When Police Recruitment targets doubled for 2018, with an aim to increase diversity, we knew our recruitment campaign had to make an impact.
We discovered data that identified a common theme that was causing a block in the recruitment funnel. Many potential recruits had questions about joining the Police that were going unanswered. Causing them to leave their applications unfinished. Especially those in our minority target, whose conversations with the Police often felt like an interrogation.
So we decided to create a campaign that turned the tables and allowed the public to question the cops.
The campaign kicked off with a recruitment video, which was written by sourcing real questions, asked by the public on social media. The recruitment video spoke to our audience, not only by using their own words and real journalists, but by using over 70 real cops. Local comedians. Te Reo Maori. Police Dogs. Cops from movies. As well as TV cops.
Our new interactive platform, ChatCops, let the public ask on-the-job officers anything. And our reverse questioning continued across TV talk shows, with the public submitting questions, across our social media channels, on Māori radio, and at pop-up Police stations.
Six months into our campaign our applications are 30% above our projected targets. And most importantly, applications for Maori and women are up in record numbers. Making this the most successful recruitment campaign New Zealand Police has ever had.
Creative, creative direction, art direction, copywriting