Description

Who we are:

Spiralcute Inc. is an award-winning character management agency, renowned for collaborating with artists to craft 'sophisti-cute' brands that blend heartfelt narratives with charming design.

Spiralcute specializes in transforming rising character stars into popular consumer product brands through strategic licensing and partnerships, including recent successes Chiikawa, Mofusand and Koupen Chan.

With headquarters in Tokyo the company oversees character development and business operations, while its Los Angeles based entity Spiralcute International focuses on expanding business opportunities worldwide. Collaborating with their artists and licensees, Spiralcute delivers brands that authentically appeal to fans around the world.

This role will be based in LA office.

The Role

The VP, Brand Franchise Management & Marketing defines and drives the international strategy, growth and long-term value of Spiralcute’s IP, building franchises that attract new audiences, deepen fandom, create consumer demand and unlock new revenue opportunities.

Reporting to the EVP, Business Development & Operations, the VP leads the evolution of Spiralcute’s brands across content, social, digital, consumer products, licensing, retail, ecommerce, experiences and strategic partnerships, ensuring every consumer touchpoint works together to build awareness, engagement, fandom and commercial value.

Leading a growing team including the Senior Director of Social, Brand Manager, Brand & Licensing Coordinator and external consultants, the VP works closely with Spiralcute’s wider leadership team and regional partners to deliver a unified global approach to brand and franchise growth.

This is a high-impact, entrepreneurial leadership role for a proven franchise builder who can turn consumer insight and cultural relevance into audience growth, fandom and commercial results.

In a fast-paced environment supporting the EVP responsibilities include, but not limited to:

Key Responsibilities

Franchise Strategy & IP Growth

• Develop and execute 360° international franchise strategies and rollout plans across digital, content, experiences, collaborations, PR, consumer products, licensing, retail and ecommerce.
• Develop clear growth strategies and lifecycle plans for each IP, from emerging/new brands through to established and evergreen franchises.
• Define positioning, target audience, growth ambition and role of each brand within the Spiralcute portfolio.
• Identify opportunities to expand IP into new audiences, categories, markets, collaborations, consumer occasions and platforms.
• Build long-term brand roadmaps that ensure consistency, scalability and sustained franchise value.
• Identify where to invest, accelerate, maintain or reposition individual IP based on consumer and commercial opportunity.

Audience, Fandom & Consumer Growth

• Identify opportunities to reach new consumer demographics, generations, communities and fandoms beyond the existing core audience. Owning strategies to grow the audience and fanbase of each Spiralcute IP.
• Establish audience-growth targets by brand, market and platform and track progress against them.
• Partner across Social, YouTube, Content, Creative, PR, Ecommerce and Licensing to create a connected consumer growth engine.

Brand Marketing & Cultural Relevance

• Lead international marketing strategy across campaigns, launches and always-on brand activity.
• Oversee positioning, messaging and brand identity to ensure clarity, differentiation and accessibility across international markets.
• Develop integrated marketing plans spanning digital, social, content, retail, experiential, PR, partnerships and ecommerce.
• Create breakthrough, buzzworthy brand, PR, digital and cultural moments that elevate the IP and attract new audiences.

Digital, Content, Social & YouTube

• Own the strategic role of Social, YouTube and digital content within the overall franchise strategy, building awareness, engagement and fandom.
• Use audience and content insights to continually inform brand, creative, product and marketing strategies.
• Connect content and social to commercial growth, driving audiences from engagement to product, retail, licensing, ecommerce and strategic partnerships while protecting long-term brand equity.
• Develop a clear understanding of what consumers are watching, sharing, collecting, buying and asking for.

Strategic Partnerships & External Relations

• Work with the VP Retail Development & Partnerships, VP Business Development and wider leadership team to identify and develop strategic partnerships that accelerate brand growth.
• Partner with the VP, Retail Development & Partnerships to amplify retail launches beyond the retail environment, create additional consumer awareness, excitement and marketing impact that drives traffic, engagement and purchasing.
• Manage international PR directly and through agents and external partners, ensuring consistent strategic direction.
• Work with international agents to build brands locally, providing clear strategies, sales toolkits, consumer insights and marketing support.
• Act as a central connector across creative, content, social, licensing, retail, product, PR, digital, ecommerce and regional teams.

Team, Agency & Budget Leadership

• Build, lead and develop a high-performing team capable of delivering the next phase of Spiralcute’s growth.
• Hire, lead and manage third-party marketing, digital, social, content, event, PR and other specialist agencies.
• Set clear objectives and KPIs for agencies and ensure performance is actively managed.
• Manage franchise marketing budgets, POs, approvals and spend tracking, ensuring budgets are controlled and investment is directed toward the highest return opportunities. Provide monthly, quarterly reporting.

Success Measures

• Growth in awareness, audience and fandom across priority IP. Increased engagement and deeper consumer connection with the brands.
• Growth in licensing, retail, ecommerce, partnerships and other commercial opportunities driven by stronger consumer demand.
• Successful launches and accelerated growth of emerging and new IP.
• Creation of breakthrough cultural moments that increase brand relevance and visibility.
• Effective use of marketing investment, with measurable ROI and performance against agreed KPIs.

The pay range for this role is $190,000 – $250,000, with final offer amount dependent on education, skills, experience, and location.

This position is eligible for benefits including medical, dental and vision options. Employer paid life insurance and long-term disability. Generous time off benefits include discretionary time off, 40 hours of sick pay and 10 paid holidays.

Have the experience and want to be part of a dynamic team, please send your resume to monica@spiralcuteintl.com

Requirements

Essential Skills & Experience

• 15+ years of senior experience within entertainment, licensing, consumer products, retail, media or brand marketing environments.
• Strong understanding of international markets and regional retail environments.
• Proven track record of building brands and franchises, growing audiences and driving consumer products and commercial revenue.
• Demonstrable experience translating consumer insight, content and marketing into commercial growth.
• Experience building digital, social, content and/or consumer engagement strategies that create meaningful fandom.
• Proven ability to shape and build a business through an entrepreneurial lens, with the ability to prioritize and make decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, with experience managing budgets, forecasts and performance against KPIs.
• Experience managing agencies, external partners and cross-functional teams.
• Strong presentation, communication, influencing and relationship-management skills.
• Experience managing a portfolio of brands at different life stages and balancing immediate commercial needs with long-term brand building.
• Highly organized, commercially minded and comfortable operating with ambiguity and changing priorities.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or equivalent advanced qualification preferred.

Leadership Profile

• A builder and growth leader who sees opportunities rather than limitations.
• Consumer-obsessed, with a deep understanding of how fandom is created, nurtured and converted into demand.
• Commercially ambitious while protecting the long-term value and authenticity of the IP.
• Culturally curious and able to identify what will make Spiralcute’s brands relevant to new audiences.
• Collaborative and low-ego, able to bring creative, commercial and regional teams together around a common goal.
• Data-informed but highly creative, with the confidence to test, learn and move quickly.