JobStreet refreshes brand to be more 'customer-centric and digitally-savvy'

JobStreet has unveiled a new brand logo to inspire candidates and hirers, and make them aware about its latest career partner resources to help them in their journey. JobStreet's spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that it is hard to put a number on the cost of the rebranding because it spans multiple months of research, deep diving, working with consultants, and also in-house planning and brainstorming.

The rebranding was piloted in Hong Kong during the second quarter of this year amidst the pandemic and following the success, JobStreet rolled it out in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines in October. The rebrand will reach Indonesia and Thailand in January. According to the spokesperson, it is undertaking an ongoing process of educating and embedding the new brand personality, skin, and tone, among others, in the organisation.

To get started on the rebranding, JobStreet worked closely with candidates and hirers to understand what they are looking for from a career and talent partner. For example, through its Asia-wide surveys, the company understood that having the most up-to-date job listings and having relevant jobs continue to be the most important drivers for people in choosing an online partner. Hence, it doubled own on its AI and invested in offering the best algorithms and matching technologies.

Its surveys also showed an increase in demand for convenience in the application process, and career-related insights, which led to JobStreet to invest in a new mobile app. The team also produced hundreds of new articles every month to offer expert insights and advice. As for the brand's visual identity, it conducted qualitative research in four markets to test which would appeal most to its consumers. Lastly, it also took inspiration from SEEK in Australia to ensure it provides job seekers and hirers in Asia with all the best global practices. JobStreet is one of the two brands under SEEK Asia, alongside jobsDB.

The team worked with Saatchi & Saatchi to draft up the guidelines for its new brand visual identity. Meanwhile, UK-based agency Radda was responsible for developing JobStreet's new brand architecture and core brand idea of helping people find "jobs that matter", the spokesperson added.

"JobStreet is undergoing a transformation to become even more customer-centric, more digital savvy, and more insights-led. We will continue to engage with hirers and candidates through different touchpoints, both online and offline, and we will be investing time and effort to conduct market research to equip them with better knowledge and insights, to help hirers find the right talent, and to help candidates find jobs that matter," the spokesperson said.

Separately, JobStreet's Malaysia country manager Gan Bock Herm explained that its brand evolution involved the company recalibrating the platform with the objective of matching aspiring candidates and employers with jobs that matter. According to him, while the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a frightening period for many, the economy is recovering "at a better than expected pace".

“Our studies indicate that there appears to be a positive outlook in hiring trends, with some 74% of employers expected to make new hires by the first quarter of 2021,” said Gan.

In addition to the rebranding, JobStreet has also brought on board new faces throughout the course of this year. In February, Ramesh Rajandran joined as CMO, having worked at Accenture, Microsoft, Apple, and Telenor. It also brought on board Hernando Betita III in January as brand and marketing communications manager, bringing with him more than 12 years of experience in growing global brands in the FMCG industry, including Kimberly-Clark and Mondelēz. The spokesperson said it will continue to hire more people to ensure it is equipped for the future. Meanwhile, former HOOQ CEO Peter Bithos joined JobStreet's parent firm SEEK Asia in August this year as CEO.

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