In June, the New Zealand Association of Graduate Employers (NZAGE) hosted a Forum Event with EY New Zealand (EY), winners of the 2023 Industry Award for ‘Best Graduate Campaign’. The Employer Brand team—Jacqui McKeown, Natasha Salanitro-Chafei and Emma Stace —shared insights into their successful campaign, detailing their strategies and execution.

What makes the Best Graduate Campaign?

The ‘Best Graduate Campaign’ Award recognises excellence in integrated marketing, encompassing strategy, execution, and various forms of advertising and communication. EY New Zealand’s winning campaign, titled “Opportunities Await. Your Future is Bright.” was designed to resonate with Gen Z by emphasising learning and growth opportunities.

Core elements of the Campaign

EY New Zealand’s campaign stood out for its vibrant, authentic imagery and relatable content. They focused on creating a cohesive brand presence across all materials, ensuring that the visuals and messages were consistent. This included using bright, creative designs that appealed to the entrepreneurial and adaptable nature of Gen Z.

A significant part of their strategy was their website, which served as a central hub of information. It featured detailed pages on their graduate and internship programmes, service lines, and teams. The site received over 220,000 visits, highlighting its effectiveness in engaging potential applicants.

Leveraging LinkedIn and employee advocacy

A strong emphasis on LinkedIn was placed to engage with their target audience professionally. They upskilled their Aotearoa recruitment team to optimise their LinkedIn profiles and use the platform strategically. This included understanding the best times to post, what type of content to share, and how to tag posts to maximise reach and engagement. Authentic content, such as real-time photos and videos from university events, performed particularly well on LinkedIn.

By empowering their Aotearoa recruitment team with the right tools and training, they significantly extended their campaign’s reach without relying heavily on paid advertising.

In addition to LinkedIn, the EY organisation utilised an employee advocacy tool to streamline content sharing. This tool allows employees to easily share pre-approved content on their LinkedIn profiles, helping to amplify the campaign’s reach organically. The platform also provided valuable metrics on engagement and reach, enabling the EY organisation to refine their strategies based on real-time data.

Effective Strategies

Understanding Gen Z was central to the campaign. Research indicated that one in five Gen Z individuals prioritises learning and growth opportunities in their career choices. This insight guided the messaging, ensuring it aligned with the aspirations of their target audience.

Cohesive branding was another key element. Maintaining consistent visuals and messaging across all campaign materials, from social media posts to flyers and banners was essential. This helped reinforce their brand identity and make a lasting impression on potential applicants.

The campaign sets a benchmark in graduate recruitment, showcasing the success of strategic, creative and people-centric approaches. Their success demonstrates the impact of a well-integrated marketing campaign, and the importance of understanding and engaging with your target audience effectively.

Congratulations EY New Zealand!

The next NZAGE forum event is scheduled for August 14th, featuring Deloitte, winners of the 2023 Best Diversity and Inclusion award (Calendar invite will be sent the month prior) and don’t forget the NZAGE 2024 Awards and Summit will take place on November 21st-22nd in Auckland, with early bird tickets available until July 31^st – don’t miss out!