Making-of “jobpilot”
Business Development / Corporate Identity & Design
A few weeks before the IPO of jobpilot (2000), I joined as Vice President Marketing the “Jobs & Adverts GmbH”, as the company was called at that time. jobpilot was the leading online career portal in Europe until its exit (sold to Monster in 2004).
Due to my successes in the repositioning of the Ravensburger brand and the transformation of the product range, I was called to jobpilot. My main task was to strategically plan, implement and manage the international expansion as well as the online and offline communication. The most important starting point was the development of the corporate identity (CI) and the corporate design (CD) as well as the strategic and executional direction of the marketing mix.
BACKGROUND
The company operated under 2 brands:
- As “Jobs & Adverts” towards the B2B world (employers) and
- as “jobpilot – a service from Jobs & Adverts” in the direction of B2C job seekers
I soon realized that a “house of brands” approach would lead to confusion, was costly and, due to the business orientation, actually unnecessary.
- In an online search, for example, the entire terminology of company (Jobs & Adverts) and product brand (jobpilot) appeared and drew the question to the user: “which content and offers were now for job seekers and which for employers?”
- In addition, the terminology “adverts” was not understood in non-English speaking countries
- Moreover, the diversification of Jobs & Adverts outside its core business of recruitment was not envisioned and, in view of this, a house of brands approach too complex and costly
The two simple business cards in the before-and-after comparison illustrate the initial situation and challenge:
Starting Position
End Game
STRATEGY
Definition of the Corporate Identity (CI)
“jobpilot is the leading online career portal for specialists and executives with a full service offer for job seekers and employers.”
Corporate Design (CD)
Establishment of jobpilot as a “Branded House” and premium brand in an internationally uniform and enforceable design.
Execution in 2 steps:
- Given the time available until the IPO, no comprehensive CI/CD development was possible – speed was the order of the day:
- Introduction of a standardized color code and a first rudimentary CD, which at least guarantees a certain standard in appearance
- Focusing the entire communication on the product brand “jobpilot” with the company “a Service from Jobs & Adverts” being pushed back (to the point of disappearance)
- After establishing the baseline:
- Development of one logo for the company and the product brand
- Development of a very simple CD, which generates a high acceptance in the international subsidiaries and thus guarantees a uniform implementation (i.e. no CD in the size of a large folder that triggers a high degree of complexity and bears the risk of being implemented incorrectly or only partially)
- Optimisation of communication/selling lines and clear separation of B2C and B2B approaches
EXECUTION
1. Standardized Color Code – fast & cohesive
- Destillation of a CD/brand symbolic as well as a colour code from the advertising history of Jobs & Adverts, so that a certain root to the preceding (erratic) communication was not lost
- This analysis resulted in computer keys and two different shades of red as the lowest common denominator
- With these components a first, quick “logo” and colour scheme was created. Exemplary for illustration e.g. the first print ads
Due to time pressure, the production of commercials was not possible. Therefore small video clips (prior to YouTube) which existing “on the net” were used. They could be implemented ad hoc behind the following creative brief:
“jobpilot is the solution for a job change when you feel like you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time in your job“
2. Cohesive Appearance/CD
- After the first fix, development of a logo for the company/product brand, which was quite unusual for the industry and aimed at communicating a premium service. The initial “computer button logo” rather signalled a technical service or technical jobs than a career portal
- Development of a simple CD, which was a real “1st aid kit” with up to 20 very humorous cards. They could be exchanged at any time in a modular system in case of changes/updates
- Renaming the company into “jobpilot AG”
- International relaunch of the website with clear B2C and B2B sections for job seekers and employers
- Implementation of the new CD in all areas. These 2 print ads illustrate the change:
3. Optimisation of the Communication Strategy and Implementation
The communication strategy was completely geared to the new CI, as “The wrong job in the wrong place at the wrong time?” is more a situational snapshot than a long-term career plan. Furthermore, the format did not correspond to a premium brand. The new communicational implementation was based on the insight of “Fear of missing out” (FOMO):
“You often feel there is a better, more fulfilling job out there, but you neither have the overview, nor the opportunity to find your perfect job.”
The communication platforms (online and offline) were reduced to the essentials and new selling lines were introduced:
- B2C: focus was on “career” instead of “jobs” to meet the needs of the target group of specialists and managers, as with them, it is about a career and not just about the next job. Scondly, focus on the growing, broad product portfolio for career management such as CV database, salary comparison, etc. The quantitative-descriptive selling line “Europe’s career market on the Internet” communicates leadership and size, because “you always go, where the party is “. For the job search this means that a job seeker always wants the highest number of job ads to maximise the opportunity for the next career level.
- B2B: independent motifs and selling lines were introduced that communicate market leadership and the “one-stop shopping” product portfolio for employers (online job advertisements, candidate database, direct search, applicant management, etc.). It was also important to ensure recognition between the B2B and B2C communication, because every manager looking for candidates could be a job seeker himself.
RESULTS
- Market leadership in 6 countries within 12 months only, including the most important market Germany, top 2 and 3 positions in the remaining international markets
- Break-even 2 years after IPO
- Eight-fold increase in page views (PIs), five-fold increase in users and CVs
- Acquisition and development of 40+ media partners (e.g. Spiegel Online, T-Online, GMX, etc.)
- Awards: “e-Branding Award”, “e-Business Award”, 2 x “Yearbook of Advertising” for Internet & Online Services as well as Communication, 2 x EPICA-Award New York
Pls. find other >> print and >> TV campaigns of jobpilot and others
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