About AKA…
At AKA, we live and breathe great stories about food, drink, travel and wellness on both local and global levels.
Here at AKA, our restaurants and bars team continued to dominate the London openings landscape with high profile launches including Julie's Holland Park, Akira Back at Mandarin Oriental, The Parakeet, Hakkasan, Azumi Group, Humo (Creative Restaurant Group whose other properties include Klaw in Miami and Endo Kazutoshi in London).
Our luxury travel and wellness team continue to expand here at the London office with launches including boutique hotels and members clubs, as well as continued support for major groups such as Fairmont and Waldorf Astoria.
Our VIP team has handled some of the most eagerly anticipated and high-profile events such as the launch party for Lavo at The BoTree (Tao Group Hospitality) attended by Naomi Campbell, Jared Leto and Poppy Delevingne, the GQ Food & Drink Awards 2023 at St Pancras Renaissance, and the Caring Family Foundation Christmas Campaign (Birley Group, Caprice Holdings).
We are fiercely independent and fully integrated, delivering tailored public relations, marketing consultancy, powerful digital and social media management, synergistic partnerships, high profile event production, and business development.
We are looking for an ambitious Account Director, who is passionate about the restaurants and bars that shape London culture, to join our team of experienced digital creatives and public relations strategists who are fluent in the language and culture of hospitality and luxury travel. If this fits you, please keep reading and apply today!
Overview of the Role…
Working closely with the Founders and Directors, the Account Director is the senior contact for clients and is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the agency.
You will play an integral role in growing the business and shaping its strategic direction alongside generating top-tier media coverage, overseeing launch events and working with world famous chefs.
Key Responsibilities…
Client Account Management
- Showcase expertise in consulting at senior levels within client organisations and be acknowledged as a part of the senior leadership team and an influential figure in the industry. We pride ourselves on the longstanding nature of our client relationships and the value we place on client council and strategic support
- Manage budgets across the board including client fee structuring to uphold profitability
Media Relations
- Forge and solidify weekly high-level media connections through face-to-face meetings
- Maintain and cultivate strategic media contacts (long-lead, short-lead, consumer media, trade and influencers), working to secure positive coverage for AKA clients in the media
- Secure tier one media large features using your wide experience across the entire media spectrum from broadcast to print
- Create top-tier key messages, media releases, Q&As, prepared remarks, standby statements, and other materials, including research, writing, editing, compiling, and dissemination across pertinent news and social media platforms
- Maintain active involvement in and relationships with creative communities including food, drink, travel, art, design and lifestyle communities
Campaigns and Strategy
- Strategise, execute, and manage national and global media relations campaigns across lifestyle, travel, food, drink and business media
- Create a media outreach strategy and timeline for launches aligned with the overall project schedule
- Work closely with Directors and project teams to smoothly incorporate creative programming into projects and ongoing client strategies, ensuring the successful execution of press and social media campaigns, special events, retail collaborations, and other deliverables
- Demonstrate a strong understanding of AKA’s vision, business goals, and the broader company context
- Ensure a minimum of 5 proactive media sell in pitches and 5 follow ups are conducted each week
- Capable of presenting and guiding credential decks for both clients and prospective new business
Business Development
- Proactive participation in agency growth and development of new business pipeline
- Regularly lead new business brainstorms and pitches, educating and inspiring the team to seek new business opportunities
- Build strong relationships across various levels within the client's organisation to explore new business opportunities
Leadership
- Inspire internal teams and oversee mid-level and junior team members, ensuring effective onboarding, training, development, and motivation to deliver exceptional work for AKA clients
- Actively oversee performance management, guiding probationary periods and performance evaluations, ensuring the setting and attainment of challenging and SMART personal development goals
- Champion the Company’s values and brand
Person Specification
- Proven leadership and management skills, with the ability to inspire a team by encouraging cooperation, collaboration and partnerships through sharing knowledge, skills and expertise
- Ability to demonstrate strategic acumen consistently in day-to-day tasks
- Superior high-level media contacts across broadcast, print and digital
- Established relationships with influencers within AKA’s areas of focus, including, food and drink, bars, restaurants, hospitality, nightlife, travel, lifestyle, music, art and culture
- Able to identify communication opportunities across multiple media platforms
- Exceptional problem-resolution skills, including the ability to think creatively and prioritise multiple assignments in a dynamic and fast-paced environment
- Ability to be a team player in an environment that requires and rewards collaboration
- A sharp eye for detail is essential
- Extremely well-organised, methodical and efficient, with a good dose of common sense and initiative
- Ability to work efficiently in a high pressured and fast paced environment
- A flair for creativity, strategic thinking and innovation with the ability to constantly generate and implement new ideas effectively
- Excellent project management skills
- Discreet, professional and articulate, with excellent communication skills
- Strong MS Word skills; working knowledge of PowerPoint and Excel
- Strong negotiation and delegation skills
- Ability to be flexible with working hours
- International press contacts are desirable
At AKA, we believe in the power of diverse voices and inclusive communities. We are committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and strive to create a workplace that reflects the diverse clients and communities we serve.