Cases

How quickly can a new brand become a respected source for compelling information?

Hudson Highland Group gains recognition as an industry leader for innovative research.

Hudson Highland Group (HHG) was a $1 billion newly created company resulting from a spin off from TMP Monster. An international recruitment, staffing and consulting firm, it was created through the acquisition of a number of human resources-related organizations throughout the world. Lacking cohesive brand architecture and a manifesto, the firm’s goal was to migrate the brands of previously disparate business units into a single, united brand that effectively communicated the capabilities and values of HHG.

Ogilvy PR started their research with a comprehensive analysis of the global marketplace - both from the competitive and customer perspective - then combined it with an in-depth review of the company’s business model and product offerings. Through one-on-one interviews of the firm’s executives, the team pinpointed strengths and weaknesses, identified challenges and opportunities and tuned in to the company’s vision. Insight, it turned out, was HHG’s competitive advantage.

To position them at the forefront of the industry and provide a regular source of copy for the media, The Hudson Employment Index was created. Based on 9,000 interviews with employees nationwide, it was a monthly measure of employee confidence toward the job market. It was the only perspective on US job trends from the point of view of the workforce. Other campaign initiatives included the development of thought leadership through expert commentary in critical media, the creation of by-lined articles relating to prevalent business issues and the launch of Contagious Success, a book about fostering high performance in the workplace, written by an HHG divisional leader.

By developing innovative research and thought leaders, HHG was able to develop the attributes, processes and tools that would become core to its current positioning and differentiation in the marketplace. Brand leadership transformed the HHG name into an asset that helps the company sell its services around the world. Ogilvy PR continues to work with HHG in their efforts to further build acceptance, visibility and understanding of their new brand through internal and external marketing communications programs.