Fine Point

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a lieutenant with the Alaska State Troopers and I supervise our recruitment unit. The 400 commissioned officers in our department patrol most areas with a police presence across the state.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fine Point?

We’re searching for new officers to hire. We needed help to find new recruits that are interested in applying to become Alaska State Troopers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fine Point designed and implemented social media ads to reach potential recruits via channels like Facebook, YouTube, and Pandora. They both developed some creative content and helped us design our own ads. For example, they shot short video clips of ride alongs that were used in ads. They also worked with our IT department to update our recruitment website and make better use of Google Analytics.

We are two troopers in this office and neither of us had a lot of experience with this, so we were looking for input from them. They designed different themes and approaches that they proposed to us. We used many of their ideas in the way that they were presented. We really relied on their expertise to craft the messages we were trying to get out there.

What is the team dynamic?

All of my interactions have been with the project manager, Ross. I know they used subcontractors to shoot video, such as for the ride alongs.

How did you come to work with Fine Point?

We asked colleagues in the public information office at the Department of Public Safety to help us with this project but they didn’t have the manpower to do it. They had worked with Fine Point in the past on public safety announcements and recommended them.

We also wanted to use someone based here. Ross is from Alaska and he gets Alaska.

How much have you invested with them?

About $55,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Ongoing since April 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our applications for new troopers have tripled and we’re very happy with that number. The numbers of people that are reaching out to us, testing with us and applying to work for us have all increased. Over time Fine Point has driven down the cost per lead.

Traffic to our recruitment website also tripled. The adjustments to our website have made it more effective and efficient. We've received lots of compliments about how much better our new site is based on the changes they suggested.

How did Fine Point perform from a project management standpoint?

As they create new ads, he’ll send them directly to me via email so I can preview them. We meet at our office about once a month to go over the ads, costs, and analytics. He’ll share proposals and ask for our creative feedback. We met more often at the beginning when he getting input and feedback to learn more about us. Anytime I have a question I call, email or shoot him a text. He’s highly responsive in addressing needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What set them apart was Ross’s local expertise of Alaska and his understanding of us. He has worked with Alaska State Troopers before and he was able, without much new information, to relay accurate observations about the type of organization we are and the image we’re trying to portray. He understands the dynamics of law enforcement and the differences between our agency and other city departments. We didn’t have to educate him.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In state government, money is always a concern and we have to be careful about contracts. I would like to see the continued decline of the cost per lead based on Fine Point’s application of their expertise and adjustments to approach as we go. I also know that you get what you pay for and I think we’re on track for that.

Advice for potential customers?

Be brutally honest about the problems that you perceive in your organization and let them come up with ideas for how to solve those. If you’re not open and transparent in the initial assessment, it will be harder for them to respond accurately.