Value Is In The Eye of Your Customer

Marketing can be messy. Companies strive to get their positioning and their messaging very tight and succinct, but their customers don’t always see it that way.

David Aplin Group is a full-service recruiting agency with ten locations across Canada and revenue over $25 million. They specialize in several sectors including IT, sales and marketing, accounting, and supply chain management. But Aplin is a bit of an anomaly in the recruiting industry. Over 75% of their searches are for permanent, full time positions, and 25% of the roles are contract positions. This is unusual, because most mid-market and large agencies are focused on the contract market. While the permanent market is dominated by small agencies with annual revenues below $2 million.

On paper the David Aplin Group has a clear value proposition. They are a Canadian-owned family business with a national footprint, clear areas of specialization, and they are one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies. But as Jeff Aplin, President of the David Aplin Group points out, “The client determines what they value.”

The unique differentiators of a brand may not resonate if they’re not connected to a present need. Jeff explains, “Some clients want to work with a Canadian-owned company with a national presence, but other clients couldn’t care less. Clients radiate to what they need.”

A national presence is of value for companies hiring for multiple positions in multiple cities. But if a company is only hiring a project engineer in Calgary, then their priority is what the David Aplin Group can deliver for them locally.

A brand comes to life when it has context. By understanding your clients’ needs you can tailor your services and your value proposition to fit them…