Are You Sabotaging Your Military Discount?

If your company has a military discount there is a strong chance…it is sabotaging your brand. 

Whether you offer a military discount as an expression of appreciation or to generate sales…you are attempting to generate sales. I know, what you are thinking, “but Chris, our discount is meant to say ‘thank you’”. If you are thinking something similar, let me ask you this question, “do you give away your product/service for free?”  If you do, that is not a discount, that is a giveaway or donation depending on how you frame it.

However, if you give a percentage off the standard purchase price, utilize a buy one get one, or other variations of common discount methods, your promotion is an enticement for a sale… and there’s nothing wrong with it!!  (except how you present  it).

Undoubtedly to spread the word about your military discount you make a marketing/promotional graphic. This is a great idea because as everyone knows, a picture is worth 1000 words. But what specifically do your graphics say? Do they sabotage the discount??

Imagine if a store in Ohio was trying to sell to Ohio State Buckeye fans but the people in the promotional material were all wearing Michigan gear (and were portrayed in a positive light)? If you know any Buckeye fans, you would know it is considered a crime by a great many Ohioans to wear Blue & Gold, especially as “THE” game approaches. A company located near Columbus, OH would never make such a marketing blunder (and expect to stay in business long).

Yet this level of jaw-dropping marketing misstep is exactly what happens for most companies when they promote their military discounts. 

To really get the most out of your military marketing and/or discount, take a page from the military playbook and understand that there is "beauty is in the basics".

Do you hire a copy writer to make sure your marketing messages are perfectly crafted for the target audience? Yes, but what happens if our copywriter does not speak the language? Do you use Marine, Soldier, Sailor or Airman interchangeably?  If you don’t think this is a big deal, would you ever call a Buckeye fan a Wolverine fan? 

Yet the stakes are even higher when the picture itself is wrong. Imagine how it feels to see a military discount showing people wearing Halloween costumes. This is not an overstatement. I find countless examples of this nearly every day. It is not that these businesses have malicious intentions. They just don’t know better. However, ignorance is not bliss…it is a loss of sales.

Here are a 5 tips to help prevent you from sabotaging your own message.

1.    Use American uniforms. This sounds comical but it is one of the most often made mistakes.

2.    Use patches authentically. If you are going to use military patches of any kind, especially the American flag spend 30 seconds to research how and where to place them.

3.    Get a haircut. Yes, there are some members of the military who have scraggly hair, but these are usually not the people you put on promotional material (think Gomer Pile, probably not the type of branding you want).

4.    Shave. Shaving, like winning is not a sometimes thing, but an all the time thing (thanks Vince Lombardi). Unless you are depicting special forces operators (i.e Navy SEALs, Green Berets) on deployment, EVERYONE SHAVES!!!! Models with goatees or 5 o’clock shadows just screams, “I don’t care”.

5.    Get Spot Checked.  In the military a spot check is a random pause in operations to verify that everything is right. (think, "measure twice, cut once").  Most likely your photographer, model, costume designer and copywriter (as well as the majority of your marketing staff) have zero military experience. Therefore, before you approve the final product, find a veteran to do a quick common sense check.

Bonus: Do not say, “Happy Memorial Day” and be extremely careful with the copy you use in association with Memorial Day. For the military community, Memorial Day is not a celebration. It is a day to remember and honor the fallen.  How would you feel if someone showed up at your friend’s funeral or wake and handed out coupons??  If you want to use a discount in conjunction with Memorial Day, donate the increased proceeds in memory of someone locally.

If you want to hear a few quick ideas to customize your military discount, need a spot check or just want to swap stories, feel free to shoot me an email, [email protected].