PR Manager – McLaren

Location: Shanghai, China

Closing Date: 12th September

Purpose of the Role: 

To raise awareness of McLaren range of road cars, generate media coverage, and promote the company to key regional journalists and other influencers.

Role Dimensions: 

The role reports into the Regional Director for China and takes direction from the Global Communications Director in Woking, contributing to a networked, global Communications/PR team. He/She will work closely with the central and other PR representatives, Regional Marketing, from Headquarters, the central and regional Marketing Events teams, and other key members of the Sales and Marketing team. Due to the nature of the role and demands of a progressive new company, flexible working arrangements and foreign travel are anticipated. The role also has responsibility to run a local regional agency.

Principal Accountabilities:

• – Leverage news opportunities and proactively generate news regionally, to increase awareness and positive opinion of McLaren Automotive through the contribution to, and implementation of, a comprehensive communications strategy for product launches, corporate affairs and media relationship building.
• – To assist the regional and global PR operations in order to maximise 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 customer in the Region.
• – To advise the global PR operations concerning specific Regional requirements (language, culture, etc…)
• – To develop a thorough understanding of McLaren products and processes in order to gain the trust and high reputation expected of a PR Manager, resulting in high-impact regional press coverage measured against competitors
• – In association with the global PR team and  Regional Marketing managers, plan and execute key regional media-facing events such as motor show press days and media drive events
• – Work with Regional Dealerships PR to ensure their activities are aligned with ours, and that they are being active.
• – To be first line point of contact for regional media for product enquiries. Act as McLaren spokesperson, or coordinate with the Regional director / Head of Operations, on product issues to all regional media, communicating McLaren cars’ key assets and customer advantages.
• – To have the skill set to be able to create and action regional social media activity.
• – To work closely with the global PR team to develop an influential internal network that generates a constant stream of company and product news that can be communicated externally through regular issue of news releases and information
• – To be responsible for ensuring the region has appropriate imagery, supplied either from the centre or locally produced.
• – Develop and execute PR plans that influence non-automotive media in the region, supporting brand building and awareness outside of the automotive press. Key areas being lifestyle media and business media.
• – Develop a network of non-traditional media contacts such as bloggers, influencers and word-of-mouth advocates that support Sales and Marketing goals and help position McLaren Automotive at relevant venues, events and locations in the region.
• – Manage the Regional PR agency support and understand the contract structure to ensure we get maximum value.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• – Experience in core PR skills, including presenting, writing for print and online media, internal reporting, and agency/supplier management
• – Knowledge of the regional mediascape and existing relationships with regional media
• – Experience of networking within Marketing disciplines and working within dynamic and change-oriented teams
• – Ability to influence senior management and engage with all levels of employees, dealership, and agency management in order to resource news and support strategic business goals
• – A proactive mindset that has generated creative solutions to strategic and tactical business challenges, supporting Sales and Marketing goals and positioning the PR function as a core role in a company’s marketing activities
• – General understanding of design and engineering attributes of cars and of the automotive industry.
• – Experience of working with a luxury brand or a general understanding of the luxury world
• – Fluent written and spoken English

Personal Attributes:

• – Professional and credible ambassador of the McLaren brand values around the world
• – Ability to mix confidently with senior journalists and senior management
• – A winning mentality – demonstrates great drive to achieve outstanding results
• – Resilient and adaptable. Able to maintain a consistent high level of work and professional output in times of change
• – Initiative. Makes things happen with minimum levels of supervision
• – A good level of commercial acumen supporting budget ambitions and understanding the broader business context of automobile production, sales and After Sales
• – Comfortable at taking directions, but also able to contribute to strategy and tactical measures
• – Apolitical and works well within a team environment
• – Culturally empathic.
• How to Apply
• Click to apply HERE