Many of the people you would like to hire are not looking for a new job right now. They do not read job ads or visit careers pages. But they move through the city every day, on the way to work, to their studies or back home. That is where outdoor advertising comes in: you become known as an employer before anyone even starts looking.

Why outdoor advertising works for employer branding

You reach people in their daily lives

Choose sites on the routes your future employees take every day: commuter routes, tram lines, the area around universities and vocational schools. That way you meet your audience again and again, without them having to search.

Size builds trust

A large advertising surface in the city shows that a company is present and has plans. That matters when someone is considering a move. An employer people already know seems more trustworthy than one they read about for the first time in a job ad.

Your own employees see it too

A campaign in the cityscape gets seen, shared and talked about, inside the company too. Employees who see their employer in large format in the city talk about it. That makes them ambassadors.

Particularly relevant in Basel

Basel has some particular features for employer branding:

  • Cross-border commuters: many people commute into the city every day from France and Germany. If you are looking for skilled people from the region, you reach them on the commuter routes.
  • Trade fairs and congresses: professionals from around the world regularly gather around Messe Basel and the Congress Center.
  • Strong industries: Basel is a major location for life sciences, logistics and services. Competition for talent is correspondingly high.

A site like Riehenring 141, on one of the busiest routes from the motorway and right by Messe Basel, delivers 39'851 contacts per day, many of them commuters.

What the message should look like

A job ad does not belong on scaffolding. A large format needs a clear statement:

  • One reason why people should work for you. Not a list of benefits.
  • Real images, ideally of your own people.
  • A clear sender: your logo, large and clearly visible.
  • A simple next step: a short, memorable web address. A QR code pays off mainly where people stand still, such as at a tram stop.

Read more about design in our creative best practices.

Choose the right format

  • Scaffolding advertising suits a big recruitment drive, for example when you open a new location or need to fill many positions at once. More under scaffolding advertising.
  • Facade advertising fits when employer branding is an ongoing effort and you want to be present for months. More under facade advertising.
  • Apprenticeship marketing: if you are looking for apprentices, plan the campaign ahead of the period when young people choose an apprenticeship, and pick sites on the routes to schools.

Connect with other channels

Outdoor creates awareness; the application happens online. Make sure your careers page, social media channels and job ads use the same message and the same images as the campaign. Someone who has seen your banner and then looks you up should recognise you immediately. More on OOH in the media mix.

Measure the impact

During the campaign, track:

  • visits to your careers page, especially direct traffic and traffic from the region
  • the number of applications compared with a period without the campaign
  • searches for your company as an employer

And ask in interviews where candidates first noticed you. It often gives the clearest answer. More methods in How to measure your OOH campaign success.

FAQ

Is outdoor advertising suitable for recruitment?

Yes, especially for employer branding. Outdoor reaches people who are not actively looking and makes your company known as an employer. The application itself then runs through your careers page.

What belongs on an employer branding banner?

A clear statement of why people should work for you, a real image, your logo and a short web address. No list of vacancies.

How long should an employer branding campaign run?

Long enough for your audience to see the message several times. The minimum booking at Hyde Media is four weeks. For ongoing employer branding, longer periods make sense.

Want to become more visible as an employer? Tell us who you want to reach, and we will suggest suitable sites. Contact us.