South Carolina National Guard

Service Member & Family Care

Integrated Marketing Campaign Media Kit

Submitted By: DeAndre Ishmael, Hayley Belton,

Ashlee Eady and Taylor Orman

Page 1

Table of Contents
Executive Summary.2
Research.....5
Situational Analysis....5
SWOT Analysis.......8
Primary Research..........................11
Campaign Recommendations....14
Creative Brief.16
Campaign Strategy...18
Overview.....18
Marketing Plan.....18
Campaign Tactics Overview ....21
Tactical Breakdown.....21
Branding...21
Advertising....24
Digital.....27
Mobile Promotion....29
Event......30
Post-Campaign Measurement.31
Tactic Schedule....32
Budget Breakdown..33
Additional Suggestions...........................................34

Page 2

Executive Summary
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to provide the South Carolina National
Guard, Service Member and Family Care with an evaluation of how service
members perceive their programs and how they determine the usefulness of
the services that are offered. Primary research, secondary research and a
situational analysis was conducting in an effort to offer a campaign that
focuses on re-branding and bringing awareness to the programs offered.
Objectives and Methods
DHAT Marketing Agency have assessed the existing issues of the
brand, as well as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. With
secondary research given by the South Carolina National Guard SM&FC and
primary research from in-depth interviews, the information gathered will
help in the overall rebranding of this division and create more awareness to
these programs offered. Due to the lack of knowledge by service members
about SM&FC, our goal is to create a campaign that will bring awareness,
educate and get the word out about the programs that are available to
service members. Our main objectives fall into two categories of branding
and communications, and are as follows: to elicit information in a more
organized, concise and appealing method, make service members more
aware and inclined to utilize and recommend the services, create a unified
logo and brand image and evoke the feeling of being secure and supported
to service members.

Page 3

Key Results
The key insight we gained from our research is that the designated
target audience, as well as service members who are currently utilizing the
services and programs, would like to have a sense of ease and convenience
associated with the brand. Those who arent utilizing the services were either
simply unaware of the programs or elicited a fear of asking for help. Overall,
service members want to feel supported at all times, in all aspects.

Recommendations
Our recommendations are to create a cohesive brand image and
message. Brand recommendations include implementing the slogan:
Making life easier and creating a new logo option that represents the
concept of support. Establishing a presence online through a distinct SM&FC
website, Google Adwords and through social media, (i.e. Facebook and
Twitter), fall under our communications recommendations. We also
encourage the use of our tactics including: a promotions mobile unit,
outdoor billboards and special SM&FC family event.

Page 4

Research
Strengths of brand are quality and variety in
programs and services offered
Unclear brand message and image
Service members want to feel genuinely
supported
Create awareness of what SM&FC can offer

Page 5

Research
Situational Analysis
Market Analysis
The National Guard is one of the seven part-time military service
branches. Many of these service members train one weekend a month and
two full weeks every year. Their main focus is homeland security and
humanitarian relief. In short, they assist the state in service during times of
emergencies and natural disasters. Though they tend to be assigned to
noncombat task, they can be deployed overseas during times of conflict if
federalized by the President. In the state of South Carolina, the Army
National Guard maintains 80 facilities and currently 10,000 serve as soldiers
or Airmen of the South Carolina National Guard.
Brand Analysis
The Service Member Family Care Centers of the South Carolina
National Guard are located in the following cities across the district:
Spartanburg, Clemson, Orangeburg, Charleston, Rock Hill, Florence,
Columbia and West Columbia. Their mission is to put families first and to
create long-lasting relationships of trust. This is followed through the
implementation of programs that provide various services and assistance to
service members. Service members, retirees and their family members are
eligible to receive benefits and services that include personal and group
exercise training as well as wellness coaching and nutrition counseling. Other
services provided fall under the topics of employment, employer support,
veteran advisory, transition assistance, resilience, risk reduction, suicide
prevention, psychological health, survivor outreach, family and finance. They

