Reactive marketing is one of those bold moves that can either make a brand stand out brilliantly or backfire if the timing and tone aren’t right. CV-Library are expert at this!
Louise Triance spoke with Matt Lees, Partner Marketing Manager at CV-Library, about their recent Angela Rayner campaign – a perfect example of how a job board can use topicality, humour, and sharp execution to capture attention. From the spark of an idea to execution within hours, Matt shares how they balanced creativity with sensitivity, the impact on brand visibility, and what lessons other job boards (big or small) can take away for their own marketing.
This isn’t the first time CV-Library has been responsive to news stories; but who hatched the idea for this campaign?
The initial idea came from Lee Biggins, our Founder, who always closely follows the news agenda and provides us with the platform to move as quickly as possible. As with all reactive campaigns, once the seed was planted, it was very much a team effort, and we were able to bring the campaign to life quickly and effectively.
Did you think twice about bad optics of jumping on the story?
We’re always mindful of topic sensitivity. Whilst we leveraged the news agenda, it wasn’t our intention to pick on Angela Rayner. Instead, we used the topicality of the situation to highlight that we’re there for people who might be looking for a job – albeit in a humorous and tongue-in-cheek way. We felt we could be cheeky but not offensive. Our goal was to make people smile, not take sides.
What was the objective of the campaign? Visibility, engagement, new clients, or brand positioning?
Our reactive campaigns are all about brand visibility – getting people talking about CV-Library. With this one, we tapped into the news cycle around Angela Rayner stepping down to spark conversation and keep our brand front of mind. The stunt was designed to drive media coverage and social engagement, while positioning CV-Library as a go-to platform for job seekers.
How did you measure success, and what metrics really matter in a campaign like this?
For reactive campaigns like this, success is measured by visibility – so share of voice, reach, engagement, and sentiment more than direct conversions. Using media monitoring, we tracked press and social coverage in real-time, and we were delighted to see the stunt picked up by national outlets including the Daily Mail, putting us in front of key audiences. It also generated over one million views across social media.
What’s been the feedback from clients, candidates, and/or the public?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Clients and colleagues loved the creativity, humour and the clever way it showcased what we do. And judging by the social comments and shares, the public found it just as funny – which is exactly what we were aiming for.
What was the biggest challenge in executing such a rapid campaign?
Timing was everything. We had to move from idea to execution within a few hours to stay relevant. Our aim was to catch London commuters on their journey home the same day Angela Rayner resigned. That meant teams working across design, media buying, PR and social media had to align quickly and deliver at speed, a clear, creative message to the right audience at exactly the right time.
How can job boards balance between long-term brand building and these opportunistic, news-led campaigns?
Both are important. Reactive campaigns can deliver quick spikes in attention, but to benefit fully, our tone and messaging must stay consistent. This ensures short-term wins contribute to long-term credibility. We also invest consistently in other longer-term brand building media such as Out-Of-Home advertising, but we’re consistent in our messaging across all mediums demonstrating our breadth and volume of jobs.
For smaller job boards, or those with lower budgets how can they be equally reactive to an opportunity like this?
You don’t always need a big budget. What matters is speed, creativity, tenacity, intuition and a sense of timing. Even a clever social post or guerrilla-style activation can cut through the noise if it’s funny, relevant, and well-timed. The real secret is empowering your team to act fast and not letting bureaucracy slow you down.