Creating a Sustainable Creative Recruitment Brand - 13 years On!

Recruiting creatives was always going to be a tricky gig. I'm sure you won't mind me generalising that they're a sceptical bunch by nature, and recruiters would probably come at the bottom of that pile as they're all shiny shoes and flash ties (of course...). Thirteen years ago, 4th January 2004 to be exact, much creative work was still classic branding, artwork, packaging design and typography rather than the digital stuff the youngsters are in to now and it was a largely untapped market. Not often you can say that these days!

So, how do you go about creating a new business that breaks the mould and engages a group of people who are certainly at the "difficult to engage" end of the spectrum? My business partner, Julie Storey, had the vision to set up an entirely separate business to our existing marketing recruitment business to cater for the recruitment needs of this eclectic set of people. Not just a few people sitting in the same office as Network Marketing, our existing recruitment brand, just pretending to be creative-led, but actually doing things differently.

Here a number of industry experts talk about the formation of The Book brand and what it has meant to them when dealing with our business over the last 13 years.

“Back in 2004, we saw a gap in the market and created The Book as the first specialist creative recruitment business in the North and quite quickly grew and became the recruitment company that creatives were happy to work with. We’ve seen huge changes in the creative industry since then – traditional design and artwork skills which were once so sought after have often been replaced by digital skills. What hasn’t changed is our genuine passion and interest in the creative world and the people that work within it. It’s a formula that’s worked for us and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved.” (Founder - Julie Storey)

But we needed a creative team that really got what recruitment was about, and as importantly, what would appeal to creatives.

Martin O'Toole, of Fist of Fury (Home Agency back in 2004) comments, "I’ve been in the unique position of branding then rebranding The Book - which reminds me that I’m very old… The Network Marketing guys had a clear view of what they wanted the agency’s offering to be - i.e. a recruiter that really got what it was to be a freelance or creative candidate - and therefore what it was to be on the creative agency side - looking for great creative. The answer to naming the business seemed obvious to us - i.e. it really was ALL about the creatives’ book. Anyway, they smashed it and the brand was well received for its clear and obvious understanding of the business. 

Funny how things have moved on and they’re more likely to present their portfolio in a digital form - though many of us still call it a ‘book’…"

Ian Buttle, the genius young creative at the time who came up with the concept recalls, "The creation of ‘The Book’ brand really came about from my experience of both being a young creative looking to get hired, and also as a Creative Director looking to hire. In this part of our industry CVs really aren’t worth the paper they’re written on, and as we’re all creative by nature they’re pretty much all lies anyway, I know mine was! (I can confess now, I never really did win the 1997 Turner Prize for a thought provoking installation titled ‘Choke Hold’, but they didn't know that did they!). No, all that ever mattered was the content of your ‘Book’ and how you come across when you meet. And if all that goes well, how you function after a few pints...

I think the enduring strength of the brand is because it talks in the creative language, it doesn’t try too hard, it just ‘gets it’. And long may it continue."

Angela Hough is one of our recruitment experts whose background is firmly in the creative world and who completely 'got' the concept of The Book. "The best thing about working at The Book has been putting my knowledge from working in the creative industry for 13 years to good use by helping people find jobs and develop their careers. Speaking to candidates in their language and understanding the challenges they face has helped me to find their perfect next career move. And being at The Book, I can’t imaging working in a better place".

And finally one of our long standing clients and award winning Creative, Pete Camponi reminisced, " Rick and I have worked with The Book for many years. Their team are great at understanding what’s needed and coming up with creative people who fit the brief. Sponsoring the student awards scheme in partnership with Leeds College of Art was an inspired idea and we were always delighted to be part of the judging panel, as it gave us the opportunity to be involved with the next generation of creative talent.

Congratulations on reaching the ripe old age of 13. Looking forward to working with you as the stroppy teenager you’ll no doubt become!"

So, 13 years on and happily the brand still resonates and we're still recruiting those traditional creative directors and art directors who conjure up the most amazing concepts and brands for some of the biggest companies in the world. And having 13 years behind us we're pretty confident that The Book will be sustainable for the next 13.

Thanks goes to all who have worked with us (especially you guys beavering away at the moment!), supported us, used us and freelancers who have worked through us during this time. We hope we'll continue these relationships well in to the future,