Page 6

need their marketing supplies to appeal to their service members, their

families, and to their community partners. The logos and materials they use
now are not uniform and this can cause confusion and lack of interest.
Appealing to all of their audiences is difficult because they have a broad
target audience and a large amount of services they need to promote.
Audience Analysis
For this campaign, the National Guard wants to focus on service
members and their families who are not aware of these programs and
services provided. The programs and services are available to all service
branches including the Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army and Marines. The
budget allotted for this campaign is $15,000 and will stretch over a span of 12
months. Currently, there are approximately 10,000 soldiers and airmen that
serve in the National Guard. 50.2% of the guardsmen are under the age of 28
and about 81.47% of them are male. Other demographics show that a large
majority of the guardsmen are white. All service members have access to
computers and cell phones. The campaign will also target various
community partners, but the primary target are the South Carolina National
Guard service members and their families.
Competitive Analysis
As far as competitors, this specific division, Service Member & Family
Care, is specific to the South Carolina National Guard. These programs will be
introduced to other states but at the moment, they are unique to South
Carolina. Although, service members could choose to seek assistance in the
aforementioned areas outside of the National Guard, such as doctors or
other government entities. This may include Veterans Affairs and Assistance
offices and/or USA Care, which offers veteran and family military assistance.

Page 7

The South Carolina National Guard is currently active on Facebook and

Twitter, but the focus is to create a presence for the Service Member and
Family Care brand. The campaign will be initiated in an attempt to create a
unified brand among the branch and the division and to rebrand this division
as a whole.

Page 8

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:
1. Employment services
2. Family Programs
3. Programs to help military youth.
4. Survivor services
5. Substance Abuse Programs
6. Psychological health programs
7. Health and Wellness
8. R3SP
9. Deployment cycle support
10. Integrated Behavioral Health

Page 9

The National Guards Service Member and Family Care programs have
many benefits that they urge service members to use. They provide all
services National Guard members would need as well as services their
families need. Family, military youth, substance abuse, health and wellness,
and R3SP are just a few programs the SM&FC offers to their service
members. Employment and survivor services are also offered to those who
have returned and need help in their day-to-day lives.
Weaknesses:
1. Service members are not aware of the programs offered
2. Lack of effective marketing materials
3. No uniformity
4. Broad target audience
5. Large amount of services offered
The SM&FC has a great selection of services offered but need help in
many areas so that their service members and others know about what the
services consist of. Their main problem is service members are not aware of
the programs they can utilize. Most do not know they can be assisted in so
many ways. The SM&FC also lack effective marketing materials such as a
logo, slogan, printed material, and event ideas.
Opportunities:
1. Make the programs and benefits known to service members
and future service members
2. Have information at service members fingertips
3. Make a more uniform and effective marketing strategy
4. Organize all of the services so that they do not overwhelm the
member.
5. Market to different target audiences in the most effective way
The SM&FC have many opportunities for success in their department.
They first need to get their information out to their target audiences so that
they are aware of the services they offer. If their information is easily

Page 10

accessible to service members, their families, and their community partners,

more of their services will be utilized. To get their information out to their
audiences, the SM&FC need to appeal to them through their marketing
strategies. With a more uniform and eye catching design, the audiences will
be more reluctant to learn more about the services offered and get the help
they need.
Threats
1. Service members seek out alternative forms of help.
2. Cutbacks on budget
3. Service members not using services
4. National Guard canceling services
The National Guard does not have many threats to their organization.
The SM&FC need to worry about their audiences not learning about the
services they offer so they pursue alternative forms of help or not using their
services at all when they need them. Cutbacks on the budget for the services
would hurt the service members as well as the National Guard canceling the
services completely.

Page 11

Primary Research
This research was conducted in an effort to delve deeper into the
current needs and wants of National Guard service members. The questions
utilized in this research were more personally driven as far as their
background, experiences and recommendations. By conducting in-depth
interviews we wanted to learn more about the service members familiarity
with the SM&FC along with connecting their experience in the National
Guard with the services offered. While doing the secondary research we
were made aware of the current issues regarding the branch in terms of
familiarity, perception and overall usage. But, what was missing was
personal insight and expertise from the service members who are or will
eventually utilize these services and programs.
Description
The research methods we used were in-depth interviews. Interviews
were appropriate for our study because it allowed us to gain qualitative data
needed for our research.
Our Data Collection process consisted of interviewing 4-5 services
members in the National Guard. The questions were geared towards the
effectiveness of the services provided by the National Guard for services
members and their families ( if applicable).
The methods of analysis that we used consisted of Interpretive
analysis, SWOT analysis and Qualitative data analysis. Our interpretive
analysis focused on the assessment of personal experiences of Service
members through interviews. Our qualitative data analysis focused on
understanding and interpreting the information obtained. Our SWOT
analysis identified the strengths and weaknesses of the programs provided
by the South Carolina Army National Guard.

