The Met Office does more than predict the weather – aeroplanes do not take off without its knowledge and it’s helping to inform plans to mitigate the impact of climate change. But the challenge it has in attracting new recruits is that no-one really knows how important its role is in national life. The Met Office needed to be less humble and show itself to be a proud force for good in the world.

To do so, it conducted analysis of six key competitors for talent, reviewed engagement surveys, collected the views of over 400 colleagues through further surveys and focus groups, and performed executive interviews. The strategy was led by the chief executive, and would connect the organisation’s purpose, vision and values. The brand needed to sit comfortably alongside its organisational brand, resonate with key recruitment groups, respect neurodiverse audiences and be adapted depending on media. It encompassed four key ‘chapters’: Looking after your world (the individual); Looking after the world (global impact); A world of expertise (community of experts); Your world of development (support for personal and professional development).

The brand narrative was communicated via a connected message matrix that brought all of these elements together. The elements included employer stories, a revamped careers site, external advertising displays, social posts and targeted local advertising. The goals were to reduce spend, increase traffic and improve the quality of applications, but the campaign transformed how the Met Office felt about the pride in what it does. Traffic to the careers site did increase significantly, as did applications, with 89% of recruitment now handled directly by the Met Office.