Supporting Veterans Through Operation: Connect-A-Vet
How a Leading Non-Profit Leveraged Strategic Communication to Support Veterans
Challenge:
Raising awareness about Illinois Joining Forces’ (IJF) mission and services for veterans and their families required overcoming significant communication barriers. Many veterans and their loved ones were unaware of IJF’s resources, creating a critical need for a campaign that would engage and mobilize the community to provide support.
Goals:
Raise awareness about IJF’s mission and services for veterans and their families.
Encourage participation in the Operation: Connect-A-Vet Initiative by promoting wellness checks and outreach efforts.
Connect veterans and their families with the resources they need and deserve.
Objectives:
Launch the Operation: Connect-A-Vet awareness campaign on Veterans Day to maximize visibility.
Use strategic messaging and media coverage to broaden awareness across Illinois.
Partner with aligned organizations to expand the campaign's impact.
Strategy:
Develop clear and impactful messaging to resonate with veterans, their families, and their communities.
Implement a comprehensive media outreach strategy targeting diverse outlets across Illinois.
Build strategic partnerships to extend the campaign's reach and effectiveness.
Use a multi-channel approach to deliver the campaign’s message through press releases, interviews, articles, and digital platforms.
Tactics:
Media Outreach: A statewide media outreach strategy targeted television, radio, newspapers, and online publications to maximize visibility.
Strategic Messaging: Crafted messaging that emphasized the importance of supporting veterans, connecting emotionally with target audiences.
Partner Engagement: Identified and collaborated with organizations aligned with IJF’s mission to spread the campaign message through their networks.
Multi-Channel Campaign Execution: Leveraged press releases, live interviews, feature articles, and digital content to communicate the campaign effectively across platforms.
Key Results:
Press Release Impact: The press release distributed on November 3rd was featured in over 22 publications statewide, including the New Herald News and Effingham Daily News, amplifying the campaign's reach.
Shaw Media Features: Shaw Media highlighted IJF team members in a feature that appeared in 12+ local newspapers and was republished in more than 30 publications across Illinois, providing broad exposure. Additionally, Shaw Media’s Veterans Day edition included IJF’s contact details on its veteran resource page, enhancing accessibility to IJF's services.
Media Interviews: IJF Board Chairwoman Erica Borggren appeared on Fox 32’s Good Day Chicago, sharing the Operation: Connect-A-Vet initiative with a wide audience. Executive Director Brenda Osuch participated in a live 30-minute interview on WCPT Heartland Signal AM 820, delving into IJF’s mission and providing actionable advice for supporting veterans.
Through a combination of live interviews, engaging articles, and widespread media coverage, Operation: Connect-A-Vet successfully opened meaningful conversations about supporting veterans. The campaign extended IJF’s message across Illinois and beyond, fostering a deeper understanding of their mission. This increased visibility not only highlighted the critical services IJF provides but also laid the groundwork for continued growth in community engagement and future media opportunities.