Pfizer is synonymous with innovation. Recruitment programs for science and research fields however was anything but. After speaking with opinion leaders in our research, it became quite clear— a scientist knows what a lab looks like. And a microscope. And a test tube. What they wanted to know was how a career with this world renowned company would impact them. What was the culture like, and not around the world, but in the labs they might work. Would their work really make a difference? Was it too large and they’d feel lost? These and more were the inspiration for our employer brand strategy that brought true to life, in the broadest sense, to life for Pfizer. We examined visual, editorial, and conceptual strategies across not just direct competitors, but every recruitment competitor, which included Universities, Government. We canvassed the business and science media for external perspectives, including that of Wall Street.

The result was a comprehensive view of the pharmaceutical recruitment landscape that gave Pfizer unique perspective on which to develop critical employer brand strategies around the world. Brand visual and contextual positioning is key in developed markets that have large established competitors. Pfizer and nearly every life sciences company recruit in the same media, the same job fairs and the same on-line spaces. Pfizer needed to best position itself so that its messages and promises were credible to confront negative perceptions and accurate to reflect the spirit of exploration, passion, integrity and collaboration that permeates the organization.