ICAP

The Project

ICAP Campus Recruitment Campaign 2012/13
ICAP is the world’s leading interdealer broker and a global business. Yet among finance inclined students it has a comparatively low profile. ICAP wanted to change this and demonstrate through effective communication that it represents an exciting, credible alternative to careers in investment banking, consulting,
professional services etc.

Objectives

  • Powerfully assert ICAP’s brand and position it as a credible and attractive alternative to more conventional financial services firms
  • Communicate ICAP’s inherent entrepreneurialism
  • Drive up applications for full-time and internship positions in all key territories and emphasise the firm’s diversity
  • Educate potential applicants about the interdealer broking business Background

ICAP’s agency partners, ThisCity conducted extensive internal research and knowledge transfer to identify and refine a set of key messages:

  • Fast-moving and dynamic
  • Big, but not too big
  • Inherently entrepreneurial
  • Strong on personality
  • Truly meritocratic

By using the word ‘Deal’ the campaign theme immediately connects ICAP with finance, helping to address the issue of students not knowing what ICAP does, while also launching the ‘attitude’ or tone of voice that characterises this campaign. The supporting strapline leaves no doubt about the nature of the business and asserts ICAP’s global reach.

Global website
ICAP’s campaign features an updated website with very clear navigation through drop down menus and a wealth of detailed content, addressing directly the need to explain the business and help students to see themselves pursuing a career at ICAP. The homepage also features ‘News’ items, current ‘Jobs’ feed and push points guiding users to key
content areas. The website also features new filmed snapshots which directly target the ‘education’ objective while also capturing the firm’s dynamism:

‘Day in the life’ provides an authentic insight into what interdealer broking is all about, switching between the input of a US – and a UK-based broker. The film is candid, with shots of people making calls and decisions at their desks, capturing the pressure and exhilaration of a days broking, and also the out of hours client work and socialising. We feel that this film alone provides a compelling and highly engaging insight into the business and meets exactly what students want from a communications platform – straight talking, candid opinion and visual content that helps them to see themselves in the role.

Social media
ThisCity has continued to build it’s social media presence, more than doubling the number of Facebook ‘likes’ in the last year. With more than 1,000 fans it proves to be a valuable media channel for engaging candidates and promoting ICAP’’s opportunities. The campus recruitment films have also been posted on YouTube and
attracted more than 21,000 views. In addition ICAP collect student contact details via a registration feature on the website and at on-campus events and now have a database of over 3,000 students.

Campus promotion
ThisCity StudentBoard used interns and industry insight students and student societies to promote events and deadlines on campuses to great effect with events reaching capacity. Sponsorship of 6 student societies 15 interns and industry insight students participated in promoting ICAP on campus. ICAP participated in 25 UK events including careers fairs, networking events, skills sessions and open
house days.