Job Title
PR Officer - Western Europe
Ref #
36581
Date posted
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Country
United Kingdom
Location
Woking
Business area
Sales
Department
Sales Europe
Position level
G - Qualified Senior
Working time
Full Time
Contract type
Permanent
Working pattern
9am - 6pm Monday to Friday
Background

No restraints. No limitations. We don’t simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars.

With innovation at the core of all we do, every challenge starts with the same question. How can we do it better? This restless spirit runs right through McLaren Automotive. And the search for perfection is evident in everything we do.

Purpose of Role

To support the McLaren Western Europe sub-regional sales and marketing function inregion of McLaren Automotive in raising awareness of the McLaren brand and range of road cars across the spectrum of key automotive, corporate and lifestyle media outlets, as well as influencers and  with primary responsibility for Press Fleet management, media relations, regional and retailer PR strategy and event management.  

In conjunction with the central PR team, regional and dealer PR programs and event management. Through the promotion of the company, its key products to key journalists and influencers in the media to allow to generate positive media coverage.


Principal Accountabilities
  • The role reports directly into the Market Director – Western Europe, part of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, with a dotted line into the Global Head of PR.
  • He/she will work closely and daily with the Western Europe regional key stakeholders to focus on the needs of the region. He/she will be the key contact for the Central PR team (including Social media) to ensure alignment of the strategy and activation. He/she will work closely with other key members of the Sales and Marketing team as and when relevant.
  • The Western Europe sub-region includes the markets of Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, France and Monaco.
  • Due to the nature of the role and the demands of a progressive company, flexible working arrangements and travel are anticipated.
  • Increasing awareness of McLaren Automotive through the contribution to and implementation of comprehensive media activities for product launches and product lifecycle sustainment for media based in Western Europe sub-region.      
  • Maximising McLaren's editorial share of voice, creating desire and aspiration by generating positive editorial comment focused on media that will be most relevant to our target customers.
  • Working closely with Market Director – Western Europe, as well as Regional Sales and Marketing Manager to create and implement a holistic PR plan, that aims at generating brand exposure, and supporting the achievement of commercial objectives for the region.
  • Creating a wide range of written, video and photography content, as well as press releases for regional media consumption and distribution.
  • Assisting in managing administration of the PR market budget.
  • Developing a thorough understanding of McLaren products and processes in order to manage effective media relationships,support the region with media relations resulting inaiming at generating high-impact press coverage measured against competitors.
  • Developing and maintaining a detailed, relevant regional media list of automotive, business and lifestyle contacts across Western Europe.
  • Managing external suppliers, including PR agency, as well as strategic utilisation of the Western Europe PR budget.
  • Assisting with collation of all regional reports and analysis including media measurements, press clippings, internal business updates.

Central PR Team Collaboration

  • Being the closest contact to the Central PR team within the sub-region to ensure the alignment of regional communications with the global direction.
  • Working closely with the Central PR team with all international programs to ensure sufficient media representation from Western Europe.
  • Being the closest contact to the Central PR team within the sub-region to ensure the alignment of the communications led by central in the brand’s home-market.
  • Assisting with collation of all regional reports and analysis including media measurements, press clippings, internal business updates. National and Tier 1 being covered off by Central PR team.
  • Assisting the Central PR team in maximising McLaren's editorial share of voice, creating desire and aspiration by generating positive editorial comment focused on media that will be most relevant to our target customers in the home-market.
  • Developing and maintaining a detailed, relevant regional media list of automotive, business and lifestyle contacts across Western Europe
  • Working alongside the Central PR team with all international programs to follow-up and understand the Western Europe market representation.

Retailer Communications

  • Providing PR support and guidance to Western Europe retail network as well as managing the retailer PR strategy and implementation for the sub-region
  • Maintaining regular contact with the Western Europe retail partners, Western Europe Marketing Manager to find out potential news stories of  media interest and defining best communication platform (: social, press release release, media notification, internal)
  • Supporting the Western Europe retail network with media management and exposure, taking their story ideas and activating appropriately (local or national), generating news regionally.to generate news on a regional level.
  • Creating a Western Europe Newsletter sharing the best articles with retail partners to sustain interest, provide content that can be used as CRM, keep partners updated on the feedback from the press on the McLaren brand and range.

Press Fleet Management

  • Overseeing the management and administration of the Western Europe PR press fleet including being one of the points of contact with media for loans and test drives, ensuring a high utilisation percentage, in close coordination with the central press fleet manager to create positive media impressions of the McLaren brand and product.
  • Working closely with the Western Europe retail partner network to ensure a professional delivery and handover process of the McLaren fleet, by optimising the media drives by region.Supporting the Western Europe team with all regional and test drive programs
  • Increasing awareness of McLaren Automotive through the contribution to and implementation of comprehensive media activities for product launches and product lifecycle sustainment for media based in the Western Europe sub-region.    
  • Maximising McLaren's editorial share of voice, creating desire and aspiration by generating positive editorial comment focused on media that will be most relevant to our target customers.
  • Working closely with Market Director – Western Europe, as well as Regional Sales and Marketing Manager to create and implement a holistic PR plan, that aims at generating brand exposure, and supporting the achievement of commercial objectives for the region.
  • Creating a wide range of written, video and photography content, as well as press releases for regional media consumption and distribution.
  • Assisting in managing administration of the PR market budget.
  • Developing a thorough understanding of McLaren products and processes in order to manage effective media relationships,support the region with media relations resulting inaiming at generating high-impact press coverage measured against competitors.
  • Developing and maintaining a detailed, relevant regional media list of automotive, business and lifestyle contacts across Western Europe.
  • Managing external suppliers, including PR agency, as well as strategic utilisation of the Western Europe PR budget.
  • Assisting with collation of all regional reports and analysis including media measurements, press clippings, internal business updates.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
  • Strong knowledge of the Western Europe media landscape with established relationships with, and history of working directly with those in region; established network of contacts in the home-market. key automotive, corporate and lifestyle media outlets.
  • Experience in core communications skills, including presenting, writing for print and online media, internal reporting, and agency/supplier management.
  • Experience of working within dynamic and change-oriented teams.
  • Experience in managing a budget.
  • A proactive mindset that has generated creative solutions to strategic and tactical business challenges, supporting the market goals.
  • General understanding of design and engineering attributes of supercars and of the history of global supercar development.
  • For the position advertised, experience in the automotive and/or luxury industries.
  • Fluent in written and spoken English & French.
Personal Attributes
  • Professional and credible ambassador of the McLaren brand values.
  • Ability to mix confidently with senior journalists, senior management and the calibre of customers and VIPs who are clients of McLaren.
  • A winning mentality and can-do attitude - demonstrating great drive to achieve outstanding results.
  • The ability to maintain a consistent high level of work and professional output in times of change
  • Ability to easily adapt to new situations, to persuade different audiences and effectively pitch stories to media.
  • Ability to brief team and spokespersons, reflecting a belief in the company objectives and decisions.
  • A good level of commercial acumen supporting budget ambitions and understanding the broader business context of automobile production, sales and after sales
  • Ability to work well within a team environment and communicate clearly with the team
  • Ability to raise potential risks and propose related solutions for decision.
  • Comprehensive knowledge of/experience in PowerPoint; Excel; Word
  • Driving license; based in the UK.

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