case studies

eden scott

Eden Scott recruitment was formed in April 2003 when three directors of Melville Craig left during the buy-out process by recruitment firm TMP Worldwide. The directors have grown their own company in just 5 years to a staff of 70 based both Edinburgh and Glasgow with a turnover exceeding £5 million. Following an overview of the Eden Scott marketing activities, it was decided a focus on online marketing would be the next step for the business. This included a requirement to develop and launch a new website, as well as a new intranet, monthly online bulletin, seminar invitations online and a campaign to drive traffic to the web site.

the brief

The brief to LEWIS highlighted the key objectives for the website:

Changing visitor needs
To embrace the maturing internet culture and cater for the specific needs of their audience groups Eden Scott's aim for the new site was to allow it to operate as a functional business tool for their own recruitment consultants, clients and candidates alike.  Eden Scott were keen to be able to refer clients and candidates to their website as an all-encompassing information resource.  However, they didn't want their website to be "all about us" but rather an inclusive site which invites continual feedback and input from its visitors.

Design and image
As a medium-sized firm within a crowded market, Eden Scott needed to stand apart from its competitors.  As the likely first, and perhaps only, impression many people will get of the agency it was essential that the site design reflected a modern, professional image to accurately represent Eden Scott's brand values, expertise in core markets and provide relevant content to encourage repeat visits.   

Strategy and positioning
There was a need to cater for search engine traffic to encourage visitors to navigate around the site from whichever page they arrive at.  The website was to act as the central landing point for all future traffic-driving marketing activities (online and offline).  The tactical alignment of the web site with their wider marketing and sales objectives was seen as a crucial goal to, ultimately, attract and retain more client and candidate interest.

Maintenance and future-proofing
Eden Scott wanted the power and flexibility of a Content Management System to provide added functionality, easy maintenance of the site and allow delegation of maintenance tasks to non-technical users within Eden Scott (e.g., the ability for consultants to write and post their own job vacancies to the site).

our idea

The website was designed, developed and implemented to provide a completely improved and streamlined user experience. The new public facing online presence and fully integrated Content Management System were developed to provide Eden Scott with a great solution to some of their key areas of concern:

User interaction
The development of the website was highly focused on two-way communication with users and providing opportunities throughout for contact, feedback and input.  For example, the poll feature on the homepage, which is managed through the CMS, was built to allow Eden Scott to submit a question each month for users to cast their opinions on.  The outcome of every completed poll is available to view on the results page of the site. 

Online/Offline Branding
The rebuild and implementation of the website allowed for the review and analysis of Eden Scott's brand and their ethos.  It was prime time the brand was adjusted to answer many of the issues that had arisen from their success and align the customer's perception of the company with their public image.  It was also the perfect opportunity to develop a new corporate identity strategy and begin to roll-out a new, more vibrant brand style in the re-launched website.  The brand identity that was developed as part of this project, embodied in the website design, projects Eden Scott as a forward-thinking, modern, professional organisation with people at its core.

Dynamic CMS system
The online CMS was built bespoke to the client's requirements, rather than implementing an off-the-shelf solution that would have exceeded the project budget and would not have offered the control required. The CMS allows the directors, managers and recruitment consultants to add, edit and delete content including vacancy listings, implement online questionnaire/polls, add ‘Hot Candidates' and control ‘calls to action' and feature adverts. All back-office users are placed into a tiered access and control status, allowing the key management team to set up and manage user rights across the online environment.

Marketing support function
To enhance the website as the key area in the company's marketing plan, a monthly email newsletter, ‘eZine from Eden Scott' is also managed and deployed by LEWIS on behalf of Eden Scott. The eZine is now deployed to around 10,000 existing and potential clients and candidates. The newsletters are full of insightful content written by both company members, industry experts and existing clients.

the outcome

The implementation of the new website has completely transformed the business and marketing operation of Eden Scott.   The online service that they provide to their clients and candidates now exceeds that of their closest competitors and constantly receives positive feedback from users.   The simplicity with which Eden Scott consultants can now upload vacancies, receive applications and feedback, update web content and provide information to their audience has streamlined their workflow and allowed them to concentrate on the most important thing - finding the right person for the job.

Since launch in July 2007 the number of monthly visits the site has recorded has grown month on month and, since its first full month in operation, has increased by 63% (from 18,030 in August 2007 to 28,477 in May 2008), proving that the growth of the website and associated marketing material has had a marked impact on the overall traffic coming to the site.

"When choosing our recruitment partner for a recent campaign, Eden Scott's website played a significant role in our decision to work with them.  Today, with so many people using the web to search for a new role, a company's website is a key tool in attracting the right calibre of candidate.  Eden Scott's new website is visually attractive, easy to navigate for candidates and clients and portrays the professional image we look for in our business partners." 

Wendy Hutcheson
HR Manager
Carbon Trust (Eden Scott client)