SAIC Helps Marine Corps Recruit Special Forces

To get the word out and boost recruitment, the Marine Corps brought on a small team from Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to create and implement a tailored brand vision that captured the mystique of the force.

"It was a perfect fit because we bring a unique knowledge of the Marine Corps from our years of work creating training for Marines on sensitive topics, such as suicide prevention and sexual assault prevention," said Project Manager Lacey Ainsworth. Ainsworth is referring to SAIC's "evocative training" approach, which emphasizes experiential learning in teaching sensitive issues and uses compelling video to capture an audience's attention and immerse them in the subject matter.

Catherine DeRan, the project manager during the first year of the contract, added, "We tapped into that knowledge to help the customer articulate the objective and subjective attributes they are looking for in a USMC special operator. Then we developed a brand that showcases who they are and what they do and chose products that the recruiters could use to spread the word and encourage candidates to contact a recruiter to start the process."

USMC Recruits From Within

Unlike other military branches, the Marine Corps recruits its special operations forces from within its own ranks. "To become a critical skills operator for the Marine Corps, you have to be a Marine," said Ainsworth. For the other services, civilians can apply for special forces if they pass screening. Not so with the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

"Our target audience for this communications campaign is a very unique cross section of an already highly qualified population, and we have done a good job in helping to identify the most qualified candidates and bringing them to MARSOC's attention," Ainsworth added. Since the campaign began, more than 1,000 Marines have attended MARSOC's assessment and training phase.

This success is achieved through specific messaging that gives interested candidates the information they need to decide for themselves whether they are a good fit for MARSOC. Examples include a 10-week workout guide and log (photographed and produced by SAIC) that candidates can use to physically prepare for screening, plus a booklet that describes what MARSOC life is like for a Marine and his family. Currently, MARSOC is accepting only male candidates, but SAIC has been asked to create a campaign targeted at female recruits.

"The prep guide is the web site's most popular download," said Ainsworth, noting that it's also available in hard copy. "And the family is a huge consideration for this kind of commitment. That's why we created an element of the campaign that specifically addresses issues for spouses and families."

Comprehensive Campaign Hits the Mark

SAIC designed an annual marketing and advertising campaign plan that includes print advertisements and direct mail and email. The team has produced a slew of collateral materials, such as brochures and pamphlets, recruiting posters and promotional items, billboard designs, exhibit tents, and pop-up displays, all of which incorporate high-impact imagery. The exhibits are displayed at recruiting and command events, official ceremonies at MARSOC headquarters in North Carolina, and at public events, such as the annual Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.

Working closely with a subcontractor, the SAIC team also guided the development of a line of video products that includes several 30-second spots and two high-energy, three-minute videos. The video teasers run in theaters surrounding Marine Corps bases, and the longer videos are shown to various audiences, including those at recruiting and command briefings.

"We strove to develop an enduring, identifiable MARSOC brand that represents the command's ethos and image," said Ainsworth, noting that in addition to recruiting, the team designed the campaign to educate the entire Marine Corps on MARSOC's abilities and missions. "MARSOC has used the brand to establish a recognizable identity that is used consistently to spread awareness of the command throughout the Marine Corps and general public."

SAIC-Designed Web Site Triages Candidates

SAIC Graphic Designer Rhett Stansbury also designed a brand new MARSOC web site that features the videos and informational materials produced by SAIC, including the workout guide, which has been downloaded more than 15,000 times in the six weeks it has been available online. "That's averaging well over 400 downloads a day," said Stansbury. "We clearly addressed a demand with that product."

Stansbury customized a commercial off-the-shelf content management system to address MARSOC's goals and fit their image. "We were able to help them hone in on their primary objective, which is to attract qualified candidates to MARSOC. Right off the bat, we were able to help them triage the candidate pool," he said.

He also configured it so that the customer can update the site's content without having to engage a webmaster or developer. "They really appreciated this creative and fiscally responsible approach," said Stansbury.

Phase one of the web site was launched in July. MARSOC leveraged its existing Facebook® and Twitter® sites to promote the launch. "The results were better than we expected," said Stansbury. The site received more than 1,500 visitors on the first day, and by the end of the first week, it was averaging 7,000 unique visits a day. Post-launch traffic has now leveled off to around 350-400 unique visitors a day, including weekends.

Stansbury mused there must have been some pent-up demand for this kind of information. "The site still gets 2,000-3,000 page views a day, so people are returning and spending some time with the content."

At the time of the launch, the site came up five to six pages back in Google® search results, indicating that most of the traffic was not from search engines, but from word-of-mouth. "That's the best kind of traffic you can get because word-of-mouth is an organic, legitimate source of information you can trust," said Stansbury. The site now ranks much higher in a Google search, generally the second or third link on the first page of results.

Metrics Pave Way for Future Communications

The SAIC team is big into metrics and has crafted them to help map out MARSOC's future communications strategy. For example, Stansbury set up each of the frequently asked questions as stand-alone pages so that the number of page views would indicate which issues concern potential recruits. MARSOC uses this data to help inform and prioritize its messages. Interestingly, candidates appear to be most concerned with swimming requirements, so MARSOC, with SAIC's help, is considering producing a focused swimming preparation guide that will be made available to recruits on the web site.

"We advise the customer how they can shift their communication priorities based on statistics we monitor with the content management system's administrative dashboard," said Stansbury.

Ainsworth added, "This is not just a 'brochureware' site where everything remains static. We are not guessing at what's important; we are gathering real-time statistics to help inform MARSOC's future communication efforts."

SAIC is now considering requirements for phase two of the web site. Statistics tracked by the team show that the most popular web browsers used to access the site are those on mobile devices. So, the team is considering further optimizing the web site for smart phones and tablets. "Young Marines are our target audience, and they're using mobile devices, so we have to adjust and focus on their informational habits and needs," said Stansbury.

SAIC must be doing something right, because the contractor performance assessments during the first two years were stellar — all exceptional ratings, according to Ainsworth. One reviewer wrote, "Contractor developed and implemented a brand vision that contributes to the mystique of MARSOC through high-impact imagery that illustrates challenge, austerity, and diversity of mission, and emphasizes the small team above the individual." MARSOC is currently working with SAIC to map out the next tasks under the contract.

"We love this work," said Ainsworth. "Every day, MARSOC embraces the unknown and unexpected. It's a unique challenge to be able to help them convey the nature of a special ops career in the Marine Corps. We are glad to help play a part in recruiting combat athletes to serve as critical skills operators in MARSOC."

For more information on SAIC's integrated communications capabilities, contact Kathy Bold at (703) 676-6113 or email kathryn.j.bold@saic.com.

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