NZ Police needed to reach people who hadn’t considered a career in law enforcement – while not breaking the bank.
For the Police, every recruitment drive is crucial, as the organisation seeks the best talent to keep Aotearoa safe.
With public spending under the microscope, the aim in recession-hit 2023 was to recruit a lot of the right people, for as little spend as possible.
But NZ Police had a further challenge: previous campaigns had already reached most of its target audience.
It needed to engage with an entirely new group: people who had never contemplated becoming a police officer. Bring on the In Your Element campaign.
The initiative featured NZ Police officers out of uniform, doing the activities they love – “in their element”. Aiming to increase applications, the campaign was a definitive success. It saw the sector not only exceed its recruitment targets but also convert a new audience to join its ranks.
Starting from within, NZ Police spoke to officers across the motu to find out about their interests and pursuits outside work and how these help them in their role.
For example, Angie from the Bay of Plenty says her keen interest in cycling helps her push herself in her job: “I have to dig deep as a police officer, but I know that I’ve done similar things when I cycle. When I’m tired or fatigued, I know I can dig deep and get it done.”
Campaign creative and media worked together in a mix of traditional and digital to ensure broad reach and precise targeting. Investment was split 40:40 between creating awareness and driving consideration, with 20% for driving applications.
Magazine spend added longevity to the campaign, while video content brought powerful storytelling elements and visual engagement. Out-of-home advertising provided geographic targeting and physical presence.
Catering the campaign for mobile greatly improved traffic.
Outside pursuits were a key theme, so the campaign ramped up over summer when outdoor activity levels rise – and because it’s the time when people are more likely to consider career changes.
The campaign was so successful NZ Police ended up with more interest than it knew what to do with – now the organisation is developing nurture communications to ensure potential applicants don’t get lost.
The need to recruit continuously during challenging times saw NZ Police think out of the box to engage a brand new audience and keep applications rolling in.
Judges’ comments
“A really strong campaign that combined all elements to deliver a great result. The judges were impressed with the insights and understanding of the ideal candidate and how this drove the creative idea and execution. Awesome job.”
This was first published in the 2024 September-October NZ Marketing Magazine issue. Subscribe here.
