Archive for Creativity

It’s been 15 years

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Wow. We are 15 years old this month. It’s certainly been a decade and half. From and advertising to andsome. Growing from a small Recruitment Marketing start-up doing print and press ads (remember those two) to a… erm… compact Digital Social Agency doing recruitment comms to employee branding (and everything in between). You see, we’ve never wanted to do a Google (who also launched in 1998).

Who’d have thought all those years ago, that we’d be even closer to the candidates that we’re trying to recruit for our clients? ‘Representing’ them on social media, as their community leaders, in constant dialogue with candidates 24/7. Probably creating more ‘comms material’ than ever before – except now it’s called content, updates and tweets. It’s hard work. But the buzz when it’s working is so much more personal, gratifying and involving – even emotional – than those days of old, creating ads/posters/brochures, distant from the audience you were trying to connect with.

We have changed. But in some ways we’ve stayed the same.

Our standards, for one thing. We still won’t regurgitate a strategy, approach or creative concept. Even if someone else didn’t want or like it. And, in this gobble ideas faster than a MaccyD world, we never repeat the same approach because no-one will remember it if you did. (We will though.) Our integrity is unchanged. In this ever-changing world of recruitment, we stand by our founding principle that ‘We’re not right for everyone’. Even if it occasionally costs us the opportunity to work with someone new. After all, wouldn’t you rather work with people who are as passionate about your business/brand/products as you are?

Teenagers, what are they like?

Why we prefer to do

On the Job experience. That’s often the starting point for many a successful career. It’s an ethos that has come back into vogue over recent years with Work Inspiration (for 14-17 year olds), Internships/Placements for Students and Apprenticeships instead of Uni. It’s all about the learning. In the working environment. Especially the apprenticeships route, learn while you earn is the phrase. Where you’re working for real, not just attending lectures with the odd practical thrown in for good measure.

Social media is exactly the same. You learn far more in the doing. It’s great to hear the case studies but at the end of the day they’re just overviews. No matter how detailed they might be. If you’re looking to community manage, or get involved in, social platforms and talent communities, the only way is to get your hands dirty.

You’ll soon see that the ‘rules’ that float around aren’t always the good advice that they seem. You know the ones. About timings. Scheduling (or not). Tweet 100 characters or less. Where to position a link in your update. Not flooding your account with job posts. Who you should or shouldn’t follow. What gets Likes. Update an average 4 times a day. More than 2 #Hashtags affects engagement.

Honestly, with all the accounts we’ve managed and been involved with over the years, every one of the ‘rules’ above (and more) have been blown away on different accounts and different audiences. That’s the key – the audience ‘tells’ you what they want. And as every business is unique, even in the same sector, what applies to one doesn’t mean it will work for another. One approach that’s successful for one facebook page, will fail on another. That’s what experience will tell you. That’s what your audiences will show you. You never hear failure admitted very often, if at all, in a conference case study. You wouldn’t expect to. (Although a #FAILconf, is an interesting idea…hmm.) It’s always success stories. That’s what everyone wants to hear. But the odd fail (or disappointment/surprise) is often much more enlightening. And the spur to keep looking at things differently.

We love Oreos

Ooooh Oreo, we do more than like your Facebook page. It’s the ‘Ow-to for social brand ‘marketing’. It’s On brand. It’s ‘Own content’. It’s Oh-so consistent. It can Only be Oreo. And it’s an Ongoing demonstration of ‘Ow to keep developing a social strategy. Especially for those who think that any Old content is worth sharing. Oh well.

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It’s all about the Candidate Engagement… #RADs2013 blog series

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Next Thursday, it’s RAD Awards night. So, it’s time for another of our andsome blog ‘mini series’ inspired by our five shortlists on the night – this year, we have ITV, EAT and the Raymond Blanc Cookery School in the frame.

We’re lucky to have been shortlisted in Emerging Talent Campaign, Best Use of Social Media (twice), Best Use of Mobile and Employer Brand. Once again, we’re extremely proud to have made it this far. And that they all have been recognised for embracing the use of Social Media, not just to recruit but to engage.

This 3 parter will concentrate on the importance of Candidate Engagement – from Employer Branding to the Applicant Experience and a little bit of clever targeting along the way.

It runs from Monday to Wednesday next week.

Leaving us all day on Thursday to sit waving at our lucky cat to bring us luck.

Lucky ’13

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It’s almost 2013 (or it probably will be when you read this).

So, rather than looking back on 2012 or predicting what will happen in 2013, here’s our andsome take on 13 things we’re hoping not to see so much of during the next 12 months.

Copy Heavy Careers Websites.

Employer Blanding.

The Like, Comment, Share Game.

Chip Shop Award Entries.

Token Social Media-ism.

Social Recruiting Conference Overload.

Big Data instead of Big Ideas.

The Over-Importance of Liking and Following.

Design by Powerpoint.

Facebook is just for Recruiting Graduates.

Technology over Real Engagement.

Curating Content rather than Creating Content.

and not forgetting the infamous #NewYearNewCareer

Happy New Year from the andsome bunch.

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