Page 12

We interviewed four service members ranging from 20-27 years of age,

with different levels of experience and knowledge about the National Guard.
The results show that that the National Guard members do not know all the
services that Service Members and Family Care have to offer them and are
not satisfied with the ones they do have knowledge about. The interviewees
seem to all have needed the services offered to them and did utilize the ones
they knew about such as the job placement, health and wellness, financial
help and educational benefits. All service members did say that if they
needed help they would reach out to the National Guard because they know
they have services that can assist them. Not all of the ones interviewed had a
family of their own but still worry about that in the future. Education was
important to all four of them and they all plan to further their education with
the help of the National Guard.
Research found that the best way to reach out to them would be when
they are all together at training. Since they do a lot of tests and learning on
the weekends, they would like to be informed about what Service Members
and Family Care have to offer at the beginning of the weekend so they are
not too tired to retain the information. They would like to be told in person
by a representative or be given pamphlets they can hold on to.

Page 13

Interview Profile
Married

Education

Healthcare

Job

Financial

Utilized

Was Satisfied

w/

Focus

and

Placement

Focus

Services

with the

Wellness

Focus

children

Services

Focus

Offered

Interview 1

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Interview 2

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Interview 3

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Interview 4

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Page 14

Campaign Recommendations
Our main objective is to rebrand the SM&FC division while creating
awareness of the existing services for service members. We are aware that
the SM&FC is South Carolina based and should primarily focus their efforts
there before branching out. These are our campaign recommendations:
Understand the needs of the local service members and families
Create a new way to find out what the members need
Invite members to like social media pages
Organize events and platforms to educate the public about services
and programs

Page 15

Strategy
Overall Strategy: Rebrand SM&FC to have a
consistent image and message
Service members tend to have a fear of asking
for help
Tone: Caring, supportive and helpful

Page 16

Creative Brief
1. Why are we doing this integrated campaign?
The purpose of this campaign is to make the programs and services
offered by the SC National Guard Service Member and Family Care
(SM&FC) Division more known and readily available to current and
future service members.
Elicit information in a more organized, concise and appealing
method
Make service members more aware and inclined to utilize and
recommend the services
Create a unified logo and brand image
Evoke the feeling of being secure and supported to service
members
2. Who is our target audience?
The target audience encompasses the demographics of the brands
majority constituents who are most likely to utilize the services and
programs.
Location: South Carolina
General Target: National Guard Service Members and their
families
Core Target: Males, ages 18-28, of all races
Secondary Target: Various community partners
Current Psychographic of Service Members:
Unaware of services and programs
Fear of reaching out for help
Feel lack of support
3. What is the key consumer insight?
Service members who are currently utilizing the services and programs
would like to have a sense of ease and convenience. Those who arent
utilizing the services elicited a fear of asking for help, which is a
weakness of the brand and the program.
4. What is/are the main propositions/offers?
Were there when you need us, with the kind of services that can help
service members.
5. What is the convincing support for the claim?
The programs that the South Carolina National Guard offer under their

Page 17

Service Member & Family Care are to show the servicemen the
program cares about their well being overall.
Health and Wellness-One of the service members that we
interviewed stated I would stress the importance of utilizing the
health and wellness program. Our health is very important and
this service is free of charge to us. The average cost in the
civilian world is $150-200 per hour.
Employment Services-Some of the key benefits included in this
service are job referrals, placement assistance, resume and
interview preparation and skill assessment.
Veteran Advisor- Can assist you in areas regarding VA claims or
compensation, employment, medical issues, legal services,
health and wellness, housing assistance and much more.
Transition Assistance - Can assist members on and off active
duty.
Resilience, Risk Reduction, Suicide Prevention- Identifies high
stress or risk factors within you or your family members. Provides
mandatory and optional suicide prevention training.
Psychological Health Program- Provides counseling assessments
and referrals at no cost.
Survivor Services Branch- Acts as a conduit to benefits that a
family is entitled to and connects families with others who have
suffered a similar loss.
6. What is the core brand positioning?
The SM&FC would like to been seen as a support system where and
when you need them.
b) Personality?
Caring, supportive and helpful. Readiness to aid service
members with any struggles or hardships they may face during
their time of service.
c) Tone of voice of the campaign?
Informative and caring
7. Any mandatories?
Mandatory elements include the logo, the name of the brand and the
name of the services and programs provided by the SM&FC.

