Direct message gets first-class response
Client: First Direct
Agency: TCS
Date:
21 July 2005
Source:
Recruitment marketing
Recruiting large numbers of people in a competitive, saturated market requires a clear, distinct message carried across multiple channels. So when First Direct needed to increase the number of applications for its 
call centres in Leeds and Glasgow – two cities with multiple call centres – its recruitment advertising agency, TCS, used this approach.
After a review of ad response from previous years, the decision was taken to maximise the use of the local, regional and jobs press (often running ads on the front page). But press alone wouldn't attract the type of numbers required. So a multi-layered approach was used to heighten awareness further afield and reach both active and passive jobseekers. A wide-reaching radio campaign, billboard advertising and bus shelter posters were added to the mix.
Offline activity was enhanced through the launch of an improved recruitment section on firstdirect.com and online advertising. This helped reduce manual data-capture time and gave candidates more information.
First Direct's message had to be clear and consistent across all media. The campaign replaced the traditional "proposition-led" messages with emotive, open questions built around "how does going to work make you feel?" These provoked personal reactions while visual simplicity helped achieve high impact.
The cross-channel approach increased year-on-year enquiries by almost 300 per cent (January 2004 v 
January 2005) and resulted in a 65 per cent drop in average cost-per-enquiry.
First Direct also received two very interesting, if slightly unusual enquiries as a result of the campaign: other call centres in the area wanting to know how effective it had been!