/// Success Story

 

 

MaxHire Solutions had a simple objective: Create enough buzz in the recruiting and staffing industry to generate an additional $10,000 per month in recurring revenue. Then came the economic meltdown.

 

Our relationship with MaxHire began with a branding exercise. MaxHire needed help with a full range of marketing materials including brand refinement to create awareness and show the market that MaxHire was different — MaxHire was a company built upon super easy-to-use smart-client recruiting software backed by an elite team of industry experts that provided the best service in the industry.

 

Go Hire

With two Fall industry trade shows for ERE and NACCB looming, MaxHire needed to make a noticeable impression as a first time exhibitor. We created an event brand platform that would get people's attention in a fun and approachable way — Go Hire! We'll Help You Get There. The idea was centered around MaxHire's team of elite professionals. Like fighter pilots, they're the top guns in the industry. The fighter pilot theme included sales collateral, giveaways like energy drinks and even flight suits for the sales team that manned the booth. In the sea of typical techy software trade show booths, MaxHire stood out. "We were a huge hit!" said President Peter Blitz, "Our location was crap, but we still did well because of our theme. The drinks were borderline brilliant. They were everywhere including at almost every competitor's booth. We made a lot of new contacts."

 

Meltdown? What Meltdown?

Shortly after the success of the ERE and NACCB events, the economy tanked and we had to switch gears quickly. The recruiting sector was hit hard and we needed to quickly send a message that would strike a chord. We devised a safety net offer with No Upfront Costs, No Start-Up Fees, No Commitments and No Contracts. The risk-free message resonated and the outcome was more than anyone expected. "In December, we cut our monthly recurring revenue forecast in half, considering what was happening. Our message obviously hit home because January was our best month at the time. We nearly tripled our forecasted numbers," said Peter Blitz, "It was the right message sent at the right time. It reinforced our unconditional commitment to our customers, and it helped us maintain steady growth despite the economy."

 

Revolutionary CRM

After addressing the economic crisis, MaxHire was able to devote attention to its new "killer app". We rejuvenated the brand so that it lined up with the new product by making slight modifications to the brand's identity. We refined the brand position to Revolutionary CRM Software for Recruiting and Staffing to communicate the changes to the product. The product brand would now be represented by the new CRM platform, and the services brand would be represented by the Go Hire platform. "It makes total sense," said Peter Blitz, "The two brands compliment each other very well and both have a lot of marketing longevity."

 

The website had to also communicate that MaxHire was now a CRM solution that offered recruiters much more for a lot less. Rather than completely gut the current website, we simply updated content with improved key messages including the new pricing value proposition. Once the message was updated, we embarked on creating a completely new website. The new site captures the essence of three new killer features (Social Networking, Research, Resume Searching) using clever Flash animation to tell the story. More importantly, we are collectively retooling then content, its tone and its personality, so that it reflects the professional yet approachable culture that MaxHire is known for. The new website is scheduled to launch January 2010.

 

Results

In less than one year, we have helped MaxHire maintain steady growth during an extremely tough economy and in a niche market. Traffic, conversions, and sales are all up, thanks to integrated marketing initiatives combined with MaxHire's legacy of strategic planning, industrly leading support, and excellent follow-up and follow-through action. We have improved the brand platform so that it now connects with MaxHire's culture on many levels. "SterlingKlor are creative thinkers," said Peter Blitz, "They bring tremendous value and insight to the table when we are collaborating on creative ways to improve our marketing efforts. We're so glad we made the call."

 

(Source: MaxHire Solutions, Compete.com, Alexa.com)