The right marketing leader with SignVideo UK

The challenge

SignVideo UK had been recruiting directly for a Head of Marketing since August, but progress had been slow. The team had reached offer stage twice. On both occasions, however, the candidates ultimately chose to remain with their current employers after receiving counter offers.

Several months later the role was still unfilled, and the leadership team needed to move forward. That’s when SignVideo UK approached Denholm for support.

Our approach

From our first conversation, it was clear that this was a genuinely exciting opportunity. SignVideo is a business driven by purpose, focused on transforming the lives of the deaf community through inclusive communication. The organisation had also recently been recognised as one of the UK’s Great Places to Work, which spoke volumes about the culture they had built.

So where were the barriers?

After discussing the search in detail, three areas quickly became clear where we could add real value.

Employer brand awareness

Within the wider marketing community, awareness of SignVideo UK and its parent company Sorenson Communications was still relatively limited. That meant many strong candidates simply hadn’t come across the opportunity.

Interview process

The existing interview process was designed to be efficient and streamlined, which works well in many situations. For a senior leadership role, though, it moved a little too quickly. Candidates at this level often want time to understand the organisation, meet key stakeholders and properly reflect before making a career decision.

Market positioning and salary alignment

We also shared salary benchmarking and market insight to make sure the package reflected current expectations. Getting this right early on helps strengthen the overall proposition and reduces the risk of candidates being pulled back by counter offers.

What we did

Launched a bespoke BrandBox campaign

To help bring the opportunity to life, we created a tailored BrandBox campaign that highlighted SignVideo’s purpose, values and culture.

We shared this across our LinkedIn network of more than 43,000 followers and used it as part of our direct outreach to senior marketing professionals. The aim was simple. Raise awareness of the organisation and engage experienced candidates who may not have been actively looking but were open to the right opportunity.

Activated our network

Alongside the campaign, we carried out a focused search across our specialist marketing network. This allowed us to quickly identify individuals who not only had the right experience, but who would also connect with the organisation’s purpose and culture.

Many of the candidates we approached had not seen the original advert, which reinforced the value of reaching beyond traditional job advertising.

Refined the interview process

We also suggested introducing a second stage interview that included an in person meeting. This gave the preferred candidate a chance to spend time with the team, get a feel for the office environment and ask any remaining questions.

Sometimes it’s those informal moments that help candidates picture themselves in the role.

The outcome

Within a few weeks we introduced three highly credible candidates. Interestingly, none of them had originally come across the direct advert for the role.

Each brought strong leadership experience and genuine interest in the organisation’s mission. Feedback from the hiring manager was extremely positive, and any of the three could have stepped successfully into the position.

An offer was extended before the end of January and accepted shortly afterwards. The successful candidate joined the business soon after and has already made a significant impact.

Client feedback

"We can’t recommend Denholm Associates highly enough.

Since August we had been searching directly for a Head of Marketing. We reviewed many unsuitable candidates and on two occasions extended offers which were later withdrawn after counter offers from their employers.

We met Marisa in mid-December to ask for support. She was flexible, personable and professional from the outset. Despite the Christmas period, Denholm identified three excellent candidates in less than a month and we felt confident any of them could have been a great Head of Marketing for us.

Before the end of January we extended an offer which was accepted. Our new hire has already proven to be a tremendous asset to the business. Our only regret is that we did not work with Denholm sooner."

Candidate feedback

"Marisa was extremely helpful throughout the entire recruitment process. She was honest, supportive and always took the time to answer my questions thoughtfully.

She gave me clear insight into the role and the company culture, and helped me understand how my experience aligned with what they were looking for. That meant I felt confident and well prepared at every stage.

I really appreciated her transparency and guidance and would highly recommend working with her."

Jamie Hou, Head of Marketing (UK), Sorenson Communications

The value of working with Denholm

Beyond introducing strong candidates, the partnership delivered wider value:

• Market insight and salary benchmarking to ensure the role was competitive
• Repositioning the opportunity to attract passive marketing talent
• Refining the interview process to support stronger decision making
• Reducing the risk of counter offers
• Filling a long standing leadership vacancy through Denholm’s specialist marketing network

The result was not just a successful hire, but a smoother and more confident recruitment process for everyone involved.

Talk to Denholm

Every senior marketing hire is different, but the one constant is that the strongest candidates are rarely just fall into our laps. If you'd like to talk through a role, the market, or simply sense-check your thinking, the Denholm team is always open to a conversation. Contact us on 03303 359 818 today.