Virtual Army Experience

DESCRIPTION

For young Americans considering a career in the armed forces, the Army has struggled to compete with the perceived superiority of the Navy, Air Force and the Marines. In a climate where troops were involved in campaigns that attracted significant criticism at home, the Army was faced with the task of achieving a recruitment target of 80,000 new soldiers a year from the 18-24 age group.

A new recruitment campaign was needed to target this key demographic, which simultaneously addressed the out-dated negative stereotypes attached to a career in the army.

Army recruitment advertising had traditionally relied on print and TV media, with small but increasing amount of online activity. This online approach had proved successful, with the creation of an online gaming experience: America’s Army. Launched in 2002, the game sought to recreate an exciting but authentic army experience. Over 9 million users have spent over 230 million hours in the interactive environment.

Research revealed that, while there was a curiosity in the army as a career path, the target audience was not engaged by the current style of recruitment advertising, so the gaming environment was expanded, becoming the Virtual Army Experience (VAE).

This 19,500 square foot activity space comprised simulators, gaming stations and AV installations dedicated to army careers. Participants were guided through “missions” and recruiting officers were able to engage with interested parties in a fun, one on one environment. Officers were able to discuss in detail a potential recruit’s interests and career aspirations. This information would be recorded and used in subsequent meetings.

The VAE was staged at large scale leisure events such as state fairs, theme parks, music concerts and air shows, and when running at full capacity was able to accommodate 230 visitors an hour, with visitors spending approximately 20 minutes in close contact with soldiers.

After 18 months, the VAE had visited 44 locations and been visited by nearly 80,000 people. Statistics gathered by the Office of Economic Manpower Analysis show that the conversion rate of qualified leads to issued contracts had risen from 0.08% before deployment of the VAE, to 0.70% - well in excess of the initial improvement target of 0.16%.

Public perception of an army career also appears to have been improved, with questionnaire results from the event showing more people considering the army as a viable career option.

In the wider media arena, the recruitment drive triggered significant media interest, achieving over 800 appearances in public print and broadcast media, with 80% of journalists passing positive comment on the idea.

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