Where talent & data meet.
A talent brand to propel recruiting efforts and boost employee pride.
Services
- Brand Strategy
- Brand Voice
- Visual Identity
- Employee Engagement
- Messaging Platform
- Copywriting
- Go-To-Market Strategy
- Website Design
- Recruitment Campaign
- Brand Guidelines
Western Digital was in the middle of a massive transformation. Several large acquisitions had expanded their product line, given them unparalleled breadth of digital storage technologies and capabilities, and introduced thousands of new employees.
To make this transition successful, they needed the right employees with the right skillset to fuel them forward.
Western Digital came to Emotive Brand to develop a Talent Brand that would attract both experienced engineering hires and newly minted PhDs. They also wanted to tout the opportunities for innovation and problem solving and make their current employees feel excited and proud to work at Western Digital.
What We Learned Along the Way
A manifesto gets people fired-up.
When a company really needs to communicate its culture with a unique and compelling voice, a brand manifesto is the perfect tool to get people excited.
Connect talent and corporate brands.
A talent brand is meant to appeal to candidates, not buyers. But it should still connect to the company’s overall marketing message. A mismatch between a talent brand and corporate brand creates confusion. Connecting them makes the talent brand stronger and reinforces the corporate brand.
Messaging needs proof points.
Companies are fighting a war for talent, especially those with technical chops. Great headlines can attract attention, but without data supporting that messaging, the brand lacks credibility. Candidates want evidence that the company lives the brand and delivers on its promises.
Tracy Lloyd, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Emotive BrandWestern Digital, like all tech companies, was in a talent war. We helped them understand that they didn’t have to go after the masses to win. By speaking directly to people whose skills fit the unique opportunities at Western Digital, everyone could go farther.”
You&
This concept celebrates a candidate’s potential by spotlighting their unique capabilities. The simple linguistic device of the ampersand pairs what makes candidates unique with what makes them perfect for Western Digital.
Collateral
You& comes to life across different environments. The rich palette of colors and graphics creates a vibrant and dynamic system that generates excitement at every touchpoint.
Photography People Can Relate To
You& is all about people. The photography style celebrates that. Warm, authentic portraits portray the unique personalities of Western Digital employees. Potential recruits will look at these photos and recognize themselves.
Experience that Works
Talent brand? Put talent in the center.
The You& campaign reflects candidates’ individuality and focuses the message on the candidate and their uncommon capabilities, not the company.
Be specific about the role.
Too many tech companies hire based on job title, but candidates never know exactly what work they will be doing. By sharing more information, candidates are able to shape their career from the start and get excited about a job that perfectly matches their skills and goals.
Pick a campaign concept with legs.
In recruiting messages, You& was a platform to address candidates’ skills and desires and explain how those fit with the unique opportunities at Western Digital. The concept could flex depending on the context and need. For example, “You & Your referrals” was a perfect way to announce their employee referral bonuses.
Research is foundational.
We conducted both qualitative and quantitative research around the world to help us understand what PhD candidates and experienced hires were looking for in their first or next job. This research helped anchor our messaging and served as an important resource as we developed materials.
Recent Work
Bringing a people-centered brand into a digital-first, product-led future.
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