Hiring Made Easier with an Integrated Marketing Strategy
Pilot Simulator Instructors Recruitment Initiative
With more than 40 flight simulator trainer vacancies, Air Force Civilian Service (AFCS) was desperate for a new recruitment solution to attract experienced pilots to train the next generation of Air Force pilots. An already competitive job market and a nationwide pilot shortage was making it nearly impossible to find qualified candidates.
Collaborating with AFCS recruiters and current flight trainers, MarCom Group crafted an ambitious new messaging approach contrasting schedule demands on commercial airline pilots and the attractive AFCS alternative, specifically evenings and weekends off and holidays at home.
Further, our unique strategy with paid media and organic marketing capitalized on the December holiday season. The paid media plan used reliable data sources to identify pilots for precision delivery of display banner ads and social media ads to pilots coming off red-eye shifts during the evening hours when they would be most likely to be online and possibly job hunting. We also used the existing AFCS talent pool to deliver nearly 8,500 emails to those with an interest in pilot positions.
All advertising was linked to the AFCS website featuring a video with current pilot trainers describing the rewards and responsibilities of the job. The site also listed the available positions, explained qualification requirements such as previous flight training time, gave tips for developing a federal resume, and detailed the benefits enjoyed by federal civilian employees. Finally, UTM pixels embedded in the landing page created the opportunity to retarget a Pilot Trainer Landing Page on the potential candidates with follow-on ads reinforcing the attractive AFCS-as-an-alternative-employer message.
Rounding out the strategy was a special episode of the AFCS webinar series, Aim Hire, in which a panel of pilot trainers and AFCS recruiters discussed opportunities for experienced pilots, their role in training Air Force pilots, the mission they support, what it takes to be an instructor, and the inclusive and supportive culture at AFCS.
In the end, MarCom Group’s unique campaign strategy resulted in the receipt of 41 applications from nearly 11,500 landing page views with a conversion rate well above industry standards. AFCS has since made 12 candidate selections–11 attributed directly to our campaigns–and has several more candidates in their recruitment pipeline.
Omni-Channel Media Plans Get the Job Done
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employs nearly 60,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) to staff airport security checkpoints at 435 airports around the country. TSA called on MarCom Group to develop a fast turnaround approach for planning and buying media for individual airport recruitment campaigns on an as needed basis, complicated by unpredictable timing of hiring needs. Faced with a significant challenge, as placement options for each location and inventory availability and pricing can vary dramatically on short notice requests, our Media Team got to work and met the challenge.
In collaboration with TSA, a streamlined media request protocol and an agile planning and buying system was implemented. MarCom Group developed a multi-faceted Omni-Channel plan that usually includes a mix of programmatic digital display banners, print ads, billboards, paid search and social, transit system posters, digital geofencing, TV, OTT, radio, streaming services, programmatic audio and, as well as gas station video, mall posters, movie theater commercials, direct mail postcards, and more. The result: an average of 20 media plans per week (at peak volume) generating an average of 1M+ impressions per week.
Thanks to the skill and knowledge of our Media Team, not to mention the significant resources, market research, and the most trusted buying options available to them, TSA has the support they need, no matter where the market.
Learn how our Media Team and an Omni-Channel strategy can turn your advertising challenges into positive gains.
