In 1994, a Monster was unleashed on the world. Yes, it was the year I graduated, but more importantly the 454th domain was registered on the web: Monster.com. It was the first online jobs site to gain critical mass, allowing anyone with access to the Internet to connect directly with thousands of career opportunities, quickly launching in over 40 countries around the world.
Monster not only disrupted the recruitment space through its pioneering approach. In the late 90s and early 2000s Monster became one of the first “dotcom” brands to be recognised for brave, ground-breaking ad campaigns, such as “When I Grow Up” (Mullen Lowe) and “Beware the Voices” (Saatchi & Saatchi). Not only did these campaigns deservedly pick up many awards, they were campaigns that I aspired to emulate in my early marketing career.
Twenty years later I got the chance to do precisely that when I joined the organisation which had inspired my early ventures into the wonderful world of marketing communication. A lot had changed for Monster over that period, much of it well documented in the media. But in 2014 it was clear that Monster was a brand that was ready to rise again, to pioneer the next phase of digital disruption in the recruitment category. Over the subsequent year Monster rebranded, revamped its flagship websites, added thousands of new jobs to its sites and also created a whole suite of new products for the modern recruiter. Products which gave them the power of digital marketing technology to discover and connect with talent across the open web, including popular social and mobile platforms. It was an exciting time to join the company.
Of more significance perhaps, the last 12 months have been a period during which Monster has restated and reinforced its brand purpose:
To bring humanity and opportunity to the job market, to enhance lives, businesses and communities around the world.
Behind these big words a tangible infusion of energy was unleashed within Monster aimed at breaking down the barriers that prevent people and businesses finding better in their professional lives.
To set some context, McKinsey recently estimated that 30-50% of the global population, of legally employable age, is inactive, unemployed or under-employed. Reducing labour market friction, to better match people with the right, available jobs, could positively impact around 540 million people globally and be transformative for global productivity.
Brand purpose is not a new thing: Look back at the great corporate philanthropists of the past such as Joseph Rowntree or the Cadbury family. Yet recently it has become very much part of the marketing zeitgeist. Whilst there is some industry fluffery within that, ultimately it’s probably a good thing having some of the smartest brains in the world trying to make the world a better place. When it comes to marketing with purpose, on a personal level, I’m proud to be part of a company that every day helps people find new opportunities in life, build their careers, give their children a better future or, at a more prosaic level, pay their bills. Initiatives from Monster such as the TechTalent Charter, addressing diversity issues in the technology industry, are helping to make the workplace not only fairer but more productive.
So it is also a source of great pride that Monster has launched its biggest advertising campaign in Europe for over seven years. We’re once again shaking up the clichés of the category with a brave, bold campaign that will reach millions of job seekers across the continent. Our friends at mcgarrybowen and OMDihave worked hard with us to put the Monster back into Monster...literally. I hope maybe, just maybe, it will also inspire a few young marketers, just as the great Monster ads of the 1990s did. Certainly it’s a great legacy to aspire to.
Communicated by Monster.co.uk
Publié le 27 mai 2016
