APM Terminals

A world leader in cargo container terminal operations and management, APM Terminals offers the international shipping industry more than 50 port facilities in 31 countries and five continents. The company enables global commerce by serving more than 60 shipping lines on every major trade route.

As the industry boomed and goods were shipped in and out of port destinations, APM Terminals had an urgent need to recruit upwards of 20,000 employees to fill existing and new positions. A highly specialized industry demanding specific skills, APM Terminals needed to recruit at executive, managerial, blue collar and administrative levels with its rigorous application and hiring process. APM Terminals recognized a need to reposition its corporate brand and launch an inspiring recruitment campaign to attract the best and brightest talent.

The new APM Terminals positioning acknowledged that its strength is in its people—a clear differentiator within a highly commoditized industry. Their new tagline, “Open for Opportunity,” was the catalyst for an aggressive recruitment campaign entitled “When Can You Start?” An evocative call to action, “When Can You Start?” created a dialogue with potential hires, highlighted the company’s values-driven culture and focused on the people who make up the organization.

The heart of the campaign was www.whencanyoustart.com, a microsite that featured corporate information, terminal photos, written and video testimonials from actual employees, and links to current job postings. Traffic was driven toward the microsite via high-visibility print, billboard and bus advertisements. Employment candidates received a colorful recruitment brochure that emphasized APM Terminals’ values-driven culture and the people who make up the organization.

Project role: design director / designer. Developed at CoreBrand Communications.