Some people bring their creative writing skills into play a little too heartily when drafting their resumés. Calgary-based staffing agency Bowen wants to prove their candidates are legit via an e-mail campaign developed by Highwood Communications. ‘The Resume Decoder’ is a series of four flash-oriented e-mails depicting how far people can stretch the truth on their resumes. Launched mid-August, the month-long weekly e-mail blast was sent to more than 1,000 clients in Bowen’s database.

Laura Larsen, director of sales and marketing for Bowen, says existing clients were targeted in the campaign, as some may not have known, or needed a reminder, that the 28-year-old agency offers permanent, as well as temporary, staffing. ‘We wanted to keep top-of-mind that Bowen is still in that game, since the message can get diluted because of perception,’ says Larsen.

With over 100 staffing agencies competing in the Calgary area, Larsen says Bowen chose the e-mail method to emphasize their technological sophistication – the company uses electronic time sheets, for example – and how it is shifting towards more electronic dissemination of information.

Calgary’s Highwood developed the simple, yet humorous ‘Resume Decoder,’ which displays the little white lies people tell. ‘The sins people commit on their resumés are world-renowned,’ says Highwood CD Steve Williams.

Williams says Bowen personally interviews all candidates, so the chances are better that the qualifications match the person. The tagline, ‘For a truly permanent placement,’ emphasizes the notion that Bowen will find strong, trustworthy, candidates.

Larsen can’t say how many people have signed up for staffing since the ads were sent, as the staffing industry is need-sensitive, but points out that most of the 50 to 60 clients they contacted have responded well. ‘One of our clients is a large architecture design firm and they said it was a clever, clean campaign,’ says Larsen.

Bowen is considering doing another e-mail blast, but Larsen says they would look at decreasing the number of e-mails, since people are so busy. Larsen adds that Bowen will use Highwood in the future as well. In referring to the tagline Highwood used in the e-mails (‘For a truly permanent placement’), Larsen says, ‘They captured so profoundly who we think we are, [that it's] something that would become part of our brand strategy.’

Credits

Client: Bowen Staffing

Account Manager: Janay Ferguson

Project Manager: Kari Klaning

CD/Writer: Steve Williams

Art Director: Robert Sweetman

Flash Programmer: Shawn Ferguson