Indeed Client (NSAC)

In Spring 2023, I was selected as an Account Planner/Strategist for the University of North Texas’ National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team. Our client, Indeed, challenged us to create an integrated marketing campaign that would connect with Gen Z job seekers and drive them to use the platform as their go-to job search tool.

Bringing together my background in advertising and sociology, I played a lead role in the research phase, analyzing seven industry and audience articles, helping develop and promote a survey that collected 399 responses, and designing and moderating four focus groups to uncover the fears, behaviors, and motivations of Gen Z in the job market. My sociological insight shaped the question flow and environment to encourage meaningful conversation and deep qualitative data.

The research uncovered a key truth: Gen Z job seekers are overwhelmed by career-related anxiety: fears of failure, financial instability, and not finding the “right” path. This insight became the heart of our campaign. The creative team, guided by our brief, developed a concept built around fictional “career conditions” like Interviewitis, Career FOMO, Job Seeker Paralysis, and Financial Freakout to personify these fears in a relatable, Gen Z voice.

Beyond research and strategy, I worked alongside the media team to shape the channel mix and PR activations, ensuring our ideas would meet the audience where they are digitally, socially, and emotionally.

While our team didn’t place in first, our campaign strategy and insight closely mirrored the national winner’s. With more development and experimentation, it had the potential to go even further.