Advertising agency attracts talent by looking for passion and performance
international relations studies x creative problem solving = law student interning at Planning department of TBWA\
THE CHALLENGE
For the summer of 2013, Rafic Kamaledinne (head of Planning) was looking for an intern. But it takes a special kind of person to work in one of the most vibrant (and volatile) regions of the world.
You need to think on your feet, have a deep and broad understanding of cultural, appreciate the importance of geopolitical developments, and, translate these elements into meaningful communication.
THE STRATEGY
The idea was to not to attract advertising interns, but interns who felt challenged by a complex environment, like an advertising agency.
In order to do that, TBWA\ needed to make sure that they presented the position in a way that made people outside the advertising bubble be intrigued.
Using GapJumpers they came up with a question that fit the bill.
Problem context:
Country branding has become very popular in the last few years. However, some countries have a problem giving a true picture of what’s on offer leading to a credibility gap when experiencing the offer.
What is required from the applicant:
How would you project an image of a country like Egypt to the world that would lead to a step change in the way it is perceived and get people to talk about the positives rather than the negatives? To talk about the real happy experiences rather than the politics. Outline insights, recommendations or sketches that you believe can tell this story.
PASSION X PERFORMANCE = INTERESTING RESULT
Deena Abdo, is a law student from the Middlesex University in Dubai, studying international relations. But with a passion for creative writing and problem solving.
Breaking in the industry is, sadly, difficult for those who’ve studied more appropriate courses, like marketing or design, let alone for a law student.
Yet she took on the challenge and submitted her answer amongst many, more conventional applicants.
Her answer beat out other applicants, because it was grounded in the theories of country branding, but it also showed great understanding of the broader issues around changing the image of a country.
Passion x performance = Internship for Deena
On Sunday 14th of July 2013 she started her internship at TBWA\ RAAD.
About us
GapJumpers is a tool for companies to attract and select talent, by tapping in the passions of applicants and matching them with the performance needed by the company.
