Industry Day Transcripts.pdf

Afternoon Session - Room 110 – Partnership Planning and Execution – Lt Col Rachel Burns

My name is Rachel Burns and I'll be going through Partnership Planning and Execution.

Given emphasis on return on investment cost effectiveness, what innovative partnership models do that might impact while?

Example we.

Take your help please.

So there's a big down like in a partnership influencer model is recently for a voter registration campaign on government. But we partnered with a bigger influencer who's really served as the brand ambassador in the face of it.

So they were kind of our more expensive.

Way to do it, but then we supplemented that all with micro business areas, people who.

Never have voted and we're getting people in their audiences to register. And it was much cheaper and more effective honestly, than just doing that on its own or just having a huge influence there.

Awesome. I'll have anything similar or I don't know.

OK.

You have a substantial amount of Lama in the Air Force and also in this is much like universities and boards and the children's you have a lot of spokespeople across the business as possible so.

First one.

Yeah, Krishna or sauce.

Is there anything specific on that?

I guess that's it Transformers something with keeping them cost return investment.

Christian from UFC here. I think one of the things we've seen and Speaking of for UFC but WWER as well finding replayable content so it already consists of a lot of people and our fans, the way they engage in our sport.

They go back and re watch fights.

We capture.

We try to capture a lot of those impressions through a group called Boy Fire.

So as highlights are being replayed or in and around our events, we're able to capture those resurfacing and we see that now Air Force.

Cancel Guardians system for the better part of four years now, and you see that because they've been in so long those whitefire questions that are all earned are scaling over time.

So that's one of the things I think.

So I think that half the battle is the content creation and amplifying real stories, but the other half that I think isn't really being talked about is the two way conversation.

So not pushing content out but having the brand right or the recruiter or some brand voice then have the ability to create conversation within the platform where it's being released.

I think that really amplifies the content.

It gives it a much longer and had it all needs to be in alpha, validates through all of the city. We did not just abolish commercial, but there's someone actively might agree that Amendment 2.

Thank you.

Hi Tracy dinkins. Assistant media com.

I think you mentioned efficiencies in your question.

I think there are a couple of things even before jumping right to efficiencies that might be considered. The 1st is when we work with certain talent. If we're talking about influencers, we may not necessarily be inefficiency play, right.

It may be based on what KPI that we deliver.

For our clients.

Right. Like US Air Force.

So some have a lot of followers, so it may just be a matter of how engaged are people with your message, right?

And then what actions they might take after seeing that message about your brand?

So that's one thing.

So may not necessarily be efficiency driven.

For more engagement driven, right?

Another thing could potentially be another thing. Could be, you know, potentially.

The.

What type of impact do you see social having on search?

As an example, breaks of correlation between one channel versus another is sometimes really important. So it's just a matter of sort of like what are the strategies behind social media set at the start and then your partners long folks in this room help you set those KP is.

And then you kind of like measure your portfolio from an efficiency standpoint, from an engagement standpoint in terms of a data set you look.

True.

So we've been using nil app.

Basically nil call Jeff please in different marketing campaigns for the Army National Guard. One thing that can't be overstated is that the brand of these, these military organizations bring a lot to the table.

You know when you're going out and actually negotiating with these athletes, athletes that are normally asking for a large amount of money, you're actually able to get them at a much more efficient cost that you can offer them.

Some of the things you offer and you get to say that you were chosen as a brand ambassador for a for a global nonprofit, and then also there's really cool things that you can throw on there to otherwise be once a lifetime experience, right?

So, like with the Army National Guard, they take these guys, they pick them up in a helicopter from school, they fly them around, taking out the ranch, shoot machine guns.

All of this is being done when the Army National Guard is doing drills. It's something that already account.

For in the cost and they're basically just putting them all, so it's allowed them to. Kind of.

I guess, Catherine, those athletes had a much cheaper price than say, like a car dealership or another.

All right. I'll move on to the next one.

Overall, very good points to be on traditional sponsorship models. Having leverage partnerships to integrate branding and messaging more organically into partner activities.

I think influencers are going to be like a big part of other, more experiential things.

So whether that's like.

Block party to recruit new people.

Having the influencers there and like representing that and promoting that to their people.

So I think making sure they are. It's like the experience.

Marketing isn't on its own.

It's all together and it's kind of cohesive, so yeah.

We have found in the past that when you are searching for those partnerships is to have an idea of the the end game and when you can present that end game to the central partners, you know, be a media outlet, sports property, entertainment, influencers otherwise.

Leveraging.

Their experience and creative capabilities to help figure out how to best.

Integrate your brand, your messaging into their programming so that it does come across as authentic to the target audience within your trying to negotiate yourself with.

So we have found that.

Yes, we think we have great ideas in next marketing, but we understand that no one understands the audience when we're trying to reach better than the property.

Is gatekeeper of that audience, and when we leverage their input.

In their assets, you typically get not only a really engaging authentic brand.

Inclusion. But we also see it at a higher ROI because the investment level was actually lower issue leveraging assets that are existing within property.