Page 18

Campaign Strategy
Overview
Based on our research, we saw it best fit to mainly focus campaign efforts on
promotions. The clients main goal is to rebrand their division with a
consistent image and message. By focusing on the quality of the product,
which are the programs offered, and how they are viewed amongst service
members, this rebranding effort can be achieved. Place is not a major factor
in our campaign, as these programs are select to South Carolina, and should
be improved before further expansion.

Marketing Plan

Price
There is currently no price associated with the programs offered and
we would like to keep it this way. The lack of the price shows that the
SM&FC truly cares about helping service members and providing
support by any means necessary.

Page 19

Place
Service Member & Family Care, is specific to the South Carolina
National Guard. These programs will eventually be introduced to other
states but at the moment, they are unique to South Carolina. Once
they are introduced to other states, continuing one message and
image will be essential.
Product
Our campaign will not implement any new products, i.e. the services
and programs offered, we will only work to highlight and create a
cohesive image of these services and programs:
Employment Services
Employment Support to Guard and Reserve
Veteran Advisor Program
Transition Assistance
Resilience, Risk Reduction, Suicide Prevention (R3SP) Program
Psychological Health Program
Survivor Services Branch
Family Programs
Promotions
Promotion efforts will include:
Posts to social media (Facebook and Twitter) - Post 2-3 posts a day
Mobile Promotions Unit
Table cloths with SM&FC logo
Banners with the SM&FC logo
Brochures that outline the various services and programs
Branded products - T-shirts, wristbands, key chains, etc.
Family SM&FC Event - Take your family to base day, so the families of
service members can see what they do for a living.

Page 20

Tactics
Create a new logo and slogan
Focus on branding, communication and
promotions
Tactics: Online Advertising, Social Media,
Mobile Promotions, SM&FC Family Event

Page 21

Tactics Overview
Create a new logo and unify the SM&FC brand and sub-brands
Promotions: Social Media, Mobile Unit, and SM&FC Family Event

Tactical Breakdown
Branding
Logo and Slogan: Making Life Easier

Page 22

Envelope Mockup

Letterhead Mockup

Page 23

Mug Sample

T-Shirt Sample

Page 24

Advertising
SEO - Google Adwords
Google Adwords will help the audience find exactly what they are
looking for. These words will direct them to the Facebook/Twitter/Website
of the SM&FC. Google Adwords will be tailored to the SM&FC with words
such as these:
PTSD
Suicide Prevention
National Guard Services
Family Care
SM&FC
SM and FC
Service members and family care
National Guard SC
Employment Services
Veteran Advisor
Transition Assistance
Survivor Services
Help for Veterans
Service member
Service member help
Service Member Care
Assistance for Service Members

Page 25

Outdoor Billboards - Image Building, Awareness

Outdoor Billboards will attract National Guard members and future
members. These will be seen as they drive by. They will inform the viewer of
services offered and have a specific message for each billboard so that the
reader will not be too distracted by reading a lot of words. The Care You
Deserve, Helping Those Who Help Us, Youre There For Us, Were Here For
You, and of course the slogan chosen for SM&FC Making Life Easier. We
want to make the words easy to read and make an impact.

Page 26

Facebook and Twitter Ads

Facebook and Twitter ads will be directed at the target audience. The
posts will attempt to engage the audience and get them to interact with
SM&FC. These ads will market the services they offer and inform the
audience of what they can take advantage of. We do not want to post
advertisements too frequently, because the audience might be reached too
frequently and stop reading our posts. Ads will be about upcoming events,
new offers, reminders of current services, etc.

Page 27

Digital
Posts to Social Media (Facebook, Twitter)
Social media needs to have a schedule with a constant flow of posting
to keep your fanbase. Always post 2-3 posts a day around the peak times
when people are own social media like Facebook and Twitter. Peak hours for
social media is in the
morning around 6-9am ,
in the afternoon 12-3pm
and around dinner time
5-9pm. Posting during
peak hours will drive more
traffic to your page.

