Client Goal: Recruit new individuals into the field of early childcare education by attracting participation in a paid training program.
Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) needed a strategic communications partner that could jump into an initiative that already was underway. Working across Virginia, one region at a time, VECF launched its Fast Track Initiative, a job placement and training program to get more early educators into the field. Early childhood education has faced significant challenges related to workforce development, including low wages and high turnover. This program guaranteed competitive wages and retention bonuses, alongside paid training and mentorship. Recruitment and marketing took place one region at a time over 2-to-8-week flights.
Earned Media. Our approach varied by region based on the number of hires and the nature of the market. In Hampton Roads, we leaned into media outlets where recruits were lacking, like in this Suffolk Herald story. In Richmond, we were able to use previous success stories in media outreach, landing a story on WTVR. Our team also supported the development of letters to the editor to add third-party endorsements, like this one in the Richmond Free Press. We also layered community relations into our strategy, making direct contact with nonprofits, economic development groups, chambers, churches and other community gathering spaces to help amplify our message.
Owned Media. Our Creative Services team created a suite of collateral materials to be used in our efforts. Flyers were distributed and hung throughout communities and used by employers as they did their own recruitment. We also facilitated a series of interviews with Fast Track graduates and children to develop a PSA that was used across various channels.
Paid Media: Similar to our earned media strategy, each region had a customized, localized paid media plan. We supported Lewis Media Partners’ paid media effort with Meta campaigns that were targeted at key demographics that aligned with the hiring needs for that region. Depending on the market, we used radio spots, billboards, digital banners, direct buys with newspapers and social media ad placements.
The work was challenging, but it excited our team to its core. There was no one-size-fits-all playbook we could deploy. Each region was treated as its own puzzle, a puzzle that constantly changed depending on the leads that came in. We regularly tweaked our strategy to ensure we were recruiting candidates for every employer that participated in Fast Track. By the end of our assignment, we deployed our EOP strategy in seven regions around the commonwealth.
Results
- 48.6 M total paid media impressions
- 729 total leads generated
- 100+ hires made at early childcare employers across Virginia