Success Story: Executive Search Firm Rebrands to Drive Awareness and Engagement

 

THE CHALLENGE:

Our client, an established retained executive search firm with an enviable client list, struggled to align their outdated digital presence with their position as a leading player in their service category. Despite decades of success partnering with top-tier companies across a variety of industries, including Consumer Products, Financial Services, and Technology, the company’s branding, messaging, and online presence had not kept pace – digital performance and website traffic and engagement metrics were stagnant. Worse, their online presence did not adequately reflect their reputation for delivering superior client experiences. Without a plan of action to address these gaps, the firm’s ability to effectively attract and engage new clients and top executive candidates was limited.

THE STRATEGY:

Our team was tapped to lead a comprehensive rebranding initiative focused on updating this executive search firm’s digital identity and creating a cohesive brand message across all platforms with the goal of increasing leads through web traffic and improving prospect engagement with their brand.

THE TACTICS:

  • Brand Audit: The initial step was a thorough brand audit, identifying the gaps and opportunities to enhance and elevate the executive search firm’s digital presence. The audit identified the need for a complete website redesign, for consistent messaging across platforms, and that the user experience needed improvement to better reflect the firm’s capabilities and commitment to client success.
  • Website Redesign: The website was overhauled to create a contemporary look and feel that delivered a user-friendly experience reflective of their innovative approach to executive search. The redesign incorporated a clean, bold aesthetic with intuitive navigation and visually engaging content. This new website highlighted their deep industry expertise and commitment to connecting top executives with leading companies while also making it easy for site visitors to engage.
  • Messaging Refresh: The audit underscored the need for clear, consistent messaging that better reflected our client’s position as a leader in executive search for top tier brands. To address this, messaging was refined to emphasize their core values of integrity, collaboration, and client-centricity. This updated messaging was then consistently applied across all channels, from the website to social media and email communications. A new corporate tagline was integrated throughout their digital presence to reinforce their innovative approach and forward-thinking attitude.
  • Content Strategy: To increase awareness and consideration through engagement, a robust content strategy was implemented to improve engagement towards an executive level retained search audience. In collaboration with our client, our team produced high-quality thought leadership articles, industry insights, and case studies that showcased the firm’s collective experience, as well as the expertise of their individual executive, across multiple verticals from private equity to manufacturing. These content pieces were designed to attract both clients and candidates. Publishing in-depth content for a C-suite audience serves to enhance and elevate our client’s position as a trusted thought leader with experience and expertise specific to the prospect’s requirements.
  • SEO Update: With the relaunch of the website and implementation of the content marketing strategy, new opportunities were created to capture leads through search engine optimization. The team at echogravity focused on keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, and link building to increase organic search results.

THE RESULTS:

In the wake of the strategic rebranding, our executive search firm client experienced meaningful growth across all digital channels, with significant improvements in both traffic and engagement metrics:

  1. Organic Search in 2024 produced a 2% increase in users and a 65.4% increase in website sessions compared to 2023. The rebranding successfully delivered results on search engine visibility, driving over 313,000 events in 2024. These numbers highlight the success of the rebranding in attracting more visitors and encouraging meaningful interaction through optimized content and search engine strategy.
  2. Direct Traffic also saw positive results, with 3% more users and 39.8% more sessions year over year. This growth is a clear indicator that the enhanced brand identity improved recognition, drawing more visitors directly to the site. With over 95,000 events recorded in 2024, Direct Traffic was a strong source of user interaction, reflecting the effectiveness of the rebranding.
  3. Email Engagement increased by 5% in 2024 over 2023 and email events per session rose by 5.6%, signalling that the refined, consistent messaging improved the effectiveness of email communications in driving interactions with recipients.
  4. Organic Social contributed to sustained engagement and connection with the target audience. Although some channels showed lower growth, Organic Social remained a valuable tool for building relationships with prospective clients and candidates alike. Ongoing efforts to refine the social strategy and expand content formats will continue to drive value from this channel.
  5. Referral Traffic performed well in 2024, with users from referral sources demonstrating high engagement levels at 77 events per session and a 54.7-second average engagement time per session. These metrics clearly indicate that visitors from referral sources are highly engaged with the content – evidence that speaks to the effectiveness of the content marketing tactics in building awareness and consideration through thought-leadership.

CONCLUSION:

The strategic rebranding, anchored by a freshly redesigned website, a revitalized SEO/content initiative, and consistent, targeted messaging, drove significant improvements in both traffic and engagement metrics. The growth in Organic Search and Direct Traffic, coupled with improved email engagement, showcases the success of their rebranding strategy in attracting and retaining interest from their target audience. By continuing to focus on user experience, content quality, and cohesive messaging, the foundation for continued growth and success in the highly competitive executive search market is strong.

This brand transformation has empowered our client to maintain their leadership role, ensuring that their digital presence now reflects the high level of service and expertise they have provided to clients for decades.