Part 1: Why do we need design strategy? We’re a recruitment business…

We often hear about how businesses should market themselves. 2018 has shown us how desperately people will seek to get an edge in selling the benefit or features of a product or service by video, digital advertisement or via their online presence. Compare the new British Army campaign to the Royal Navy's campaign. Both tell the story of people which is great, but the quality and focus of the design on the British Army posters does not seem to consider the target audience. This leaves its message floating in an abyss not quite knowing where it is going. 

A carefully thought-out design strategy prevents an uninspiring brain dump of new ideas in marketing which leads to the hamster wheel of branding - you see it happening when the ideas are the same old with no real purpose or value. 

The issues arise when we see the influx of below-par advertisement by recruiters, businesses and organisations claiming they are different yet using the same garbage message, same copy/paste job advert, and video content that is driven by some hidden sales agenda. Candidates are pissed off with this heavy approach of 'look how amazing we are, we have a bell for every time we place a person' or taking famous quotes or campaigns and turning them into garbage.

Too often we hear recruiters say they really need a competitive edge and go find a way to show it. But here’s the thing - there’s no consistency. Some recruiters think their personal and business branding will drive sales, engagement and brand awareness. It can if done right. But if organisations fail to identify the issue they have first through brand and design strategy, they will fail. Who wants to buy from a brand they don’t feel anything for?

Instead of being the last person brought in on discussions around a business or marketing strategy, they should be there at the start. A designer is not just a tool to process someone else’s ideas. They are the ones who can help develop, create and refine other people’s vision. It’s a process. But they can’t do that successfully if they are told what to create, when and how. If the designer in your organisation is just a tool, then don’t blame them when the creative fails to engage customers. 

A business that takes years to build could be destroyed in an instant if the brand is not consistent in the current digital or real-world landscape.

The question is, how important is your brand to you? 

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Thank you for reading. Part two 'What does it take to do design strategy in recruitment?' will be out soon.

If you're interested in learning more about how brand or design strategy can transform your recruiting, hiring, and businesses give us a call.

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