The Brief

The client brief identified opportunities to inspire recent graduates and people at an early stage in their career who were considering a change. This sets the audience as a Gen Z demographic. 

The brief stated that the efficacy of NIoT’s investment would be measured by the quantity of generated leads and subsequent applications. We were glad to get such a concrete metric that would enable us to prove the efficacy of our recruitment video advertising.

The Response

We hadn’t worked with NIoT before so gaining their trust was paramount in our concerns. Our client roster of well-known brands and our strong portfolio of recruitment videos went some way towards earning their trust and from our initial calls it was clear we would make a good fit for the job. There was a tight timeframe to commission the ad and our speedy responses to initial questions won them over. 

We created a pitch document describing our initial thoughts based on the information in the brief but making it clear that our creative process can only be started once a strategy is in place.

In our document we described how Gen Z have strong BS detectors so we knew we had to create an authentic and relatable ad rather than something mawkish or sentimental. This was not going to be Goodbye Mr Chips, but rather a subtle look at the highs and lows of the teaching profession. 

We were adamant that a realistic portrayal would be necessary and we didn’t recommend shying away from the challenges that teachers face. We are talking to an audience of people for whom school is a fairly recent memory so they will have a sense of what the teachers went through. There’s no point in hiding the fact that there will be tough times but we knew they would also relate to the positive aspects of the job: helping others and seeing young people flourish. 

The client liked our honest approach and green-lit the project.

Campaign Objectives and Execution

At the beginning of the project we created a strategy document. That enables us to get alignment from all stakeholders. We agreed on what we wanted the audience to think, feel and do after watching the ad. We knew we had to give the audience a compelling reason to take action. It’s a tall order to make someone consider a new career path but we know from experience that emotive storytelling has the potential for astounding results.  

We did a full competitor analysis looking at other organisations targeting the same demographic. Once we gathered all the information it was clear we had to do something different in order to differentiate the brand and the offer.

The main goal of the video was to inspire potential teachers to embark on a teacher training journey, and join the teaching profession. The video was created to be used across a mix of digital advertising platforms, including a two-week YouTube campaign featuring in-feed ads, leveraging the platform’s vast reach to connect with a targeted audience.

The campaign aimed at two key groups: 

– Recent graduates seeking a fulfilling career path

– Career changers interested in teaching

Statistics showed:

– 51% of new teachers were aged 18-24

– 26% were aged 25-34 (including career changers and those five years post-graduation)

– The remaining 33% were aged 35-60

Video Production: Style and Tone

We aimed for the tone of the film to be uplifting, inspirational, and relatable, evoking optimism, passion, and purpose. We knew that whilst career stability and financial security are important, many teachers prioritise altruistic motivations, such as influencing children, helping disadvantaged communities, and contributing to society, which informed the final video production. 

Due to the preferences of the target audience we knew we had to optimise the video for mobile viewers so when storyboarding we planned for characters to appear large in frame and ensure there would be no details that could be missed when watching on a small screen.

Creative Concept

The video used real-life, relatable human content to connect emotionally with the audience. Scenes featuring children, teachers, and educational settings were included to showcase the joy, challenges, and fulfilment of teaching. It emphasised the transformative power of education and the role of teachers in shaping the future while highlighting the support, resources, and opportunities offered by the National Institute of Teaching for aspiring educators.

The YouTube Campaign

When planning we conducted keyword research on Google and YouTube around teacher training to optimise video titles and descriptions for visibility even after the paid campaign ended. We also used this to inform the ad title and descriptions, of which there were three variations which we tested. 

Competitor research revealed that most teacher training ads on YouTube used text on a plain background for thumbnails. To stand out, NIoT’s thumbnail was designed to be more engaging, and thumbnail AB testing was conducted to determine the most effective option.

The ads were in-feed only, appearing on the Explore page, after search results related to teacher training and teaching careers, and in recommendations on other videos. This ensured that those clicking on the video were people who genuinely wanted to learn more.

Results and Metrics

The video attracted 9,844 views from ads and received 520,000 brand impressions for the NIoT channel, indicating broad and effective reach. This exposure resulted in a total watch time of 47.5 hours and 31 new subscribers to the NIoT YouTube channel. 

Most importantly, the video also contributed to the main project goals by doubling the number of sign-ups on their website within the campaign’s first two days and sustaining that throughout the two week campaign.

Campaign Success

The NIoT video campaign significantly enhanced brand visibility and engagement. With a high number of impressions and views, the campaign successfully attracted and engaged its target audience. The increase in channel subscribers and the number of returning viewers are testaments to the effectiveness of the content and strategic ad placement.

The dominance of mobile views underscores the importance of optimising content for mobile platforms, a strategy that Bold Content will continue to prioritise. Additionally, the balanced demographic engagement suggests that the content resonated well with the intended audience, particularly within the 25-34 age group.

The NIoT video campaign, executed by Bold Content, was a resounding success. By leveraging YouTube’s advertising capabilities and delivering compelling content, the campaign not only achieved its objectives but also laid the groundwork for future engagement and growth.