Case Study: 5 Things to Learn from Milacron’s Talent Acquisition Campaign

The statistics are in, and they’re good. After only six days live, Milacron’s new recruitment website has had 883 unique visitors, more than 4,011 page views and 260 people who filled out forms requesting employment opportunities.

Like many manufacturers, Milacron, a worldwide leader in plastics machinery, was experiencing a workforce shortage and needed help in attracting talent. The initial success of their new microsite is both a testament to the ability of a well-designed website to attract prospective employees and to the fact that there are people looking for manufacturing jobs.

In November, we wrote about 5 ways that manufacturers can address their workforce shortage. We have since been working with Milacron and other clients to put these ideas in actions.

Here are 5 key takeaways from the Milacron Talent Acquisition campaign:

1. Integrate the program: The initial launch of the microsite would not have been as successful had it not been surrounded by a strategic, multi-faceted program. The campaign encompasses social media presence including Facebook and Twitter, as well as public relations securing both local and trade publication coverage. The company is also fostering relationships with local technical and vocational schools, offering both a co-op program and a scholarship program and promoting Milacron as a good choice for job shadowing, apprenticeship and eventually permanent employment.

2. Base the execution in research: Before designing and executing the campaign, interviews were conducted with current employees at Milacron to understand what was important to the young people in the organization – what they valued about working at Milacron. These interviews were coupled with background research into Millennials to better understand what this generation responds to and cares about. The research informed the employment brand and position as well as the development of the microsite and the surrounding marketing program.

3. Include video: Video is a medium increasingly preferred to receive online information and is especially important for reaching younger people. We conducted onsite video and photo shoots featuring young people inside the organization. These videos will continue to be used throughout recruitment efforts.

4. Create an employment brand: Leveraging the research, we developed an employment brand centered on showing prospective employees how they can “Be More at Milacron.” The messaging is woven throughout the microsite and video testimonials and will continue to serve as a foundation to speak to current and prospective employees, students, parents, educators and the marketplace.

5. Build an appealing careers section: The careers sections of many manufacturers’ websites leave a lot to be desired. The section needs to be informative and engaging, helping to familiarize students, teachers, parents and other non-industry individuals with a basic understanding of manufacturing in a way that highlights the long-term, technologically advanced and personally fulfilling career benefits the field can offer. A good careers section should be user friendly with intuitive navigation and be visually appealing to audiences, especially young people.

How I See It: State of the Economy 2012

I preface these comments with three qualifications – one, I am typically a “glass-half-full” personality; two, I’m not an economist (I don’t even play one on TV); and three, I’m assuming that there will be neither a Eurozone economic meltdown nor significant instability in the Middle East.

Given that, I see a rosier business environment in 2012 than what the mainstream media seem to be embracing.

· Consumer confidence is positive and rising.

· Unemployment claims and rates are declining.

· Over 200,000 private sector jobs were added in December, of all months.

· Manufacturers report increasing backlogs and plant capacity utilization.

· Banks are competing again for opportunities to finance business growth.

Yes, there are some tricky issues that still need to be addressed. One of them appears to be an imbalance between available workers and the skillsets needed by employers, especially manufacturers. We’ve often discussed manufacturers’ workforce development challenge here. But many worthwhile efforts are attempting to bridge this gap. Second Chance Partners, an alternative education organization that pairs schools and private industry to create manufacturing apprenticeships for students who are struggling in the traditional high school environment, is a notable example.

As 2012 unfolds, I see prudent businesspeople taking advantage of this increasingly favorable environment. They will begin to reinvest for marketing and sales – not only for customers but also for recruiting the skilled employees they desperately need; they will take advantage of very low interest rates to upgrade if not expand their production facilities; and they will make sure that they take extra-special care of their current employees.

Mega-JLo-mania, and Other Cautionary Tales of 2011 Celebrity Spokespeople

Taking a quick look back at the last 12 months in national advertising, it’s clear that 2011 was another year dominated by celebrity endorsers – with widely varying success rates.

Fiat’s use of Jennifer Lopez to support a new car launch seems to be backfiring. Nobody’s buying the ol’ “Jenny from the block” routine:

Go Daddy has bigger problems on its hands right now than its terrible commercials featuring Danica Patrick, but spots like this aren’t helping:

In 2012, big brands everywhere are likely to keep trotting out familiar faces from screens, fields and courts. But before our big-budget marketing brethren shell out the cash to those who don’t need it, maybe they should take note of these and countless other less-than-celebratory results.

Then again, sometimes a celebrity spot works pretty well, like some we've seen recently here in Old Milwaukee ...

Holiday Party Gift-Wrapping Rodeo Wrap-Up

Office holiday parties are a fine opportunity to promote teamwork and togetherness. This year, we decided to take the camaraderie of our annual yuletide shindig to a new level – by mixing a charitable ingredient into the usual recipe of food and fun.

In the spirit of giving, we channeled our holiday cheer toward a toy drive for the Journey House of Milwaukee, an organization that provides education, employment, neighborhood revitalization and other programs on Milwaukee’s near south side.

We collected a variety of new, unused toys for kids served by Journey House. And to make sure we emphasized the “fun” pillar of our core values, we incorporated a wrapping contest (not be confused with “rapping contest” – maybe next year?).

We are proud to announce that this past Saturday, Santa himself handed out 25 presents worth almost $400 to children from the community from SH (among many others from the generous Milwaukee community).

Check out photos from the holiday festivities on our Facebook page.

