- Employer – U.S. Army Central California Recruiting Battalion
- Industry – Military
- Date – 2023/2024
The Commanding General of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, 4-Star General Gary M. Brito came to visit San Francisco in March of 2023 to celebrate educators with the “Your Army Salutes Community Educators” event at the War Memorial Veterans Building in downtown San Francisco. As much as this was a community relations event and brand awareness event, this was also a public affairs event that was trying to build good relations and change policy with both government and school officials, which is why there were multiple local San Francisco and California State government officials, the San Francisco School District Superintendent, and multiple Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army. As the digital & social media manager for the U.S. Army’s Central California Recruiting Battalion, it was my job to help support the overall event.
Research, Budget, & Timeline: The local Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army oversaw the overall event. So, there was no budget on the battalion’s end. They managed most of the initial preparation with things like picking a venue and managing the VIP selection, leading up to the event from February to March of 2023. My job was to organically promote the event on the battalion’s social media accounts before the event and to help manage logistics on the day of the event.
My overall goals were to;
- Raise awareness of the event within the Bay Area on the battalion’s social media accounts.
- Help the General’s aids and CASAs with the overall event management and logistics.
Below are the strategies and tactics that were used.
- Social Media: Crafted social media posts to promote the event across the battalion’s 21 social media accounts situated in the Bay Area. As the target audience comprised educational professionals in the region, I incorporated educational hashtags to enhance visibility among this demographic.
- Marketing Materials: Created a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation showcasing a collection of U.S. Army-related photos and videos. This presentation was displayed as educators, government officials, and VIPs entered the event venue.
- Event Logistics: Helped set up the PA system, ran the marketing materials on the large screen, and ran videos on cue for the 4 Star General during his presentation. Additionally, I arranged an impromptu Facetime interview, which was requested by the CASA in the middle of the event, with a “VIP” that was created in real-time during the event.
- VIP Relations: Collaborated directly with the battalion commander, brigade commander, multiple CASAs, and the staff of the 4-star general, answering questions and managing their requests.
- Event Photography: Captured numerous photos throughout the event, intended for utilization in both social media posts and marketing materials for the 4-star General.
Below were the final results.
- Total Reached Online: 2,576 people
- Total Attendance: 212 people
Overall, it was considered a very successful event within the battalion’s footprint. What made this so successful is that the Battalion’s Education Service Specialist was able to build several new contacts and open doors for the recruiters within the Bay Area when it comes to the local school district. So, the event overall was able to help influence policy in the right direction for the U.S. Army and its recruiting efforts. Plus, both the battalion and brigade commanders were very happy with my work and the overall event.
This campaign won multiple awards in 2024.
- Public Relations Society of America “Image Awards” – Award of Merit: Public Affairs
- Public Relations Society of America “Image Awards” – Award of Merit: Special Event