"Professionals today want to find niche careers": LinkedIn

LinkedIn's IPL campaign isn't about the fast lane - it's about your dream job. We spoke to Srividya Gopani - Brand and Consumer Marketing, APAC and China at LinkedIn.

The second leg of LinkedIn India's #InItTogether campaign builds on the idea of passion jobs. Going through the latest films, one of LinkedIn's digital ads that run on the platform kept coming to mind; the copy was simple - Your dream job is closer than you think.

Manish Balani got his job post a conversation with a founder

Nilesh Sharma found a job as a VO (voice-over) artist

The latest campaign features four real LinkedIn users and their journeys to find their dream jobs.

Radhika Seenivasakan sought support from her network following a sabbatical as a working mother

Gayatri Iyer moved from finance to marketing

A recruiter's guide to job search

LinkedIn boasts of over 610 million members globally with over 55 million in India. The brand's team claims that the platform has 20 million job listings globally and 500,000 weekly active jobs in India with a representation of 30 million companies globally.

Crafted by The Glitch, the campaign's first phase was launched in India around the same time last year. Although both phases keep 'passion' at the centre, last year's was more about encouraging professionals to pursue it. This year, it's about how individuals used LinkedIn or how the platform helped them to land a job in their field of choice.

LinkedIn's In It Together global campaign from February 2018

The In It Together campaign in India from 2018

However, given the scenario today and the general narrative about jobs and employment opportunities, it would be accurate to say that Indians are not spoilt for choice. So, for LinkedIn to be talking about dream jobs in India, has it covered enough ground in the field of 'bread and butter' jobs? Or is 'passion' a measure to stand out in the 'job-portal' crowd?

Srividya Gopani

"We want to empower job-seekers with insights on jobs, companies, commute data, salary data, and learning paths to guide them to create a fulfilling professional life," says Srividya Gopani, director - Brand and Consumer Marketing, APAC and China, LinkedIn.

Gopani tells afaqs! that a survey of over 5000 full-time professionals across eleven cities in India revealed that career paths today, are no longer linear. Professionals want to try niche careers and are keen on switching functions and industries more than ever before. Also, professionals now place greater value on a fulfilling career over money. Fifty-seven per cent of professionals would consider switching careers to get closer to their dream job.

"The #InItTogether brand campaign celebrates real members with diverse professional journeys. It is a place where professionals build identities, make connections and stay informed about trends through commentary and conversations," Gopani says.

An ad on LinkedIn

The brand also kicked off a 'how-to' series on job searches on the platform and its other digital channels to create awareness and inform members about various features.

With LinkedIn choosing the IPL season for its yearly ad burst, we couldn't help but ask, for whom and to what end? Or is it just a FOMO moment for LinkedIn as an advertiser?

"We chose to launch with the IPL as it is the biggest sporting event in the country and cricket has the highest reach across platforms," Gopani responded.

LinkedIn's Metro wrap

LinkedIn's outdoor ad

Apart from social media, the #InItTogether campaign is active on TV with 15-second spots with the IPL and on premium English channels. It is also on Hotstar as part of its digital presence. OOH includes billboards, metro wraps and bus shelters in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi.

Expert Speak:

Mythili Chandrasekar, consumer behaviour and brand strategy enthusiast, says, "LinkedIn has become the top hunting ground for recruiters. For job seekers, it is the new way to make connections and evaluate employers, maybe future bosses or prospective partners - understand profiles and watch them. The ads featuring unconventional job seekers sets LinkedIn apart from the regular job sites and does justice to what the platform allows," Chandrasekar concludes.

Mythili Chandrasekar

Gulshan Singh

Mayank Bhatnagar

She also adds that It leverages the intersection of work and passions. "Great use of the brand logo and the line captures why you are on LinkedIn. However, the execution could have been more natural-speak - it misses out on using the vocabulary of the digital space and feels way too 'addy'. And why not advertise on IPL? Cricket is a passion point and so are our jobs today."

Gulshan Singh, executive planning director - FCB Interface, opines that the brand isn't just talking about passion jobs and cites the situation with the mother who's coming back to work.

"There is a desire for work to mean more than a paycheck and looking for a dream occupation is an inspirational quest. Focus on individual stories is certainly different from the 'x number of jobs across y number of categories' narrative. There is a human angle here which helps bring the story home," he says.

In context to the brand advertising during IPL season, Singh says, "They're clearly going for penetration - expand the number and type of users looking for a job and indeed, the number of employers. I still have to see a job portal connect to job seekers in a way that Naukri's 'Hari Sadu' did."

Mayank Bhatnagar, senior VP - Carat India, feels that the idea is strong and apt for the current scenario.

"It's a perfect opportunity for the brand to connect emotionally with people by showcasing real-life stories. A recent report claims that '85 per cent of the jobs that will exist in 2030 have not been invented yet'. It's imperative to be future-ready, to follow passion and not be dependent on current jobs," Bhatnagar says.

"The campaign is very visible and the multi-media approach has enhanced it. I have not seen 'job portal' ads in recent times, so it stands out. IPL is the most sought after event of the year and viewership continues to grow YOY across target audiences. IPL delivers on both reach and impact. The campaign is highly visible due to its presence on big properties," he explains.

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