The 5 Creative Employer Branding Agencies (Other than Uncubed Studios) You Need to Know

When you think of a creative agency, it's easy to let your mind wander to those who craft multi-layered narratives to attract customers for startups and consumer goods. However, when it comes to talent driven narratives that accurately reflect what it’s like to work for an employer, you might not realize there’s an emerging crop of agencies that are dedicated to the craft of developing content exclusively for talent acquisition and retention.

We’re talking about the unsung heroes known as employer brand agencies, as they are pivotal in turning both legacy corporate clients and buzz worthy startups into places people actually want to work for.

But how do you separate the creative agencies that are jumping on the employer brand bandwagon from the experts who’ve studied the art of talent attraction?

We’ve rounded up five creative employer branding agencies not named Uncubed Studios that are producing compelling content that candidates and employees believe in when it comes to accurately reflecting their company’s culture.

Exaqueo

Exaqueo starts with a simple statement. "We believe work matters. It puts food on your table, opportunity on your doorstep, and brings meaning to your every day." Provided this acknowledgement of the importance of work, they provide services rooted in social psychology and proprietary research models. They have a copy-dense "services section" which takes patience and time parsing through. The blog combines case studies of their clients, such as "Red Wing Shoes," with more trend-like pieces that, say, explore "The Future of Employer Brand".

Overall, the tone is unapologetically B2B--while kind of text-heavy for the casual observer, a prospective client will go in knowing exactly what they'll get 

SPLICE

Manufacturing, fashion, lifestyle, and tech are all areas of interest for Atlanta-based SPLICE.

They offer highlights of key projects, such as the case of their client Case Mate: the outline of their approach appears straightforward. The pre-existing situation, Splice's methodology, and the results are laid out in great detail, which gives potential clients a good, practical overview of the way the agency operates.

Employer Branding is not the sole field of endeavor of Splice, though. They also offer creative services and recruiting services for technical and creative talent, which, however, are framed as complements to employer branding, even though the hierarchies within these branches appears unclear.

JK Design

"Transform the promise of your brand into power for your business," is the value proposition of JK Design , an agency that combines employer branding with branding and messaging, digital engagement, and strategic marketing. The company can count on a very diverse client base, which ranges from consumer goods to HR leaders. 

JK incorporates creative services into their overall employer-branding work: in the case of global HR leader ADP, JK devised a new internal platform with localized, customizable content for more than 20 countries and cultures, sharing one engaging story around the world. Their eye for design emerges in the site's UX, which juxtaposes a moderate amount of copy that has just enough depth to keep the reader interested, with sleek graphics and page previews: content goes hand in hand with form.

Pink Squid

If there's something London-based Pink Squid promptly acknowledges, it's the looming presence of the gig economy, rapid automation and disrupted industries. They boast a playful approach, which is exemplified by their office foosball table and their Nintendo 64. In outlining their methodology, they differentiate between hiring and retaining the "best" as opposed to the "right" talent.  Their clients include high-end retailers (Harrod’s), pharmacies (Wallgreens, Boots, Alliance) and telecommunications providers (Vodafone) during momentous times. Their case studies outline how their strategy was specifically hinging on a particular context, such as getting rid of the dress code at Harrod's and the merger of Wallgreens, Boots, and Alliance, not to mention Vodafone's hiring strategies during the pandemic: this "why us, why now" approach is instrumental in generating leads, as it shows how it tackled specific circumstances/challenges.

PH Creative

While the tagline "we sell the truth" their reliance on the law of attraction might sound lofty, while their self-identification as "defenders of happiness" might veer into corny territory, PH Creative has a people first approach to employer branding, because people are what shape workplace culture, which, in turn, shapes a workplace's own story. Their case studies include clients in healthcare (Magellan), online department stores (Wehkamp), and sports-betting interfaces (GBC) and their services range from full-service employer branding to the building of a more agile UX in the companies' career portals. Case studies are broken down into brief-client-idea-execution-results, which give prospective clients a concrete sense of the work methodology before even engaging in a demo. 

Angelica Frey is a writer and translator based in Brooklyn. She enjoys studying every facet of visual culture, which also includes the creative direction of DTC brands. Read her work at www.angelicafrey.com

ABOUT UNCUBED STUDIOS

Launched in 2016, Uncubed Studios is a full-service creative agency with a client list representing the most influential employers on earth along with the high growth tech companies.

The team that brings the work of Uncubed Studios to life is made up of award-winning experts in cinematography, journalism, production, recruitment, employee engagement, employer branding and more. 

Uncubed Studios is part of the Uncubed Group, which also includes Mediabistro, the leading talent & professional community in the media sector, and Finalist, the curated sourcing platform for early professional tech talent.

Interested in speaking with Uncubed Studios for a media opportunity? Contact studios@uncubed.com