Page 28

Website
The website should be more visual appealing and user friendly. All the
information is very important but visual pictures can help clients gain a
mental image of them in these programs. We suggest an intro video for
SMFC over all to draw
attention to the programs in
general. Then for clients that
do not mind speaking about
their experience with the
programs they can speak on
individual videos on each
program about how it helped
with their life.

Page 29

Promotions
Mobile Unit, Always Ready
When promoting the Service Member and Family Care Division it is
vital to have one message and one voice. In order to ensure this, a mobile
unit can be utilized for consistent promotions efforts in various locations.
The mobile unit will be equipped with items such as table cloths and banners
with the SM&FC logo, brochures that outline the various services and
programs, and branded
products such as t-shirts,
wristbands, key chains, etc.
The mobile unit can be
transported throughout
various locations in South
Carolina in an effort to bring
more awareness and
knowledge to the brand.

Page 30

Event
In an attempt to show service members how much you support them
and appreciate their service we recommend organizing and hosting a Family
Day Event. This will be in an attempt to show families of those who serve in
the National Guard what they do for a living, as well as show that the SM&FC
cares for service members and their loved ones. Previous events that the
guard has hosted include a Fun Run and military simulations, better known
as war games. The best time to host this family fun day would be during the
month of May, which is Military Appreciation Month. Tabling at the family
event will include free check ups, informational pamphlets that promote
health and mental health. Promotions for Event the event will consist of
social media posting, press releases, and emails.

Page 31

Post-Campaign Measurement
Communication Objective 1: Elicit information in a more organized, concise
and appealing method.
Interviews
By communicating with service members in an organized, concise, and
appealing method, SM&FC will inform their audience of the services they
provide more effectively. SM&FC can measure the impact of this objective
by asking a couple of questions to the service members about what services
they know SM&FC provides. They can also create a not organized, concise or
appealing version of a pamphlet/informative brochure and ask them to
choose which design they prefer more and why.
Communication Objective 2: Make service members more aware and
inclined to utilize and recommend the services .
Database and Survey
Keeping track of the amount of service members that have used the services
for the first time will show SM&FC the impact of this campaign. Upon arrival,
SM&FC can ask service members to fill out a 3-5 question survey asking if it is
their first time, if they were recommended and by who, and a checklist of
services they intend to utilize. They can also distribute a survey after the visit
asking how satisfied they are with the help they received and if they would
recommend it to a fellow service members.
Branding Objective 1: Create a unified logo and brand image.
Quiz
To measure the impact of the logo and brand image, SM&FC should solicit a
short quiz to service members, after a while of using the new logo and brand
image, to test their knowledge about SM&FC. Asking them to choose the

Page 32

correct color scheme, logo, and/or slogan. By measuring their memory of

the new brand image and logo, SM&FC can understand the impact of the
new additions on the service members.
Branding Objective 2: Evoke the feeling of being secure and supported to
service members.
Database
To measure their feeling of support and security, we recommend keeping
count of the amount of members that utilize the services and how
frequently they return. By measuring this, SM&FC can see that service
members receive care and was satisfied enough to return for additional care.
If they do not return after their first visit, they were unsatisfied and did not
feel secure and supported by SM&FC and most likely will seek out alternate
forms of help.

Tactic Schedule

Page 33

Budget Breakdown
Total Budget: $15,000
Reasons

Costs

Twitter and Facebook Advertising

$250

Outdoor Billboard

$5,000

Mobile Unit

$5,000

Products for Mobile Unit

$1,500

Family Event

$2,000

Total

$13,750

Page 34

Additional Suggestions
Newsletter
A monthly online newsletter that would feature testimonials
from Service members who utilize the services offered, detailed
information about the services provided and also important
dates for upcoming events.
Radio Slots
Purchase event specific radio time, i.e for the Bring your family
to Base Day. This would be an easy way to reach service
members who aren't active on social media or visit base
frequently to see the flyers. It is also a good way to reach their
families if the message still doesnt get to them.
Vendor Fair/Expo Tabling
Build a bond with those in the community that host different
events where the mobile unit can be utilized in bringing more
awareness to the services SM&FC has to offer.
Buttons
To clip onto bag with SM&FC logo and phone number on it for
convenience