The challenge
VCA provides world-class medical care with a hometown attitude to 4.5 million beloved pets in the US per year. But it was struggling to bring in new recruits.
Getting senior vets to switch companies is tough. And with the number of vet grads declining, the pressure to stand out was even higher.
The approach
Our research revealed a perception problem. Half of the target audience would reject VCA off the bat for being “too corporate.” But when VCA’s offering was presented anonymously, it came top in a list of ten competitors.
Candidates were unknowingly rejecting their top choice. It was time to dispel the myths and show the real VCA.
Our employer brand tagline, “The Future of Veterinary Medicine is in your Hands,” is a powerful call to action. By combining it with VCA’s iconic logo, we symbolised hands-on care, protection and diversity—and wowed our target audience.
The Human Magic Touch
We set out with a question: What really matters in veterinary care?
We kept hearing the same thing. Before anything else – vets use their hands. To feel, to check, to reassure the animal.
And when we spent time inside clinics, we saw it. The quiet choreography of care. Tattooed hands, gloved hands, gentle hands. That’s when the idea clicked: the future of veterinary care is in their hands. Literally.
Once we saw it, we couldn’t unsee it. So, it became the tagline and the visual hook for the campaign.
The results
As a direct result of the campaign, we saw…
- Applications more than double
- 143% increase in career site visitors
- 67% increase in career site dwell time
- 30 internal ambassadors signed up
- 500k+ impressions on social media
“Our strategy is simple yet powerful and connected to our purpose. It made an impression throughout VCA and with Mars leaders too. You can have a great strategy, but the difference between good and great employer brands is how your organisation embraces it. Now that we’ve shared and launched it externally it’s embedded in our culture – it’s been an amazing project to work on with Human Magic.”
Ally Brown
Brand Manager, Employer Brand & Recruiting VCA.
