We asked Anna Majdalani, Strategic Copywriter at Keeparo, what an employer branding concept is and why it can be elusive.
Conceptualization means making something comprehensible. Within employer branding, this means that the concept must profile the employer in a clear way. What makes it a bit tricky is that the concept must fulfill several functions. The concept should capture the soul of the organization’s employer brand. It should be the common thread that binds different types of activities together. And it should work throughout the whole employee journey, from advertising, to the career page and the internal communication.
A concept is also not an entirely rational idea. It’s based as much, or even more, on an emotional basis. A concept cannot always be captured with a short tagline. On the other hand, we get an immediate feeling when we see a start page or a film that was developed based on a good concept. It’s when our emotions are awakened that we connect and begin to build a relationship with an employer brand. Employer branding is about keeping that relationship alive with the help of an effective concept and communication.
– Without an employer branding concept, it will be difficult for an employer to stand out from the crowd, to be recognized and distinguished from other employers. It can even be difficult to be appreciated since you didn’t manage to show who you are.
The relationship, which the concept helps to build, is a value itself. It places the employer in the consciousness of the target group. Both employees and candidates know what to expect and what requirements are set back, and it becomes easier for everyone to make the right choice.
– When organizations nurture their relationships, all communication and investments become more effective. Soft values get hard results.
How does Keeparo develop concepts that do the job? Employer branding is part of the overall brand. But communication with candidates and employees has other dimensions and requires a different approach than the communication we have with customers and consumers.
– A good start is to develop an employer value proposition. We put a lot of creative effort into creating messages that are inspiring and easy to use. We also develop a tagline and a story. But an employer offer is still at a strategic level, that’s what an employer says. The concept on the other hand is how an employer communicates.
Keeparo delivers concepts in a so-called Toolbox. Our toolbox for employer branding includes message, tonality, visual guidelines, and photo style. It also includes a lot of examples, sketches and even templates, so our customers can apply their concept straight away.
– One of our customers called their concept “The paint sticks that they can start to paint with”. That’s exactly how it is! The toolbox helps you mix the colors correctly but is still so flexible that anyone who works with employer branding should be able to get started based on their conditions.
The goal at Keeparo is to make employer branding easy for our clients, so they can build strong employer brands that contribute to successful organizations. Get in touch with us at Keeparo.
Learn more about one of our concept cases: Axfood
When Axfood wants to challenge the food industy in Sweden, they need to gather the strength of their employees and complement the team with new skills. “The concept must be a communicative force with clear goals, faith in the future and action.”. Read the whole case here.
