Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION SUMMARY͏

The Ad Sales Research role supports revenue generation by translating audience, performance, and competitive intelligence into compelling, data-backed sales narratives and actionable insights. This position partners with National and Regional/Local Sales, Marketing Solutions, Pricing & Planning, Inventory, and third-party measurement providers to design measurement studies, deliver analyses, build sales-ready POVs and case studies, and maintain dashboards and recurring reporting.

The successful candidate is analytical and detail-oriented, can manage competing requests and deadlines, and is able to communicate complex research findings in clear, client-friendly language.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS͏

• Measurement Study Design & Partner Coordination

  • Configure study parameters in partnership with measurement vendors, including cohort definitions, lookback windows, attribution logic, test/control methodology, and reporting granularity.
  • Collaborate with third-party measurement partners (e.g., Nielsen, Comscore, iSpot, VideoAmp, Affinity, Kochava, Crossix, NCS, Adelaide) on study design, data collection, and results interpretation for active campaigns.
  • Sales Insights, POV Development & Storytelling:
  • Build and maintain category-specific POVs and deep-dive decks with data-backed cinema value narratives (e.g., Retail, Auto, Pharma, QSR, CPG, Lottery, Entertainment, Tech, Finance, Travel, Utilities).
  • Build cross-category POV documents (e.g., measurement evolution, attention advantage, incremental reach, cinema + CTV complementarity) for Sales and Marketing use.
  • Local / DMA Research & Regional Sales Support:
  • Field and prioritize research requests from Regional/Local Sales for DMA-level analyses and local advertiser pitches.
  • Execute DMA-level ratings analyses by demo using Nielsen and Comscore Local.
  • Conduct proximity analyses around theater and advertiser locations (drive-time radii, straight-line radius, custom trade areas) using MapInfo, Allocate, or equivalent tools.
  • Build theater trade area profiles including demo composition, income/HHI, density, consumer indices, and psychographic overlays.
  • Generate DMA audience heat maps and geo-location overlays aligned to advertiser footprints.

PREFERRED / NICE-TO-HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES͏

• Feasibility & Measurement Design

  • Review incoming RFPs and proposals to assess feasibility of measurement / added value / research components given budget, impressions, markets, timing, and vendor constraints.
  • Recommend appropriate study types and measurement approaches aligned to client goals (e.g., brand lift, foot traffic, sales lift/ROAS, pharma outcomes, incremental reach, attention, targeted products).
  • Evaluate complex multi-method measurement designs for large RFPs and define integration approach across vendors.

  Data Product Recommendation & KPI Definition

  • Recommend the right data/measurement product mix aligned to client KPIs from the available product portfolio.
  • Define KPI frameworks aligned to funnel stage (upper, mid, lower) and ensure measurement plans map to agreed outcomes.
  • Advise on targeting and measurement capabilities for addressable / segmented products and define measurement tie-back methodologies.
  • Shape POVs on incremental reach, conversion dynamics, business outcomes, and guarantees using third-party and internal data.
  • Assess emerging measurement vendor capabilities and new data products and provide evaluation recommendations to leadership.

  Sales Enablement & Knowledge Infrastructure

  • Deploy ad hoc trainings to Sales on new or updated materials, measurement products, case studies, and data capabilities.
  • Maintain internal process documentation for cross-functional workflows (research ↔ planning ↔ inventory), including handoff protocols and request forms.

  Additional National & Competitive Intelligence

  • Monitor CPMs versus market benchmarks across TV, CTV, digital, DOOH, and social and produce comparative rate intelligence to support planning.
  • Monitor shifts in the video advertising landscape (cord-cutting, streaming migration, AVOD/FAST, retail media, attention economy) and produce periodic competitive landscape briefs.