Travel Diaries: Personal and Professional Networking in Madrid

Despite what you may be reading about the Eurozone crisis, not everyone’s in panic mode. For example, PowerAxle, our IPREX public relations partner in Madrid, seems to be on the up and up.

I had the opportunity to tour PowerAxle’s offices and meet Mayte González-Gil (at right), CEO of PowerAxle, during a return trip to Spain, where I lived for four years until late 2009.

In an old apartment in the center of the city, PowerAxle’s work environment reminded me a lot of ours here in Milwaukee. It’s an open office that allows for constant communication and collaboration. Some of those efforts are put towards clients such as AXA, the French insurance company, Chicco, the Italian baby care brand and Scania, the Swedish automotive company. Working primarily in the B2C sector, PowerAxle specializes in market research reports (many of which are used by various ministries of the Spanish government) as well as brochures and other collateral material.

We had a chance to sit down for la comida, a typical 2 p.m. Spanish lunch (which ended around 4 p.m.) at a lovely place near Plaza Olavide called La Huerta del Duque. We ordered some cheese and ham to start and shared an amazing rice dish (similar to paella) and talked about everything from business to politics to life. We found common ground on what our companies are doing in the digital space and also talked shop in terms of copy writing, design and billing.

Mayte mentioned to me they were looking for a new hire, which I passed on to my friend Juan, who was looking for a job. He’s starting there this week.

It just goes to show there’s nothing stronger than a good network, whether on a global level like IPREX or a simpler level like two friends. So keep up the networking on whatever scale and wherever that may be.

Entering the Marketing Communications Job Market? Ten Tasks to Tackle Today

Last month, I participated in a panel discussion of fellow UW-Oshkosh journalism alumni to provide students with advice on entering the “real world.” And while their questions were particularly helpful for soon-to-be grads, much of the advice also was beneficial for entry-level professionals.

Here are the top 10 pieces of advice from our panel:

1. Keep building your skills. Gain experience in writing, design, web, social media, etc. Today, employers are really looking for a jack (or jill)-of-all-trades.
2. Keep your résumé to one page. Take the short and sweet approach. Whether you’re fresh out of college or looking for your second adventure, be objective – only include experience that really demonstrates what you can do on the job.
3. Illustrate your abilities in cover letters. Match your expertise to a company’s specific needs. If they’re looking for someone with web design experience, describe a successful project and add metrics of success.
4. Create a portfolio and make it available online. While hard copies are nice, an online portfolio showcases your work in a format that’s easy to revisit, which is especially important with a limited amount of time during interviews.
5. Secure internship experience. Whether you’re still in school or recently graduated, an internship can provide valuable work experience that allows you to expand your capabilities – or get your foot in the door at a specific company.
6. Network. A lot. Stay in touch with fellow students, alumni and professors to remain in consideration for job openings. Attend professional development events or alumni networking opportunities, and use social media to maintain connections.
7. Express your self-confidence. Hiring managers want to know that you won’t be afraid to offer ideas or contribute to team projects. Be bold and outgoing, and show your passion for the job.
8. Maintain professionalism. Even though you may think you know what’s acceptable in a company’s culture, err on the side of caution and present yourself professionally. You’ll earn respect as you get to know the company’s personality better.
9. Take initiative. Ask questions. If your supervisor gives you a challenging project, don’t be afraid to ask questions and take ownership. Be proactive and anticipate clients’ or supervisors’ needs.
10. Drive your own growth. Don’t be afraid to ask for more responsibility. Ultimately, you’re the one in charge of your career, and if you don’t speak up, you may not get to where you want to go. In addition, don't be afraid to move on if you feel you can no longer grow professionally.

Want more? Check out this PR Daily article for additional insights: 5 tips for landing your first PR job after college. I’d also encourage readers to follow the #HAPPO and #PRStudChat conversations on Twitter, which offer regular advice, tips and suggestions for students and entry-level professionals.

If you’re in a hiring position, do you have other suggestions for young professionals, and if you’re a young pro, are there other questions you’d like us to address?

3 Keys to Creating a Great Online Newsroom

As promised, here is a follow-up to last month’s post on 3 Reasons Why Your Website Needs a Newsroom. Building on the basics of what a newsroom is, what it isn’t and what it can accomplish, let’s look at three best practices of successful online newsrooms and a client example.



1. Keep it simple: Facilitate easy browsing and discovery.

Make sure the newsroom is easy to find and can be accessed from any page on your website, and vice versa. Done correctly, a newsroom will be one of the most visited pages on your site. Get more out of that traffic and enhance the user experience by linking visitors to other sections of the site. The user experience is more than just site navigation – it also involves strategically planning content. Think like your audience: What are they most interested in? Where will they look first, second?

2. Add more substance: Content equals more than just words.

Use digital media such as videos, images and graphics. Use original photography or develop simple graphics to add visual stimulation and excitement. But, be conscientious about balancing your message and using complicated images or technologies. Many users will view your site on mobile devices and tablets, so don’t be too flashy (literally, don’t use too much Flash video) and make sure all essential elements are easily viewable on different devices.

3. Let them see the real you: Showcase your personality with social feeds and other information.

If you maintain social media channels, bring your newsroom into the mix, housing feeds from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other networks. These not only provide strong calls-to-action to engage with your company, but they often show more of your company’s personality. Link to related research, educational materials and industry articles, as well as tradeshows you’re attending, events you’re speaking at, awards you’re receiving, etc. If someone wants to start a conversation, let them know what you’re up to.

In general, keep in mind that newsroom visitors are your potential or current customers, employees or media contacts. Make sure they know something more about your company after stopping by.