◆Role Purpose
The role is responsible for developing and executing a proactive earned media strategy that drives brand relevance, credibility, and earned reach across Japan. This role goes beyond managing agency deliverables. The successful candidate will continuously identify cultural trends, media opportunities, consumer conversations, and emerging stories that the brand can authentically participate in. They will act as the internal expert on the Japanese media landscape, translating brand activities, consumer insights, business initiatives, and cultural moments into compelling earned media opportunities. The role requires a connected communications professional who can independently build relationships with journalists, editors, creators, bloggers, and opinion leaders while driving agency partners to deliver exceptional results.

◆Key Accountabilities
■Earned Media Strategy & Execution
•Develop and execute earned media plans that support brand and business objectives.
•Identify opportunities to generate earned reach beyond planned campaigns and launches.
•Translate business priorities, consumer insights, and brand initiatives into credible stories that attract media interest.
•Ensure a continuous pipeline of media opportunities throughout the year.
■Trend Spotting & Opportunity Identification
•Monitor emerging cultural trends, consumer behaviours, media narratives, and societal conversations.
•Identify relevant moments where the brand can authentically contribute to the conversation.
•Proactively recommend story angles, partnerships, and media opportunities that can increase brand relevance and visibility.
•Bring a "newsroom mindset" to communications planning, continuously looking for opportunities to create timely and meaningful stories.
■Media Relations
•Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, editors, bloggers, creators, and industry opinion leaders.
•Represent the company directly in media interactions, briefings, interviews, and relationship-building activities.
•Develop tailored pitches and media approaches that resonate with different media audiences.
•Serve as a trusted point of contact for consumer-facing media opportunities.
■Story Development & Content Creation
•Develop compelling narratives, media materials, press releases, fact books, briefing documents, and media pitches.
•Transform brand activities, events, partnerships, research, and consumer insights into newsworthy stories.
•Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify and unlock new storytelling opportunities.
■Agency Leadership & Partner Management
•Lead and challenge agency partners to deliver proactive ideas rather than reactive execution.
•Set clear expectations and measurable outcomes for earned reach, media engagement, and relationship building.
•Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous opportunity development.
•Ensure agencies contribute strategic thinking, trend identification, and cultural insight alongside campaign support.
■Cross-Functional Collaboration
•Partner closely with Brand, Consumer Experience, Digital, and Social Media, teams.
•Ensure PR is integrated into key campaigns and brand activities from the earliest stages of planning.
•Identify opportunities to amplify paid and owned media activity through earned channels.
■Measurement & Reporting
•Work with Agency to track and report earned reach, quality of coverage, share of voice, sentiment, and brand impact.
•Continuously optimise media strategies based on performance and market insights.
•Develop regular reporting that translates PR activity into clear business outcomes.