What the Kardashians Can Teach Us About Employment Branding
October 12, 2010 at 3:29 pm ckapec Leave a comment
I want to state upfront that I have never watched an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians or any of its spinoffs or related sex tapes. Yet, I seem to know everything about Kim, Kourtney, Khloe and everyone else in their family. How is this possible? It’s because they are branding geniuses. And yes, they have some valuable lessons to teach us about employment branding.
Create a strong home base. For Kim and Co., it’s their TV shows. All other efforts build upon this base and help drive viewers to the show. For employers, the career website should be the basis of your strategy, with all other marketing used to build your presence and drive viewers to the site.
Get the whole team involved. It’s not just the three Ks. The Kardashian brand is carried by the entire clan, including the mother, the brother, Bruce Jenner and now even the little sisters. Similarly, you should make sure your entire HR team is brand-focused and trained to communicate with one voice. Brand ambassador training, anyone?
Gratuitous Kardashian Photo
Embrace social media. Kim is a renowned Tweeter, with over 5 million followers. Khloe has a Facebook page with 1.4 million friends. They understand how to use social media to promote their products and build their brand – the Kardashians. Consider your social media strategy and ramp up accordingly. NAS has a five-step process DRILL that can help.
Promote your brand aggressively. The Kardashian family is always in the tabloids (incorporate some print into your strategy). They’ll go to the opening of a cardboard box (attend all important HR-related events and shows). They alert the paparazzi before they go to the drug store (develop an ongoing communications strategy). Kim even has a perfume named Dashing (make sure you have branded giveaways for your candidates).
Keep your eyes on the prize. For the Kardashians, it’s fame and money. Every endeavor, whether it is promoting diet supplements or hosting an event in Vegas, is designed to pay off. For you, it’s attracting high-quality candidates and retaining highly satisfied employees. Always keep those goals in mind and use them as a gauge to determine the ultimate value of each activity you and your team are planning.
And now, if you have another moment, I’d like to tell you about the complex relationship between Bieber Fever and employee referral programs…
Charles is a Senior Creative Strategist at NAS Recruitment Communications. With the agency since 1993, he partners with clients to develop employment brands and to provide a wide range of creative solutions.
Entry filed under: Charles Kapec, Employment Branding, Marketing Strategies, PRIDE. Tags: .
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