- Employer – U.S. Army Central California Recruiting Battalion
- Industry – Military
- Date – 2023
The U.S. Army’s Central California Recruiting Battalion, comprising 6 distinct army companies and more than 250 recruiters, is committed to promoting educational opportunities and community development by giving back with community service. So, when our Soldier & Family Assistance (SFA) Program Manager found themselves with an excess of school supplies, the Battalion’s Digital & Social Media Marketing Manager spearheaded the initiative, leading to the inception of the 2023 U.S. Army School Supply Crawl 2023 Campaign.
The overall campaign was based on our Soldier & Family Program which works with the non-profit called Operation Homefront. The organization provides relief and recurring family support programs and services throughout the year to help military families overcome short-term difficulties, so they don’t become long-term hardships. They provide everything from canned goods to school supplies, and toys during Christmas. So once our battalion was taken care of, we had extra school supplies. The timeline was from July to September 2023 as it took a lot of time to arrange the donation drop off and there was no budget as it does not cost the battalion anything.
The idea was to give supplies to schools and organizations that need support. Since the Battalion is ⅓ of California and covers over 48,000+ square miles, I chose to launch the campaign in the Fresno Company. From that, my goals were to;
- Research schools and organizations that need support with supplies.
- Raise brand awareness of the event after the campaign ended on social media.
Diving into my local contacts and reaching out to many of them, my objectives were to;
- Provide school supplies to 6 different organizations and schools within the area.
- Have local press in the Fresno area cover the campaign.
- Build brand awareness with social media influencers about the campaign.
Below are the tactics that were used.
- Event Management & Logistics: I effectively managed and orchestrated logistics across multiple schools and organizations for a multi-day event spanning several cities.
- Event Photography: I captured numerous photos throughout the campaign featuring all participating parties, which were utilized for social media posts and marketing material.
- Media Relations: After the campaign, with the support of the Visalia Unified School District’s PIO, we were able to pitch local media.
- VIP Relations: During the Visalia phase of the campaign, recruiters and I met with the new Visalia Unified Superintendent and President of the Teacher’s Union, we ensured a premium experience and attention to their needs, while overall enhancing the reputation of the battalion.
- Social Media: I created post-campaign social media content which effectively extended the campaign’s reach.
- Influencer Relations: I leveraged the national social media accounts of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command U.S. Army Recruiting Command where they shared my social media content to amplify campaign exposure.
Below were the final results.
School Supplies Donated: (Valley Children’s Hospital 300, Jefferson Elementary 300, Willow Glen Elementary 300, Goshen Elementary 300, Ivanhoe Elementary 300, Washington Elementary 300) Total 1,200. Plus, the Sun-Gazette also wrote an article about the campaign. Plus, multiple high-profile VIPs like Military Generals, and other organizations shared the content on their social media accounts. Overall, it was considered a very successful event within the battalion’s footprint.
This campaign won an award in 2024.
- Public Relations Society of America “Image Awards” – Award of Excellence: Community Relations