverage & food operators for each hotel to ensure market compatibility and local success
• Ensures that the business model is clearly articulated for W Hotels and understood by key stakeholders, and is scalable to drive growth in the system
• Owns the brand scorecard and is accountable for brand economic model. Assesses brand performance against scorecard at appropriate intervals, communicates performance, and adjusts targets as needed
• Establishes an operating model that ensures clarity of services and accountabilities, in partnership with continent leaders and Owner and Franchise Services, as relevant

Provide Cultural and Service Leadership

• Inspire and activate the Whatever/Whenever W culture with continent leadership, headquarters and the hotels
• Lead global and continent brand general manager calls that inspire by bringing W passion points to life
• Continuously evolve the culture so it is a constant expression of the W brand and attracts and motivates talent
• Partner with global human resources to establish talent profiles that deliver the W culture and connect with the Connector target guests
• Champions a 24/7 Whatever the guest wants – Whenever the guests want service culture
• Challenges boundaries and continuously seeks opportunities to identify service executions that connect with the Connector guests
• Lead a multi-year service level enhancement that elevates W service and distinguishes it in the lifestyle category

Lead Global Brand Marketing

• Develop compelling brand marketing that distinguishes W Hotels and elevates brand perception
• Develop on strategy event marketing inspired by the brands new passion points: Stance, Sound, Body, Taste, Scene
• Lead marketing partnerships that create vibe, buzz, energy and accelerates the W Hotels conversation globally
• Oversee the execution of social and digital marketing efforts that connect directly and intimately with the Connector audience
• Create best in class content the fuels the W lifestyle, creates excitement, inspires the talent and energizes the Connector
• Ensure global marketing efforts are distinguishing W Hotels from Marriott luxury and lifestyle peers
• Ensure W Hotels are properly supporting Marriott global portfolio marketing AND W brand is in voice and on strategy
• Partner with the Loyalty organization to support and activate Marriott Bonvoy
• Manage content, look and feel, and style of all owned channels
• Lead a public relations effort that tells the W lifestyle story through the proper media touch points and categories
• Work with continent leadership to ensure all brand marketing efforts are property layered into continent execution. Partners with and manages work assigned to agencies for the brands they support, including digital and traditional media, creative and social media
• Establishes a partnership framework that enhances brand experiences and amplifies marketing messages
• Create actionable and measurable marketing plans that drive commerce and elevate consumer perceptions of the brand

Ensure an On-Strategy Portfolio

• Works with key partners to execute against growth plans through support as well as the development of tools and resources
• Partners with Development in pitching W Hotels for strategic market opportunities
• Review new hotel development sites to ensure appropriateness for the brand and appeal to the affluent Connector customer
• Work with continent leadership to manage off strategy and brand detractor hotels through performance improvement plans (PIPs) and renovations
• Works with Owner & Franchise Services and Global Design teams to ensure that renovations and PIPs are completed on time and in accordance with the appropriate/agreed scope
• Constantly evaluate the portfolio and work with continent leadership to stay ahead of hotels falling off strategy due to renovations, investments and poor performance

Managing Stakeholder Relationships

• Partners with key stakeholders to ensure effective execution of the brand’s growth and development plans
• Builds and manages relationships with General Managers, Area Operations teams, and owners
• Advocates the brand’s strategic vision with the ownership community, advisory boards and other key stakeholders
• Drives the organizational alignment and accountability for successful outcomes of brand initiatives with the market, and other functional areas; ensures strategies address relevant stakeholder needs and competitive environment; executes accordingly
• Creates informal mentor relationships with other brand representatives to create a climate of teamwork and learning
• Operates in a matrixed organization with brand, owner, and marketing stakeholders

Hiring, Developing, Managing and Inspiring the Team

• Hires, develops, and retains diverse talent that makes a strong, positive impact on the brand and company
• Creates a team environment that encourages creativity, innovation, accountability, and high standards
• Sets clear organizational goals and expectations for direct reports using the performance review process and holds team accountable for performance
• Continuously improves team and job structures and ensures clear leadership accountabilities are in place
• Builds teams with appropriate mix of talent and skills to drive innovation and performance; identifies talents of direct reports and creates growth and development plans
• Facilitate regular, ongoing communication with team

New York City & Westchester Applicants Only: The salary range for this position is $300,000 to $375,000 annually.

All Locations offer health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan, accrued paid time off (including sick leave where applicable), life insurance, disability coverage, other life and work wellness benefits and may include incentive compensation. Benefits and incentive compensation may be subject to generally applicable eligibility, waiting period, contribution, and other requirements and conditions.

Marriott International is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive, people-first culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law.

Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company, with more brands, more hotels and more opportunities for associates to grow and succeed. We believe a great career is a journey of discovery and exploration. So, we ask, where will your journey take you?