Mattel · El Segundo, CA

Manager, Brand Strategy & Activation - Matchbox at Mattel — El Segundo, CA

Full-timeEl Segundo, CAPosted 2026-07-09Apply on SmartRecruiters
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Full job description

The Opportunity:

The Manager, Brand Strategy & Activation will support the Sr Manager in defining the long-term brand vision, positioning, and cross-category strategy. The Manager will focus on developing and executing strategies that define the brand strategy, accelerate brand awareness, drive launches and grow the full franchise business. The Manager will be the primary face of the brand, internally and externally, leading cross-franchise teams to execute the brand vision and brand strategy. This includes, but is not limited to, leading weekly 360 meetings with all key and senior level stakeholders across digital gaming, content, toy, CPX, LBE and Partnerships. The Manager will also lead the creation of brand narratives and marketing activations, and be the key point of contact for Mattel’s new Inter Agency Team (IAT).

What Your Impact Will Be:

Brand Strategy

  • Partner with leadership to define brand vision, mission, and positioning
  • Steward brand equity across all categories (toys and franchise verticals)
  • Lead consumer insights work and make informed recommendations to inform equity and purpose
  • Develop portfolio strategy in partnership with leadership
  • Establish global brand guardrails (visual identity, tone, messaging pillars) to allow cross functional empowerment
  • Partner with Toy and Franchise Marketing to ensure brand consistency across product, experiences and retail
  • Develop Content in partnership with Mattel Studios to ensure brand objectives and alignment
  • Serve as the cross-functional integrator between content, product, experiences, retail, and marketing

Brand Activation

  • Plan brand “moments” (anniversaries, entertainment launches, retail programs) that support all lines of business.
  • Translate brand strategy into campaigns, content, and activations
  • Plan and execute integrated marketing plans (digital, retail, social, influencer, events, PR)
  • Manage media strategy in partnership with regional marketing leads and creative production in partnership with creative team (ads, visuals, storytelling assets)
  • Ensure creative execution stays consistent with brand positioning (via brand guardrails) and product highlights
  • Create brand stories that drive demand, brand love and consumer loyalty
  • In partnership with Brand Creative, manage external agencies scope and strategy
  • Track & report on campaign performance (awareness, engagement, conversion)
  • Track & report on brand health through consumer engagement, sales performance, and cultural impact.

What We’re Looking For

  • 6+ years of experience in marketing, with a minimum 3 years in brand marketing.
  • Experience with franchise management/marketing, content marketing, retail/commercial marketing, social media marketing, PR & influencer marketing valued
  • Strategic thinking: Ability to define brand vision and multi-year roadmaps.
  • Consumer insights & research: Strong understanding of consumer psychology, brand equity drivers, and cultural trends. Ability to synthesize data and pull insights to create recommendations
  • Thorough understanding of marketing mix and KPIs
  • Bold thinker with a finger on the pulse of culture. Can balance creative & innovative thinking with data and KPIs
  • Thrives in a fast-paced and creative environment
  • Cross-functional leadership: Skilled at influencing Entertainment, Product, Marketing, and Franchise teams without direct authority.
  • Financial acumen: Experience with P&L at the brand or category level.
  • Communication skills: Excellent at storytelling, presentations, and influencing senior leadership.
  • Strong PowerPoint creation and presentation skills, proficiency in Outlook, Word and Excel

How We Work:

  • We collaborate: Being a part of Mattel means being part of one team with shared values and common goals. Every person counts and working closely together always brings better results. Partnership is our process and our collective capabilities is our superpower.
  • We innovate: At Mattel we always aim to find new and better ways to create innovative products and experiences. No matter where you work in the organization, you can always make a difference and have real impact. We welcome new ideas and value new initiatives that challenge conventional thinking.
  • We execute: We are a performance-driven company. We strive for excellence and are focused on pursuing best-in-class outcomes. We believe in accountability and ownership and know that our people are at their best when they are empowered to create and deliver results.

Who We Are:

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