National Student advertising competition
The National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) is an annual competition hosted by the American Advertising Federation in which university teams from around the country create and present a unique advertising campaign for a predetermined client. In 2023, the client–Indeed–challenged the teams to create a campaign that targeted 18-24 year olds, increased unaided consideration and Gen Z usage of Indeed.
As a member of the OSU team, I served on the secondary research, writing and Q&A teams before presenting our campaign in Austin, TX to a panel of judges from across the country.
The Grow Up Campaign
Inspired by our inner child, our team created the Grow Up campaign. Rather than expecting Gen Z to enter the work force on their own, this campaign would connect Indeed directly with the target audience and help them achieve the goals they may have set for themselves when they were kids.
Research into Indeed and Gen Z
Personas
-
Ms. No Direction
Persona 1
Graduating in the midst of the pandemic, Ms. No Direction took whatever job she could find. Now, she is ready to begin a career but doesn’t know where to start and is scared she may have missed her chance.
-
Mr. Nostalgia
Persona 2
Mr. Nostalgia has wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry since he was young, but his parent’s insistence that he obtain a “more practical” degree in college made him believe he may have to give up on his dream. Now that he is entering the work force, Mr. Nostalgia is looking for work that combines his creativity with his new skillset.
-
Mx. Insights
Persona 3
Mx. Insight has a passion for sustainability and craves a dynamic workplace at a company that shares their values. As the job search process goes on, they fear that what they want is unobtainable or unrealistic.
Strategy: Digital & Outdoor
-
Rationale
98% of survey respondents stated that Indeed is not bold enough and lacks a distinct brand voice.
Our digital and outdoor ads would explain the messaging behind the Grow Up campaign: fulfill your dreams with the help of Indeed.
-
Digital
Tactic: Video ads on YouTube, Hulu, HBO Max and Twitch that follow people from the time they are kids through when they grow up and find their dream job on Indeed.
Tracked through: YouTube ad manager, Hulu ad manager, etc.
-
Outdoor
Tactic: Outdoor ads would be positioned in high traffic areas such as bust stops, billboards, sporting arenas, outdoor kiosks and subways.
Tracked through: Estimated outdoor impressions based on the calculations of our media team.
Strategy: Interactive
-
Social Media
Goal: Increase company awareness on social media platforms.
Tactic: Indeed will sponsor posts with 18 different workplace influencers who have traction with Gen Z and can speak to issues such as searching for a job, interview tips and tricks, what to wear and advice for entering the workforce.
-
Blue Carpet Event
Goal: Create events to bring people together and combat perception of Indeed as impersonal.
Tactic: Indeed will host an awards show to celebrate the workplace, with categories such as Most Sustainable, Best Workplace Environment and Best Boss. The recipients will be nominated by their peers and awarded at a ceremony in Austin, TX .
-
Metaverse Events
Goal: Build the Indeed community within the Metaverse and connect employers with job seekers.
Tactic: Indeed will create a branded, multipurpose space within the Metaverse. Indeed will open up this space for companies who post their openings on Indeed as a space to connect with jobseekers.
Strategy: Corporate Social REsponsibility
Goal: Highlight similarities between Gen Z values and Indeed initiatives.
Tactic: Through CSR efforts, Indeed will partner with five nonprofits that serve children to host scholarship competitions.
Rationale: Every kid has dreams, but not all kids are presented with the same opportunities to pursue those dreams. These scholarships seek to provide opportunities for kids of all backgrounds and abilities.
Strategy: Partnerships
Goal: Increase Indeed’s brand awareness and appear more relevant as a company to those not in the job search process.
Uber Blue
Tactic: Indeed would partner with brands familiar to Gen Z to increase brand awareness and appear more relevant to non-jobseekers within Gen Z.
