The military community is an important group that deserves recognition and appreciation for all their sacrifices. If your company wants to thank these brave heroes for their service, May is the perfect time. May is Military Appreciation Month, and it contains several holidays honoring military and veterans, such as Military Spouse Appreciation Day (which recognizes the 1 million military spouses in the US) and Armed Forces Day. These holidays offer great opportunities to support and connect with the military community.
Brands can show their appreciation for the military—while also growing their business—by offering service members and their families exclusive deals. When brands recognize the military community’s contributions, 66% of military members feel valued and 65% feel supported. This affects how they spend their money, too; 74% of military members say they seek out brands that offer a military discount when making a purchase.
This May, SheerID and Refuel Agency are joining forces to sponsor the STRIVE—a time-limited opportunity for SheerID customers and prospects to launch a military campaign with the help of valuable incentives and best practices. Read on to learn why you should reward the military community with exclusive discounts and how to implement a successful campaign.
Why Market to the Military?
The military is a highly valuable consumer community to target, with approximately 38 million service members, dependents, and veterans in the US. With $1.2 trillion in purchasing power, the military is a lucrative group to engage.
Military members respond well when brands extend personalized offers, too:
- 94% of military members have a positive impression of brands that support the military.
- 96% of the military would share exclusive offers with others in the military community.
- 61% would shop at a brand more often if given a military offer.
These offers drive long-term engagement by nurturing customer loyalty. As one military veteran put it, “When brands honor military members, it makes me feel good.” And when military members feel recognized, they are also more likely to make your campaigns go viral, which lowers your customer acquisition costs. Marketing to the military is a win-win for everyone involved; the community feels appreciated and your brand boosts engagement, retention, and revenue.
When you launch a military campaign using SheerID’s Verification Platform, you digitally verify every military customer, which gives you zero-party data that your brand will own. This zero-party data is a goldmine; it is self-attested information about some of your most enthusiastic customers, which your brand can use to drive highly personalized re-engagement. Your customers benefit too because SheerID provides a fast, seamless verification process that is privacy-friendly.
74% of military members
say they seek out brands that offer a military discount.
How to Market to the Military With Exclusive Offers
When launching a military campaign, it’s important to express sincere gratitude through thoughtful, authentic messaging. Create an attractive offer that is exclusively for the targeted community. Don’t limit your reach to active-duty military members though; veterans, military families, and reservists are also highly valuable groups to target. Feature your offer on your key landing pages and promote it through email campaigns and social media reach.
SheerID is here to provide expert support for brands launching military campaigns. Over the past 10 years, we have launched more than 500 successful military programs, and we’re sharing that insight in a webinar: Strive for the Military Innovation Lab. Register now to learn best practices for engaging the military and get free resources to help you run a military campaign that delivers results.
STRIVE for the Military
In support of Military Appreciation Month and to make it easier for SheerID customers and prospects to launch a military campaign, SheerID has partnered with Refuel Agency to sponsor the STRIVE Campaign. Brands that participate in STRIVE will receive incentives and support, including:
- 5,000 free military verifications.
- Offer listings on SheerID’s Shopper Site and in a national military appreciation press release.
- Best practices for marketing to the military, including:
- A free copy of our military playbook.
- The opportunity to attend our Strive for the Military Innovation Lab and learn best practices for marketing to military members and veterans.
- The latest marketing to the military data report from Refuel, representing a $5,000 value.
Brands that launch a campaign through STRIVE will support the military in more ways than just giving them a discount. SheerID will donate 10% of all revenue to Team RWB, a health and wellness community for veterans. SheerID and Refuel are also co-hosting a health and wellness event for military members and veterans in Fayetteville, NC, home of the US’s largest military base, Fort Bragg.
All of these incentives represent $25k in extra value. To receive these benefits, brands need to launch a new military program by May 31, 2022. SheerID customers and prospects interested in participating in STRIVE should contact their SheerID representative.
Ready to Reach These Hometown Heroes?
Military Appreciation Month is one of the best times to start a military campaign. Join our webinar, Strive for the Military Innovation Lab, and learn how to make it a success.