The Cleveland Army Recruiting Battalion has taken a new approach to advertising in rural areas.
There are currently nine billboards in the Cleveland Metropolitan Area with a targeted message for young African Americans. In the rural areas, however, billboards are expensive and only found on the highways. Cleveland Battalion decided to partner with local farmers to brand a mid-western icon. We must make use of the terrain we are given. In the case of the Marion, Ohio, Recruiting Company that meant iconic barns. In rural Ohio, we have plenty of them.
Billboards already branded with somewhat familiar messages such as “The Few and the Proud,” “We only accept commitments NOT applications,” and “Aim High” are nestled throughout the peaceful rolling central Ohio cornfields, pastures and occasional alpaca farm. The U.S. Army message was nowhere to be found among the farms, fields and dusty open roads.
The Army branding, unfortunately, was essentially non-existent. No visual hint that the Army was alive and pulsing through the Midwest. This situation clearly had to change. A trigger was needed to remind all that we are Army Strong. That trigger came in the form of a tasker mission: “Brand a Barn.” There were already barns in the area painted “Chew Mailpouch Tobacco” or “Ohio Bicentennial.” Why not one that says, “Army Strong?”
The mission concept was a simple one: find a barn in a high traffic area, preferably near a school, and begin the process of precision targeting. How would this be accomplished? I found which roads were most traveled and why they were well-traveled. Once all of this data was gathered it was time to find the barn.
And Marion Company did indeed find its barn! It was located in the heart of Mansfield Recruiting Station’s footprint and saddled up to River Valley High School. When we approached the farmer and asked if he would be willing to allow us to brand his barn with the Army Strong logo the farmer said, “Why, I can’t think of a reason why I wouldn’t want you to brand my barn.”
This particular barn faces the school and is viewable from both the football field and the entrance to the school. It is in an area that produced zero DoD enlistments in 2009. In 2010, it produced only one DoD enlistment for the Navy.
Since the barn branding near River Valley High School, the area has produced three DoD enlistments -- two were Army! The barn branding may not have been the sole reason for those enlistments, but it did something. Most people familiar with recruiting acknowledge that people don’t enlist themselves and that advertising - no matter how subtle - DOES makes a difference. In fact, the four areas surrounding that branded barn (based on ZIP codes) likewise have produced a 40 percent or better market share for the U.S. Army enlistments.
As the months pass and the messages on billboards and bumper stickers fade into oblivion, the Army’s River Valley branded barn will still proudly display its message. For years to come it will be standing strong Army Strong!
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