Engaging Military and Veteran Communities With Your Brand
Before starting your outreach campaign, understand your target audience.
By Kevin Blanchard
With more than 640 International Franchise Association-member companies now actively participating in the VetFran program, the franchise industry is actively searching for qualified veterans as employees and business owners. Veteran recruitment presents one certain challenge: everyone is doing the same as there is significant competition for capturing the military community’s attention. As a combat Marine veteran who has worked on veteran’s affairs for the past seven years, and currently manages VetFran, I want to share some “best practices” learned for engaging this audience. If you are a franchisor, you might want to recruit veterans into your system; suppliers might want to offer a discount to gain veterans was customers. The common question remains, where do you find them? Before one addresses where to find members of the military and veteran communities, it is important to first understand two things: Who exactly are veterans? What does your veteran’s program offer? Most people have never served in the military and lack an understanding of the military culture.
Exactly who are veterans?
Before any outreach campaign is conducted, it is essential to understand your target audience. In the case of recruiting veterans as franchisees, it’s a practical step for the franchise brand to separate the veteran population into three broad categories. The brand can then focus on which demographic is most appropriate for its opportunity. For example, the transitioning veteran population may be more suited to recruit as employees or placed into a management track that leads to ownership. Another category of the veteran population includes those who were discharged several years ago. After discharge, many veterans take advantage of the Post-911 GI Bill, and then go into the work force. Some veterans realize after a few years of working that the corporate culture does not match their needs, which is one of the reasons why many turn to a life of entrepreneurship. The military instills leadership, management and a detailed nature for conducting work. These skills are critical for operating a business. Lastly, the brand may consider veterans who have spent 20 years or more in the military and have retired. Many take on second careers in corporate leadership roles, government contract work and business ownership. These individuals are well positioned for franchising. They have retirement pensions, substantial leadership experience and can be as young as 38.
What does your veteran’s program do?
Before conducting outreach, it is important to establish a well thought-out veterans program and its purpose. It is also important to communicate your veterans program at all levels of your organization, and designate someone to manage and execute the program. Your veteran’s program should then become part of the overall culture in the organization. This helps to create a welcoming environment for veterans interested in your organization. Offering a discount or incentive is noble and well received, but there is always room to be creative with your incentive. Some examples may include offering a discount on the franchise fee, reduced royalties, credits for food or equipment, and even a competitive contest to award a franchise unit to one or more qualified veterans. Offering a discount is not only a great way to show your support, but it’s also a smart way to grow your business and reach new customers, potential franchisees and employees. Once your veterans program has been established, it is time to think about an outreach strategy. This will take time and the company needs to be dedicated to the effort. There are a few things to keep in mind when creating an outreach strategy. You may want to consider reaching out to members of the military community before they are discharged. The military market is huge, but they won’t magically show up at your doorstep. It is recommended to try the following five tips to help spread the word about your new veterans program.
1. Be Genuine
Since the recent wars, attention from the media around the military and veterans communities has soared and veterans take note. Veterans generally have a keen sense for genuine offerings. This trait is gained from the military, but also learned from an overwhelming number of assistance programs for veterans. Try to keep it simple and make your opportunity sincere. Veterans recognize when a company is truly “military-friendly” and has a track record of genuine support and appreciation. Your company can be perceived as “military-friendly” from messaging that is truthful, transparent and comes from the heart.
2. Reach Them Where They Are
Those in active duty military relocate frequently. Many military families live on bases or in small towns near the bases. Many of the bases are not in close proximity to malls, superstores, or brick-and-mortar shops. The upside to this is it may be easier to target your marketing efforts and meet the military market where they are, both on bases and online. Here are some suggestions to reach the military and veteran communities. Offer your discount online through a targeted “military-friendly” webpage. Your offering and message should be clear and consistent. Try to make receiving additional information from your company’s veteran representative as easy as possible. Adjust your outreach campaign such as print ads, webpage, radio ads, billboards and press releases to a more geo-targeted area that has a high population of veterans. This research can be found through the Veterans Administration and some veteran service organizations. It is also possible to advertise on bases. Each military base has its own newspapers where you can place ads. Some content on the Internet may be censored, so newspaper ads provide a good alternative. IFA’s VetFran program offers VetFran members the opportunity to post articles of success stories and press releases at no cost. Veterans interested in franchising are likely to visit a program such as VetFran that is focused on veterans in franchising. Host or sponsor an event. There are a number of career fairs focused on veterans where franchise companies can participate or you can host your own event.
3. Include Military Families
The military market includes active-duty, reservists, retired military and employees equaling 8.2 million consumers, a large potential market to capture. An effective communication strategy to reach members of the veteran population is through their spouses. If the offering is genuine and is of interest to the family, the spouse will likely share it with the veteran. Let spouses help spread the word about your veterans program.
4. Don’t Give Up
Franchise businesses often have only limited resources designated to their effort, but keep in mind the veteran may not be ready to receive your opportunity now, but may in the future. When someone is interested, keep track and take note of his military or veteran status, and always keep in touch. Remind them frequently that your organization is “military-friendly” and that your veterans program is designed to support them, and is a benefit to them. You might consider setting up a simple tracking system to organize contact information and status.
5. Share Your Own Success Stories and Best Practices
You should keep in mind that VetFran is an industry-wide initiative and not specific to any one company. If there are certain strategies that work better than others, share them with the industry. VetFran, located at www.vetfran.com, is a perfect place to engage your ideas with others.
Kevin Blanchard is coordinator of research & strategic initiatives for the International Franchise Association. Find him at fransocial.franchise.org.