Media

Since 2004, Magnet Communications has been naming South Africa’s IDEAL companies to work for through their annual research survey as nominated by some 38,700 participating students, MBA graduates and professionals.  The awards form an integral part of most leading company’s skills retention strategy to ensure they attract and retain the very best South African talent.

Bearing testament to the highly successful strategic marketing partnership between National Health Laboratory Service and Isilumko Media; NHLS has for the first time since the inception of the IDEAL Awards, been ranked as a preferred employer in the Sciences category.  At the award ceremony held in Sandton on 3  December 2010; the NHLS received 3rd place after the Department of Health and CSIR.

The basic list of 130 employer organisations from which respondents are requested to select their favoured future employer, is compiled annually by the Magnet Communications research team.  The team’s selection is empirically guided by the current employer branding environment, emerging trends and past rankings.  

Significant to the NHLS’s achievement in this year’s ranking is the fact that they were voted onto the list – they have never had any standing on the list previously.  Peter Johannson, MD of Magnet Communications says, “This is an extraordinary achievement in anybody’s book.  This year students demonstrated a great degree of independence in making their choices, in that they chose three organisations that were not on the research questionnaire’s basic list of 130 employers.”   

Below-the-line marketing specialists, Isilumko Media, powered by Studentwise, strategized, created and implemented a turn-key campaign for the NHLS.  The intensive schedule included open day events; 1st, 2nd and 3rd year presentations, laboratory tours and other multi-media campus events; combined with a comprehensive rural schools road show targeting high school learners before they commence their university studies.  

Isilumko Media’s primary objective of this marketing partnership was to shift the image of the NHLS to that of employer of choice, by highlighting the diversity of exposure offered by the NHLS as opposed to the private laboratories.

Brendan Powell, General Manager at Isilumko Media elaborates, “The aggressive growth of the partnership between Isilumko Media and the NHLS over the last five years has seen the campaign evolve into the impactful recruitment drive that is today ultimately addressing the skills shortage within the Medical Technology profession and providing a larger number and better quality employees for the national pathology service.  

Nritika Singh, Managing Director at Isilumko says, “With a marketing task of this magnitude and intricacy, there are many obstacles to overcome, but our committed team constantly refined our strategy to navigate the unpredictable rural terrain and ever-changing campus environment, ensuring fluidity between the multiple tiers of activity.”