Do you know Yoh? Chances are, unless you 're an IT manager, engineer, or healthcare professional seeking a job, you probably don't - though it is one of the largest providers of talent and outsourcing services in the US.
"Yoh has delivered talent for more than 67 years, now across 75 locations nationwide," says Jim Lanzalotto, VP of strategy and marketing for Yoh. "We used to take pride in the fact that we were the best-kept secret in the industry. In terms of marketing, we realized this is exactly the opposite of where we needed to be."
Strategy
"By the time they came to us, they'd already done some grassroots efforts, but weren't getting great results," says Kristy Lash, associate VP at Gregory FCA. Yoh wanted to establish itself as an expert and drive revenue by utilization of media coverage by field managers. The team aimed to carry that messaging into the market, targeting not only verticals in tech, engineering, and healthcare, but also horizontal trades in HR, procurement, and finance.
Tactics
Yoh launched a career blog, The Recruiter, to increase its online presence. Gregory FCA orchestrated a media relations program pitching Yoh as a resource for industry news and trends. The team also repackaged the Yoh Index of Technology Wages, a compensation study Fortune 500 companies use to determine salaries. It also offered regional story data to business journals. "Reporters want to report on national trends, but readers really want to read about trends in their own local market," Lash explains.
Results
The American Staffing Association named Yoh's effort "Best Industry Media Relations Program" two years in a row. Yoh contributes monthly columns to Computerworld's online career page, and reporters from outlets like InformationWeek and eWeek regularly ask for Lanzalotto's thoughts on industry issues.
Future
Lanzalotto says enhancing the blog will be a focus, as will be the "merchandising" of media coverage.
PR team: Yoh Services LLC and Gregory FCA (both of Philadelphia)
Campaign: Thought Leadership
Duration: 2005-ongoing
Budget: $100,000 annually
