Did you know that the USA has 19.1 million veterans*? Or that 4.9 million veterans# (about 27% of the total number of veterans) have a service-connected disability? They need our support and Veterans Day is the perfect opportunity to show our appreciation.
For decades, November 11 has been observed as Veterans Day in honor of military veterans who have served the country in the Armed Forces. Many businesses and brands across the country offer discounts and valuable deals to veterans and their families during this federal holiday.
Unfortunately, many businesses overstep their marketing and often launch thoughtless campaigns that make it more about the brand or product than veterans. This article will help you launch a campaign that is sensitive to veterans and caring for their needs.
1) Remember that Veterans Day is not about you
Avoid promotional material that appears patronizing and self-promotional. Avoid political content or anything that can create a controversy.
Veterans should remain the focus of your design and copy, with your brand relegated to a corner of the messaging.
2) Avoid misrepresenting veterans or the military
Many businesses use stock videos and images to represent veterans. Unfortunately, these images/videos often show outdated or incorrect uniforms that can lead to a huge backlash. Instead, run stories of real veterans or how you support charities that work for them.
3) Plan your campaign around a cause
Avoid the usual “Thank You” messages in your Veterans Day campaign. Instead, focus on a cause that puts your business in good light. You could volunteer with a non-profit that helps veterans or create a program that employs veterans and provides them with comprehensive training.
This way, your brand will gain a lot of goodwill in the local community.
4) Sponsor a Veteran’s Day event or parade
Is there an event or parade in your city that’s honoring veterans? You could get involved by pitching yourself as a sponsor. Offer money or help with the event. Your presence at the event will serve as a morale booster for employees while showing a different side of your business to customers.
5) Donate a share of your sales
Donate a % of your sales on Veterans Day to a charity associated with veterans. You could also get your customers involved by asking for donations. You could match the customer’s donation by adding your share to each donation made. Finally, donate the amount collected to a charity or associated linked to veterans.
6) Distribute useful giveaways
The best way to get everybody talking about this federal holiday is distributing giveaways with thoughtful messages. There are thousands of useful and long-lasting promotional products in our inventory to give your brand and Veterans Day a big boost. You can choose from logo printed t shirts, custom engraved pens promotional hats, , personalized gel pens, imprinted bags, thoughtful mugs and lots more!
We hope you found this article useful. Contact us to launch a marketing campaign that can have a profound impact on your business, employees and target audience. You can contact us by writing to info@promodirect.com or calling on 800-748-6150. We look forward to helping you for veteran marketing campaign.
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