Case Studies
CIPR Yorkshire & Lincolnshire PRide Awards 2007 - Gold Award
Category: 7. Public Sector
Name of Entry: The Army – Gatekeeper Influencer Campaign
Organisation entering: Golley Slater Public Relations
Background:
The Army's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is well documented. Military deaths, soldiers lacking equipment and the ongoing debate over the conflicts has resulted in a lack in confidence amongst parents and teachers (known as "gatekeepers") to recommend an Army career to children and pupils.
To influence gatekeepers, the independent third party editorial voice of the media was essential to communicate positive messages about an Army career and highlight that it is not simply concerned with combat.
Objectives:
- Gain regional coverage in print and broadcast media promoting the range of Army opportunities
- Influence gatekeepers and encourage belief in the Army''s credentials as an employer
- Combat negative stories with credible and believable first person accounts
- Support regional recruitment campaigns with pro-active positive PR
Planning:
- Print media identified as the primary target for target market 'gatekeepers'
- Meetings with Commander Regional Recruiting and in-house Media Operations Officers (responsible for operational and crisis management PR) to identify and prepare Q&As covering potentially negative issues
- Clear lines of responsibility established so proactive PR was well timed and didn't conflict with negative/reactive stories
- Positive key messages agreed and evidenced:
- Benefits and opportunities - sport, pay, travel, adventure
- Balance of Army life - variety of Army jobs, leave, family benefits
- Education - training, transferable skills, professional qualifications
- Regular meetings with each Army office to establish current recruiting climate and identify upcoming PR opportunities
- Agreed "true life" stories as an accurate and compelling way to communicate messages alongside bespoke campaigns addressing each Army career "benefit"
- Army recruiters workshops to prepare for journalist interviews and help understand what makes a good PR stor
Implementation:
GS developed activities targeting "gatekeepers2 - working with schools/teachers, exam results, real life experiences and a focus on sports to promote life in the Army.
School Visits:
- Rolling programme of local recruiter and serving soldier visits explaining Army life and outlining careers opportunities available to young people
- Independent career clinics preparing students for job applications, CVs and interviews
- Supporting media relations opportunities actioned with relevant local media titles
Army Careers Exhibitions (supported by aggressive pre, during and post event media relations):
- Annual three day exhibition at Catterick Garrison; aims to attract between 20,000 - 24,000 school and college students
- Mix of interactive and observational Army activities - includes daredevil performances, talking to serving soldiers, dedicated 'careers villages.'
- Dedicated teachers' area - demonstrations from Army personnel educating teachers about careers and The Army's wider role
- Posters provided to schools to encourage participation
- Pre-event releases linking up schools with the relevant newspapers
- Creative media mail shot - 200 tubs of camouflage cream supplied to regional journalists
- Follow up calls establishing interest and event attendance
- Radio interviews arranged beforehand so the media had material for the exhibition's duration
- Dedicated media area set up; GS hosted journalists throughout the exhibition
- Photography of individual schools, providing each newspaper title with a "local" news hook
- Post event releases and photography issued across North East and Yorkshire media
Exam campaign:
- GS identified newspapers producing specialist GCSE/A Levels results supplements which would be well received by gatekeepers
- Targeted advertorial opportunities negotiated with Sheffield Star, Yorkshire Post, Bradford Telegraph & Argus and Teesside Evening Gazette
- Editorial communicated Army career opportunities and offered practical and independent advice on next steps after exam results
Experiences campaign:
- Sharing real life experiences of serving soldiers, partners and parents and recently recruited soldiers
- Regular contact with Army offices ensured steady flow of case studies
- Angles included recently recruited soldiers returning home, twins/siblings/friends enlisting together, first to join new Regiments
- School visits/events used as great picture opportunities
- First person 'positive' accounts about Army life were drip-fed to the media, re-enforcing positive messages to gatekeepers
- News comments about young peoples' interest in The Army; MOD statistics show 'half of young people have considered joining up.'
- PR support of advertising campaign; using the strapline
- "*.thinking of joining? Talk to someone who has*." local soldiers were used to promote the benefits of talking to someone in the Army - creative photography and their own experiences featured in local media
Sports campaign:
- PR supporting the Ocean Fours Rowing (soldiers rowing from New York to
Falmouth). Press releases, media sell-ins, live interviews
(whilst rowing!) and managing ongoing updates/photos to key regional media - Rolling programme of sponsorship; identifying potential sports clubs/teams and arranging kit sponsorship with photocalls and press releases to local media
- 'Fitness tests' features with The Army putting journalists and schools through their paces
Creativity - what makes the campaign stand out?
- Utilising real life soldiers, parents and partners of Army personnel created an effective campaign exploring aspects of Army life in a sensitive and credible manner
- Utilising a variety of PR techniques - all with media relations potential - developed a campaign with genuine media appeal and allowed on-going communication of key messages
- A well thought out campaign strategy allowed GS to present a balanced view to regional titles, some of which are generally non-receptive to positive Army communications due to the vast amount of potentially negative stories available
Results:
- 197 items of positive media coverage across print media, radio and TV were generated (average of over 4 hits per week) with a PR value of just over £500,000 (July 2006 - July 2007) Over 5million (5,155,400) opportunities to see created and 548 key messages were delivered.
- 23,000 kids attending the Army Careers Exhibitions with 43 items of positive coverage containing 119 key messages and 1,883.40 OTS.
- Recruitment targets in the North East & Yorkshire exceeded by 15% (year end March 2007)
- Enquiries increased by 28% compared to previous year
- 1,122 visits to schools during the campaign period.
- 84% of teachers claimed to be better informed about Army opportunities (feedback questionnaire following Army Careers Exhibitions 2006 and 2007.)