Schlumberger
Challenge
TMP Worldwide was charged with developing an employer brand for Schlumberger, the world's leading supplier of technology, project management and information solutions for the oil and gas industry. We began this initiative by performing a great deal of internal and external research to identify the challenges and strengths of Schlumberger and the oil and gas market in general.
Research confirmed that the oil and gas industry suffers from low awareness among potential employees, and when a candidate does consider a job with Schlumberger, oil & gas is not the only industry he or she is considering.
We realized that the industry's shortcomings, along with Schlumberger's straightforward culture and style – which was extremely candid and factual – would make creating an employer brand difficult. The challenge was to generate interest in both the company and the industry in a way that was consistent with Schlumberger's values.
Solution
The TMP initially developed a strategy to advertise Schlumberger by selling the oil and gas industry itself, and planned to position Schlumberger as the leader within this industry. But we soon realized that the oil & gas industry is seriously misunderstood, it would be a daunting task to attempt to explain (and defend) and entire industry to potential employees. TMP Worldwide therefore opted to create a brand that was true to the company's style and culture by focusing on the reality of a career at Schlumberger. What does it mean to build a career here? What do employees truly experience? What impact do they make on the world? How much will you grow as a Schlumberger employee? With this strategy, the primary focus is clearly on the employee, and the industry itself becomes a secondary message.
The idea was that the reality of Schlumberger was so persuasive that candidates would be compelled to explore the company, the oil & gas industry, and of course Schlumberger's opportunities. The reality is what attracts the right candidate and screens away the people who won't succeed here. The TMP Worldwide Creative teams focused on Schlumberger's world-class training, diverse workforce and work locations, all of which offer positive challenges to the employee. This common theme – that amazing challenges form the reality of a career at Schlumberger – connected everyone and became the foundation of the brand.
By focusing on the reality of a career at Schlumberger, we created a brand that is true to their culture and style - and remarkably powerful when measured against the competition.
Tactics
One of TMP's Creative Directors spent three days onsite at client locations in Texas and Mexico to experience Schlumberger's different high-tech and physically demanding work environments. The locations where employees work are challenging and compelling – these sites became the foundation of Schlumberger's employer brand.
Creative teams used the research, as well as this first-hand knowledge to develop the concept, "Success Without Boundaries," which focuses on the significance and global presence of careers with Schlumberger.
Results
The chosen concept was utilized for all of Schlumberger's recruitment advertising, and has proven to be extremely successful. In fact, it was so closely aligned with the strategy of Schlumberger and so striking in its execution that the CEO personally passed his congratulations to the TMP Worldwide team.