Culture, Trends & Content Specialist

Culture, Trends & Content Specialist (12 month contract)

Johannesburg, GP, South Africa

Ogilvy Social Lab is setting global benchmarks in digital marketing and is driven by offering our expertise to both local and international clients through a multi-market footprint.

We have enabled 'borderless ways of working', operating as connected teams and providing Creative, Content, Media and Intelligence capabilities to Ogilvy agencies and clients in more than 20 countries.

Join our globally connected team and work on challenging projects that transcend borders. Embrace a career that takes you to new horizons and make a global impact!

As the Culture, Trends & Content Specialist for Studio X, you will be the strategic brain and champion for exceptional social engagement, spearheading TCCC’s shift to an 'always-on, creator-led, and culturally agile' model across Africa. You will serve as the agency's lead expert on Tik Tok and emerging cultural platforms, proactively identifying and translating burgeoning trends into brand-safe, platform-native content opportunities.

Your role is crucial in informing strategic recommendations, developing creator-led playbooks, and elevating the entire social team's capability to react swiftly and authentically to cultural moments.

• Serve as the agency's lead expert on Tik Tok and emerging cultural platforms, maintaining a deep understanding of algorithms, ad products, user behaviour, and the creator ecosystem to inform all strategic recommendations for TCCC brands.
• Proactively identify, analyse, and report on emerging cultural trends, sounds, memes, and content formats relevant to TCCC brands, providing actionable intelligence to internal teams before trends reach peak saturation.
• Develop and disseminate strategic playbooks that translate cultural trends into clear, actionable creative opportunities and brand-safe activation plans for community management and creative teams.
• Collaborate with creator-led partners to inform the recruitment and vetting strategy for the TCCC Ambassador Programme ('The League'), identifying authentic, up-and-coming creators who align with brand values.
• Lead internal education and upskilling initiatives, establishing and enforcing best practices for platform-native content creation and engagement.
• Act as a thought leader to elevate the entire social team's capability on key cultural platforms and creator-led content strategies.
• Contribute to rapid response efforts and content ideation based on trending topics, ensuring TCCC brands can capitalise on unplanned real-time moments.
• Lead the activation of the planned real-time content calendar and enable unplanned real-time engagement via the Real-Time Amplification Pod, leveraging the ambassador network.
• Ensure rigorous governance and brand safety for all external creator content, from strategic briefing to multi-tiered approval and ongoing training.

• 5-8+ years of specialised experience in cultural trend analysis, creator ecosystem management, and platform-native content strategy, with a strong focus on Tik Tok and emerging social media platforms.
• Proven expertise in identifying, analysing, and translating cultural trends into actionable creative briefs and strategies for large brands, preferably within FMCG.
• Deep understanding of social media algorithms, content formats, audience behaviours, and the nuances of internet culture across diverse African markets.
• Extensive experience in developing and implementing creator-led content strategies and managing ambassador/influencer programmes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and disseminate strategic playbooks and conduct internal training sessions to elevate team capabilities.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, capable of acting as a thought leader and educating both internal teams and clients on complex cultural insights.
• Proven ability to work effectively and proactively within an integrated agency team, collaborating across creative, community management, and analytics functions.
• Exceptional foresight and ability to anticipate platform changes and emerging content opportunities.
• Familiarity with brand safety protocols, legal guidelines, and governance in the context of user-generated and creator-led content.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, making rapid, informed decisions regarding cultural moments and content activation.

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