Antal International is a global executive recruitment organisation with 110+ offices in more than 35 countries. We caught up with Chairman and Founder Tony Goodwin to see how they use PR to achieve their recruitment goals.
Why do we use PR?
“In the B2B market it’s vital to place yourself as a thought leader in your industry. A good reputation comes through well considered and thought out views on the marketplace which is exactly what PR gives us. Advertising can often fail to hit the mark, I think it was advertising guru, David Ogilvy who said “50% of advertising is wasted; we just don’t know which 50%”. With PR this doesn’t happen. We know we’re hitting our target audience every time and providing them with meaningful content. Recruitment is an industry based on taking the initiative and sharing opinions and PR allows us to do this.”
How do you measure ROI?
“It takes a longer term strategy to effectively weigh the value of PR. But we’ve found that the continuity and consistency of our message pays back, which can only help in strengthening our brand. There’s no instant return like a betting company would expect to see from their half time advertising at football matches. But the overall value is much greater. I’m confident that over the course of two years we’ve seen up to a twenty-fold return on our investment. People are influenced by people and by positioning individual figureheads in the public eye we’ve created a voice that the company can base its message around. The results might not be immediate, but PR is a slow-burner and in the long term can do so much more for our business than advertising ever could.”
What would your advice be for anyone looking to bring PR into their business?
“My main advice would be to know your target audience and what you want to achieve. These two points should be the basis of the rest of your campaign. You should look to develop a partnership, as we’ve done, with a company like BlueSky, that’s proactive and comes to you with suggestions. It’s also important to form your own views and go against the popular opinion sometimes as this can help to get your voice heard. Be careful though, as straying too far down this path can weaken your overall message. Finally, try to avoid frivolity without meaning, particularly in the B2B market. Everyone wants to be seen as a fun-loving and friendly organisation but it’s crucial that you get the right message in front of the right people at the right time. Then further down the line, you’ll see your ROI.”
