Sapient steals, and proudly so

Global services company, Sapient has launched a multi-media recruitment campaign based on the concept of 'Stolen', which the company claims, involves embracing reality.

Ever took something that did not belong to you? And if you did, did you proudly own up to it? Probably not. However, here is Sapient, a global services company that openly announces its intention of stealing.

Launched in India in 2000, the services firm helps clients transform in the areas of business, marketing and technology. The company has three divisions - SapientNitro, Sapient Global Markets and Sapient Government Services - which enable clients to gain advantage in an increasingly digital world.

The company has recently launched a recruitment campaign based on the concept of 'Stolen'. Hunting for technologists for its SapientNitro and Sapient Global Markets business units, the company is looking for individuals with a few years of professional experience.

According to Sapient, the concept of stealing is not about taking something that does not belong to you; but about embracing reality.

The reality that it refers to is that in an extremely challenging job market, companies often attempt to 'steal' individuals from their competitors. While most companies might deny that they poach, Sapient acknowledges it. According to the company, it is merely appealing to individuals' desire of being stolen, because a person cannot be poached unless he/she has the desire to look for a job change.

The 'Stolen' campaign, according to the company, is not about taking; but about giving talented individuals an opportunity to define and grow in their careers, just as they have always wanted.

The campaign - spanning media channels such as online, mobile and outdoor - has been designed in-house by US-based creative directors, Allison Bistrong and Matt Ziselman. Bistrong is the creative lead on the campaign; while Ziselman is the copywriter and the person behind the concept.

Talking to afaqs!, Ziselman says, "The reason why people are stolen is because they are looking for something better. It is obvious a lot of companies try to draw talent. That is the reality. Instead of stepping around or avoiding it, we accepted it."

"We did not just want to say that we are a great place; we wanted people to experience it. We wanted to highlight the experience through the campaign. We wanted people to connect with us in a humane way," adds Bistrong.

The campaign consists of mug shots of young people who seem happy to be stolen. The copy says that it is not a crime to want something better. Other mug shots include a brief description of the stolen individual, with the underlined message, "Stolen! You could be next!"

Sapient identified NOIDA, Gurgaon and Bengaluru for the outdoor promotions. Activities within Sapient's offices are also part of the campaign.

For the digital aspect of the campaign, a microsite has been created and heavy presence on Facebook has been ensured. Banner ads have also been placed across relevant portals. Print though has been given a miss. The campaign is slated to continue until February.

Says Neha Pathak, India PR lead, Sapient, "Considering our target group, who are more online, we wanted to go digital. Also, with the high mobile penetration in the country, we are present in the mobile space through banners and SMS ads on smart phones. Print, in the past, has not generated enough leads."

She adds that the intention of the campaign, besides recruitment, is mass brand awareness. The media buying duties are handled by Zed Digital, the interactive agency of Zenith Optimedia.