Emap Radio launches unique on-air/online recruitment service

Emap Radio, the UKís second largest commercial radio operator, has launched the countryís first recruitment service offering fully integrated local radio and online recruitment advertising packages.

The operator has chosen Manchester as the launch pad for its new service - delivering it with Key 103, Manchesterís most listened to commercial radio station, via Key103Jobs.co.uk.

The move comes as online recruitment advertising spend is predicted to break the 300m barrier this year - as 45% of jobseekers now go online to find jobs, while just 23% use newspapers. Against this backdrop, latest research shows that almost 50% of people listen to radio when online and 57% investigate online after hearing adverts on radio.

The Key103Jobs service gives businesses their first opportunity to launch fully integrated online and local radio recruitment campaigns to increase responses from active jobseekers and also resonate with hard-to-reach passive candidates through clever recruitment advertising and intense brand awareness.

Users of Key103Jobs benefit from a dedicated campaign management team that helps to improve online advertising by offering tailor made packages and constantly optimising the vacancies to ensure maximum response rates.

Wider benefits include hi-tech systems to track the success of online campaigns, communicating with job applicants before interview via the web site and self-service listing of up to twenty free job adverts online every month.

Emap Radioís digital director Jonathan Turpin, formerly chief executive of fish4, was appointed in April last year with the specific remit of launching new radio-backed web businesses. He explains:

ìRadio and online recruitment campaigns are extremely potent individually - now, by combining them and doing so at a local level, recruiters are benefiting from a highly targeted, cost effective service that totally challenges traditional recruitment advertising models.

ìKey 103 is now Manchesterís most listened to commercial radio station - and we are using the brand as cut through to an ideal demographic for recruiters.

ìWe are supporting the launch with sustained, high profile on-air, online and outdoor promotions designed to target jobseekers as well as those that are not actively seeking career moves but could be interested if they hear about new opportunities on Key 103 while theyíre driving to and from work or see our thought-provoking advertising campaigns around town.

ìBy recruiting a highly experienced team to launch this brand new concept, and by supporting it with the best infrastructure and sustained publicity, we will ensure rapid success.î

Key103Jobs is being launched with a large team of experienced online recruitment specialists and is being supported by a dedicated 300,000 marketing budget for the first three months.

The service will be launched to consumers in January with an integrated advertising campaign featuring holiday prize give-ways totalling 20,000 as well as a series of online and outdoor campaigns through to Spring 2008.