The 118 118 'Got Your Number' ad was one of the most memorable ads of the early 2000's and started a catchphrase, characters and humour which the nation quickly latched on to and created a stable brand for 118 118 based on their directory enquiries hotline.
The marketing campaign was an absolute hit and the brand became engraved in the minds of the public. The 'Got Your Number' catchphrase was entirely relevant to the brand's offering, the brand had a unique personality and their offering was ultimately clear.
The directory hotline was a great offering back in 2005, when mobile phone ownership was reaching over 80% of the population and a desire for instant information. However, of course with the rapid increase in the use and ownership of smartphones in recent years, 118 118 had a new competitor aside from the numerous other telephone directory services- mobile internet. Consumers can now instantly search for any phone number of piece of information they'd like and best of all- it's free (if included in your data plan).
Like any business, 118 118 have been working to adapt to this newly emerging competition and I'm not entirely sure their strategy is effective. These are a couple of examples of their new ads in which they try to directly compete with the mobile internet:
I'm not entirely sure what the value that 118 118 are trying to bring to the table is, of course they are trying to compete on the speed of their service, however with mobile networks also constantly working to improve their mobile speeds- I can't see this working as a long-term strategy?
They are of course using the same great branding, however- they aren't offering anything new through these ads and their isn't a real sense of change and adaption here- the company needs to be more forward-thinking and dynamic.
However, as I was driving today, I heard a radio advert for 118 118 Money- offering short-term loans. This new direction for the brand is interesting, however now they are competing with the big dogs at Wonga- who are known for pay day loans! Wonga's branding surrounds this market and in the consumers' minds they are the first brand that comes to mind.
118 118 are of course trying to differentiate as they sense the lack of demand for a telephone directory service, however it seems that entering an entirely new, unrelated market is extremely risky and will require strong marketing to ensure that customers see the brand in this new light- frankly I can't see it working when they are up against Wonga who's marketing is on point throughout the loans sector.
This week, I was lucky enough to be asked to judge the Target Jobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2015 at the Guardian Head Office in London! As a committee member of Enactus and on the graduate job hunter I was honored to be asked to be part of the judging panel!
So off I went to the Guardian offices where I met lots of other students, both university and school leavers. I was put into a team with 7 other university students and we were given the task of judging 'The best student marketing campaign for organisations recruiting more than 50 graduates a year'.
We had over 50 campaigns to sift through, so it was a super long day as most organisations had sent through huge packs, some of which contained videos, iPads, interactive games and storyboards. However, it really gave me a chance to see a) how large organisations are marketing their graduate schemes to potential recruits and b) which firms I would love to work for based on the innovation, creativity and messages that were displayed.
At the end of the day- the more students you reach and inspire, the more will apply and therefore the better chance you will have of recruiting a higher standard of candidate! I understand that some firms have bigger budgets than others, but I'm talking FTSE 100 companies here- you would be surprised by the lack of imagination that had been brought to the table!
I can't reveal the campaigns yet due to confidentiality! However when the awards take place in June I will try and do a follow-up post about the ones I liked!
The firms that shocked me weren't the kind of organisations you would expect! I was really shocked by the marketing campaigns I rated the highest! I was also surprised by how engaging and exciting I found these campaigns- marketing jobs or a workplace wasn't something I'd really ever thought about. Of course marketing products and services is something that had been drilled in to me, but never marketing a job! It really is true that you can market anything and everything!
However, the whole experience did make me thing about what stands out in a recruitment marketing campaign and I did a bit of research to find some really creative examples (these weren't part of the entries I was judging):
IKEA
When IKEA needed new employees, they created a piece of direct mail and consistent with their branding in the style of a flat-pack instruction manual. They then slid this into every flat pack piece of furniture purchased by a customer. This was a really simple, yet effective idea and a way of reaching a wide target audience, yet was completely cost effective. The physicality of the job advert was also really shareable, it allowed a talking point and perhaps cut through the noise of other, typical job adverts such as those in newspapers and online. I believe one would be much more likely to take notice, read the advert and perhaps show it to someone who they felt might be suitable, if they didn't feel suitable themselves.
OgilvyOne
The kings of advertising, if anything, should be able to market a role within their advertising empire right? I love this recruitment video for an internship, which invites candidates to send in a video of them 'selling a brick'. The actor is superb and it really sells the tough world of advertising and doesn't candy coat the skills and determination needed.
This was a highly targeted social media and YouTube campaign which really meant 1-on-1 contact between candidate and employer before any sort of formal interview!
Mastercard
Mastercard effectively used social media to find their new interns and used the hashtag #InternsWanted to attract graduates, who then submitted a new innovative idea to help Mastercard move towards cashless payment. This really meant that the employer could gain a sense of candidates' creativity and entrepreneurship without having to read through lengthy application forms. The entrants won an internship based on the number of 'likes' or 'retweets' they achieved!
Of course, this is a totally new way to hire employees and it wouldn't work for every role- but the engagement and connection is really new and exciting!
Those are just a few really interesting recruitment campaigns which have totally made me think about the creativity that can surround marketing job roles or companies as employers! It's such an interesting area and I'd love to read any more so please do tweet them to me at @stefclarkx or pop them in the comments!
Overall, I had a great day at the Target Jobs judging day and can't wait until the winners are revealed! I also met some really great fellow judges and mentors on the day who I hope to see again in the future.
