Positive image
The annual ConstructionSkills Positive Image recruitment campaign is getting smarter, to keep up with the media habits of young people.
Moving away from TV adverts and printed media, the 2008 campaign uses social networking site Bebo, paid-for online search terms and banner ads on targeted web sites to reach its audience of 11-19 year olds.
The campaign aims to:
- Position and promote the construction industry as an attractive career
- Recruit diverse new entrants
- Encourage recruitment to apprenticeships or Inspire Scholarships
Using the strap-line “Transform your city, your bank balance and your career”, the campaign highlights the many opportunities of a career in construction, including:
- Making a mark on your city and local community
- The potential to earn good money
- A long term career with progression routes
Reaching out online
There are three main areas of activity online:
- Banner advertising on websites popular with young people, particularly women and BME audiences
- Search engine optimisation which uses popular careers search terms to drive traffic to our careers web site, www.bconstructive.co.uk
- Profiles on social networking site Bebo, using young people working in construction who are all part of our Construction Ambassador programme to give a ‘real life’ response to visitors’ questions. This can be found at www.bebo.com/positiveimage
Construction Ambassador Chrissi McCarthy, explains why she is working on the campaign:
“The construction industry suffers from an image which is outdated, and it’s amazing how many young people have never really considered it as a career option. I find my job exciting and continuously challenging, and it’s really good to be able to help spread the message and change perceptions. Particularly for young girls who are considering their career options at the moment, it’s important that they see role models who can show their gender is not a barrier to a great career.”
Taking advertising outdoors
The other key element of the advertising campaign uses outdoor media in the form of schools, billboards and phone boxes. Many of the young people featured in the adverts are the same Construction Ambassadors featured on Bebo, which also uses the same adverts to make the connection across the campaign. Adverts are displayed in areas of high Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) population density including the five Olympic Boroughs in London, the West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humberside, the Glasgow area of Scotland and South Wales. Images of the buildings in the adverts have been tailored to fit the region
- London ads feature the Town Hall, the Gherkin and Wembley Stadium
- Yorkshire and Humber ads feature The Sage Gateshead and the Newcastle Gateshead Millennium Bridge
- West Midlands ads show the Bull Ring, from Birmingham
- Scottish ads carry images of the Armadillo, from Glasgow
- Welsh ads feature the Millennium Centre, in Cardiff
Extending the reach of the advertising
The national story angle will be tailored for the regions and nations, with the use of data and case studies. We are also carrying out some local community outreach activity in Newham, one of the 5 Olympic Boroughs, which will be supported by media partnerships with specific BME press.
