Stop selling, start storytelling: the new era of employer branding

If there is one industry that has changed completely over the last few years, that has to be the media industry – with very real consequences on how companies communicate with their audiences, customers and applicants. From the era of intrusive publicity to editorialised content, from a single distribution model to the rise of streaming platforms, companies are today adopting new media consumption standards to stand out from the crowd. In this post, we explain these new trends and examine their undeniable impact on employer branding.

From television to streaming platforms: a new form of consumption for audiovisual content 

Previously, for brands, the natural medium for audiovisual content was television. With the explosion of the internet, pure play companies (entities created directly on the internet) have emerged: from Facebook to Konbini, YouTube to Netflix, and TikTok to LinkedIn. These digital platforms have transformed the way that companies and individuals create and consume content. 

How trends have an impact on companies: 

• Strong editorialization: each platform organises its content by topic, recommending content based on individual preferences. 
• Immediacy: access to information is direct, with consumption of content much faster (e.g. TikTok).
• Market saturation and multiplication of platforms: to increase its visibility, a company needs to find original forms of expression to enable it to stand out from the crowd.

From advertising to editorial: how brands are reinventing their message

With the explosion of the internet and social networks, advertising has become ever-present, to the point of creating a sense of saturation with audiences even feeling a sense of intrusiveness. This means that brands need to rethink their way of building a connection with their audiences by creating high-quality audiovisual content.

This editorialized content provides a way of expressing and promoting the identity and values of a company while also creating a deep, long-lasting connection with its customers and its audience. The idea is not necessarily to talk about yourself directly but, instead, to provide distinctive content delivered from a unique perspective. For example, companies like Patagonia or AirBnB now produce documentaries that reflect their founding principles and shine a spotlight on the experiences of their ambassadors, customers or people who embody their values. These productions talk about experiences rather than products and focus on the mission that drives the company.

How trends have an impact on companies: 

• Creating a deep connection with an audience: Editorialized content allows for long-lasting contact with a target audience since the shelf life of a video is much longer than that of conventional adverts.
• The importance of storytelling: through the medium of audiovisual content, brands endeavour above all to tell a unique story that embodies their values.
• The importance of taking sides: this content strategy adopted by many brands works because they choose to take a particular angle in relation to a specific format, topic or issue.

Becoming your own media outlet is a major and important challenge: the costs associated with producing your own content are substantial. 

There are so many ways to occupy this media space, from PlayPlay to Pitchy, which enable you to produce short, so-called snack content (consumable on the go) in an assisted and digital manner. 

Here at JobTeaser, we have another way: we can produce videos with high-added value for companies, designed and produced by experts in the media industry, for short and long formats. This content is designed to answer the questions that might be asked by applicants, and not just by students and recent graduates, in as much detail as possible.  We have two key allies to help us distribute these: our own solution, the jobteaser.com/career centre, and audiovisual distribution platforms (YouTube, but also Spotify, Apple and Deezer). 

Here are a few formats you can use to showcase your company's inherent values and attitudes:

• Our ‘Unlocked’ format to decipher employer branding: Applicants want to work in companies that reflect their values. Showcase your inherent values and attitudes: from your workplace culture to your CSR initiatives, help people understand who you are to help them imagine themselves better in a career within your organisation.
• Our ‘Meet the Expert’ format: We all dream of learning alongside the very best. Make students and recent graduates want to join your company by positioning your employees as experts in their fields. Daily working life, key skills, technological developments, etc. In Meet The Expert, you can really shine a light on the types of work your staff are engaged in!
• Our ‘Flash Interview’ format: Showcase your teams with a particular emphasis on their jobs. A dynamic video capsule lasting about 3 minutes, perfect for social media and the standards of the new generation.
• Join: Give young talents the keys to a successful integration into your company. A dynamic 35 min interview with the objective to optimize your recruitment by giving candidates a clear view of the process.

To find out more, we look at employer branding options for companies and provide you with useful tips to recruit generation Z in this white paper!