Portfolio
Tesco
Getting graduates to embrace the unknown
It’s ironic that Tesco’s powerful brand could obscure the fascinating reality of careers within the business. But despite it being arguably the world’s most forward-looking and successful retailer, many graduates found it difficult to imagine shaping a career there. This posed a particular problem for a business that needed graduates in significant numbers – graduates who combined razor-sharp intellect with a strong, innate commercial sense.
The solution
If graduates had a skewed image of Tesco and the retail industry, we had to open their eyes to the sophisticated reality. That’s why we created the theme of “There’s the Tesco you know…but that’s only half the story”. In our creative development, we aimed to surprise our audience with facts about the unknown Tesco and its staggering variety of opportunities and innovations. Similarly, the online and print materials needed to be unexpected. So we applied eye-catching imagery, original graphic treatment and sharply written copy.
The results
Since launching the campaign, Tesco has climbed steadily up The Times Top 100 ranking: from 26th in 2008, to 20th in 2009 and 17th in 2010. At the time of writing, the conversion rate of successful applications has more than doubled – from 29% in 2008/2009 to 61% on 2009/2010.
““We wanted a Graduate campaign which had a compelling message; something that informed candidates about all of the Graduate programmes on offer within Tesco. The concept Penna Barkers created did exactly that. Visually, it was impactful and the messaging made candidates want to find out more about the career opportunities within Tesco.”
Lucy Hoyle, Graduate Recruitment Manager, Tesco
“‘We’re really proud that our attraction campaign has helped Tesco achieve some great results – from a steady climb in the Times Top 100 to massively reduced cost per application.’
Alastair McKenzie, Graduate and Print Solutions Director