A study by market research company Cybil in 2021 found that only 11% of students interested in accounting are black, 36% are women and 6% are from low socio-economic backgrounds. Chartered accounting body ICAEW wanted to boost diversity in the sector, making this its primary business objective in 2022. Within this objective, there were two initial core goals: to open up outreach in lower socio-economic areas, and to create engaging experiences across all audiences by increasing the average time on site.

To do this, it needed to eradicate dull stereotypes of accounting and show the audience that there are a range of roles to be excited about. It wanted to offer real video stories of role models who were non-traditional and unexpected in the industry, given that early careers candidates want to see that there are people like them. The creative for the video sets was bold and colourful, highlighting each accountant’s individuality and showing the possibilities available.

A three-phase campaign aimed to raise awareness, attract and convert candidates through stages of ‘see yourself’, ‘know yourself’, and ‘be yourself’. ICAEW used geotargeting and social grade targeting to pinpoint areas where it wanted to grow attraction, as well as using social channels such as TikTok, which would reach the school-leaver audience. It generated millions of clicks with an impressive conversion rate. Both targets were achieved in terms of increased reach in lower socio-economic areas and increased time on site.