The Mission Continues empowers veterans adjusting to life at home to find purpose through community impact. In June of 2016, we embarked on a new kind of veteran-led service event, a Mass Deployment.
Mass Deployments deploy veterans from across the country and engage local partners in a single city over the course of a week. We select cities with a need for revitalization and the potential for sustainable growth, ensuring our efforts and resources have a visible impact within the communities we serve. Our purpose: To seed future leaders, sustainable operations and recruit veterans to join The Mission Continues — while inspiring others to serve.
We recognize that veterans are a powerful force when called upon to serve. Using their skills, leadership and experience, they can help revitalize a city, street by street and block by block. This pilot would be tested against five primary goals:
1) To seed points of inspiration from one location to across the country in our veteran's local communities
2) To provide a unique opportunity for veterans to serve as trailblazers in the community
3) To provide a shot in the arm to build capacity at the local level to make a difference and impact with long lasting implications
4) To recruit veterans to lead and participate in programs at The Mission Continues
5) To drive compelling and inspiring stories of service that inspires others to take action.
Beginning in February of 2016, five months prior to the event, we began launching a multi-front, integrated marketing and recruitment effort. This effort coalesced around three primary target audiences.
1) Veterans eligible to take part in the event, who through a selective application process, would go on to serve as one of 70 veterans who would comprise the core of the service effort.
Strategy: Through the establishment of a landing park, direct email marketing, supported by multimedia including a promotional video, veterans were contacted and asked to report for duty in Detroit.
2) Detroit residents and community leaders who would augment and support the core team of 70 veterans.
Strategy: In partnership with FOX Sports Detroit, we aired a PSA for the event and ramped up digital recruitment efforts. Our team also produced multiple videos highlighting the need in each community we would be serving, including at Central High School, Osborn Neighborhood and Recovery Park.
3) Veterans nationwide who would be inspired by the story to take action in their community.
Strategy: Through traditional media, we sought to amplify the story of Operation Motown Muster through major national, local and military news outlets.
1) To seed points of inspiration from one location to across the country in our veteran's local communities
Result: 70 veterans from across the country took part in the week-long service event. Among these veterans, 97% reported being satisfied with their experience and feeling a new sense of camaraderie during the event.
2) To provide a unique opportunity for veterans to serve as trailblazers in the community
Result: 94% of community members reported being prideful in their community after participating in Operation Motown Muster
3) To provide a shot in the arm to build capacity at the local level to make a difference and impact with long lasting implications
Result: Operation Motown Muster supported ongoing revitalization efforts at four locations across the city: Central High School, Priest Elementary School, the Osborn Neighborhood and Recovery Park.
4) To recruit veterans to lead and participate in programs at The Mission Continues
Result: 97% of veterans who participated reported wanted to participate in a future Mass Deployment.
5) To drive compelling and inspiring stories of service that inspires others to take action.
Result: Operation Motown Muster generated strong media coverage, appearing in print, digital and radio features in national, local and military outlets, including: CBS News, AP, Fox News, ABC News, USA Today, The Detroit News, and Military Times. And on social media, engagement increased by 242% during the event.
