CASE STUDY: Blackman Kallick Careers Campaign

Blackman Kallick sought to boost its recruitment class, both in number and caliber, and create a campaign aimed at the very top tier of prospects, including the Big 10 accounting schools, as well as Notre Dame, DePaul, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Northern Illinois University. The accounting firm—the ninth largest in Chicago—sees competition from other firms in the area, as well as top firms from around the country, and knew its marketing materials had to strengthen Blackman Kallick’s image among the college students it was targeting.

Canright Communications worked with the firm to design a Careers campaign—including print materials, banners, and a microsite—that positioned Blackman Kallick as the accounting firm prospects want to work for in the city they want to live in. Blackman Kallick typically gets 16-17 new recruits each year during their campaign; this year, with the help of Canright’s Careers materials, the firm recruited 23 people—every one of their top picks. From the onset, Blackman Kallick felt their recruitment presentations were top-notch. At the first event at Michigan State University—a recruitment event at which all the top firms in the country were represented—Blackman Kallick’s presentation was rated in the top third of all firms in attendance.

Canright realized we were working with a unique client after we spoke with some of Blackman Kallick’s more recent recruits and interns to gather more information about the firm. All were enthusiastic about the company and its genuine care for employees, and were eager to spread the word to college prospects. We designed materials that would reflect this enthusiasm and echo the campaign’s theme, “Find Yourself,” as well as Blackman Kallick’s tagline, “We are Chicago.” We created an unconventional, square-shaped brochure that folds open to reveal an illustrated map of Chicago, highlighting Chicago’s destination spots in a fun and friendly way. We also created a Careers microsite that complements the brochure and shows that the firm is uniquely positioned to offer interesting clients and varied work combined with an exciting urban and social experience.

Blackman Kallick is the ninth largest accounting firm in Chicago with a single office downtown. Founded in 1962, they employ more than 260 professionals who provide the full range of audit, tax, and consulting services for closely held, publicly traded, and not-for-profit organizations in a variety of fields.