Military Appreciation Campaigns That Actually Matter
Are You Interested in Military Appreciation Campaigns?
Military appreciation campaigns are not waving the flag on social media for one weekend in May or November. If your brand wants to truly connect with the military community, it's time to move beyond the basics and build something real, lasting, and appreciated.
Let’s dive into what works (and what flops) in military appreciation marketing—and how your brand can lead with purpose.
Why Military Appreciation Campaigns Deserve Strategy
Don't get it wrong. Military appreciation campaigns are about more than goodwill. The nuance is that goodwill is used as a marketing tool, creating a "do good" component within a business growth strategy. This is important because military audiences are:
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Highly loyal customers
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Tight-knit, word-of-mouth-driven
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Influencers in their communities
A smart, authentic appreciation campaign shows respect and creates long-term brand loyalty. Support isn’t seasonal. It’s strategic.
5 Military Appreciation Campaigns That Got It Right
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Call of Duty Endowment: Helping veterans land post-military jobs. Impact-driven and on-brand.
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NFL's Salute to Service: Tributes, tangible appreciation, and exclusive opportunities wrapped in real support for service members.
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Hops for Heroes: A limited edition beer campaign that gives back to military charities. Authentic, fun, and meaningful.
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Starbucks Military Family Stores: Staffed by veterans and military spouses in high-density military areas. Real impact.
Military Appreciation Missteps to Avoid
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A one-day sale with zero authenticity
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Misusing patriotic holidays for profit
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Forgetting military spouses and families
Your audience can smell performative marketing a mile away. If you're showing up just for the optics, you're doing it wrong.
How to Launch a Military Appreciation Campaign That Resonates
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Start with the “why.” Are you aiming to support, employ, donate, or raise awareness?
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Partner with legit organizations. Think: USO, TAPS, Blue Star Families, or In The Barracks.
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Make it year-round. The military lifestyle isn’t seasonal, so your appreciation shouldn’t be either.
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Educate your team. Military culture is unique—know the difference between a soldier and an airman.
Brands don’t have to be military-specific to win with this audience. But you do need to be real. Military appreciation campaigns that matter lead with empathy, build relationships, and create conversations that continue well past Veterans Day.
Put the effort in, and this community will rally around your brand for years to come.
Brands typically make attempts to connect and engage with the military community on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Throw in a discount and this is what the market has told the military to expect in the way of outreach. For a brand willing to do more, there is an opportunity to turn the heads of the ~40 million consumers that make up the military community.
Marketing to the military should be an “always on” mentality, not just a few touches throughout the year at the same time every other brand is doing the exact same thing. The military community is one of the largest American consumer segments, made up of people from all walks of life. Their diversity and lifestyle offer tremendous marketing opportunities through military appreciation campaigns to brands who serve every audience. For a brand to really connect with this group, a level of understanding is required – not just check-the-box marketing done on Veterans Day.
Does your brand have an effective strategy to connect with the military community? The Barracks can help. Our team designs and executes marketing and sponsorship campaigns targeting the military community. We deliver results because we understand the audience. We understand who they are, where they live, and what drives them. We speak their language. We connect with the military community through authentic messaging in channels where they are, with information relevant to their lives.
Military appreciation campaigns help brands connect with the military community. Let’s talk about how we can help your brand.
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WHY US?
Our team designs and executes military marketing and sponsorship campaigns targeting the military community.
We deliver results because we understand the audience and how to position your brand message so that it resonates with a military audience.
We understand the pitfalls to avoid, the vernacular to use, and how to be authentic.
If your brand's military marketing strategy is offering a military discount, there is more opportunity for your brand to make an impact and connect with the armed forces as a growth strategy.
Let's talk.