I would say be open minded in the military where partnering with different brands that can bring something to the table, that is a little bit of a soft entry point into resources and the inclusivity that you guys are seeking.

Not everything or everyone who's in the younger generation or everyone wants to have the smell of something that is traditional military. I think when you're looking at marketing.

There's a lot of different ways to attract people into soft entry points.

We have a brand model that is 7 different ones and it's tested on Air Force Base for over 30 years and it used pretty much like for feet or in different fun ways attracting people in and it was able to do everything that the Air Force would try.

To do employee for prevention services and resources.

And to find friends and, you know, to find jobs.

All of the traditional things that attracted in through a completely different door, and I think looking at different partnerships and influencers who can do that. It's a match made.

Yeah, sure.

Sometimes when we work with our brands, I feel like sometimes when we work on brands like.

Voice assets and partnership and what really makes sense is like extensions of who they are.

They can get how much they get right.

So it being something like.

There's names, right?

Or if there are all these things that you know your servicemen and women are part of, how do you look for those partnerships to kind of bring those things to life? And I don't know where that one came from, but like, if there's something that just feels natural.

And organic to you as a brand, how do you bring that to life through your partnerships and through your rolling point out that you don't just say, but you have an experience point also thinking about?

Leveraging that.

Partner with people, right?

So instead of like who is your brand and what do you believe in? What you stand for?

What are all the things that make you view as brands then partner with like another partner, right?

Who brings equity for a specific audience?

Or they may have fun with a specific area and you've been thinking about kind of like bringing that to life and you didn't know how. So you bring those two points together and it comes from really powerful extension.

So I think that's just another thing.

That as you're thinking through partnerships, take an audit of who you are, what you want to stand for, what you want to push into the future, maybe some areas that you haven't yet tested, but you want to leverage that equity from another partner and then it kind of.

Like brings to life and like internally we kind of like say it's very corny, but it's true.

The 1 + 1 = 3 thing because it becomes a lot more powerful, like when you're partnering with someone else who kind of help you bring that life and then you storytell through that whole process to really make it really.

I've got a question too before.

After you before another question, I'm just sort of thoughts.

Thank you.

So much for your help.

Advertising and outreach that has been extremely conservative and today I think we have to move away from that. You know, being as conservative as we've always been and since we're talking about partnerships.

And we what does a Gen. Z?

Who do they consider partners?

I think somebody talked about, you know, brands are so different.

Today and I see individuals as being partners.

I don't know how feasible this is, but for example, let's say you're going to a concert from Atlanta for Mercedes.

How many? You know, whether it's a rock concert?

Concert or every concert in between.

How how? From an experimental standpoint, would the Air Force consider being on stage?

With that particular artist, I don't.

Politicians do it to do recruiting.

Can the Air Force do that?

I think it would be a great way in terms of, you know, getting partnerships.

So question real quick.

Who's worked with the Air Force?

Got a half room?

So what is a brand?

So in one word, what would you say the Air Force ground was completely for those who had worked for this?

Let's start with you.

Give me one word.

Air power.

Air power.

Great inspiration, yes.

Fence defense. Security superior. Thank you.

Like that.

Hey, Craig, victory.

He's a good all right.

How about for the folks?

What's that talking? OK.

That's neat, but.

Actually, that's the transcripts.

I.

I don't, I know.

I know.

Well, we're gonna let that.

If we come off and look.

What else do you have?

Works like. What is the general? What is a brand?

Intelligent. Is that what you said?

Freedom elite excellence excellence.

Powerful bravery. Bravery.

And courage. I know some, I know.

It's great. I think you're right. I think you're right. I think you hit on the head.

I wanna get your brain and I think you know it's been a while since we we sat down and thought about that. And when we talk about partnerships to help be clear about that and the support that needs something different to everybody, right.

You need something to my mom.

You need something different. To me, the man needs a few.

Nice dude.

Yeah. So I have a kid.

So I think I think there's rooms here, partnerships on all those fronts.

Right. Fernando's still like, we're not selling any product to one person or selling to the family.

So let's let's probably scope a little bit as we move forward, as I make sure that we kinda have that going forward is we're not forgetting just about the person serving the family that serves with them.

All those meetings that we need to attend to.

And the last thing I'll say is is this is your Air Force.

Right. And so this is the patriotic type event here.

Where this is your Air Force. We're just working it.

What does it mean to you and how can we take that brand?

Next question please.

What kind of building on that?

What are the most effective strategies for prescreening potential partners and quickly identifying those that align with your values and objectives?

Kind of thinking like established from the school.

Hello, Darryl Morton from layer field.

I want to go back in the last point for this second.

That's OK. I think partnerships to be are as valuable as you make them. But I do think you know sometimes what we see across our national portfolio of 150 plus outlets programs is that a partner will do a deal for one year and if they.

Don't see the results that they expected to see after that one year.

They they push eject, right?

And so I think it's threefold to me, it's it's having.

Patients and allowing equity to be built in that partnership.

The UFC thing is is interesting because a couple of years ago now I associate you 2 together, right? Because you've been in partnership for four or five years, right?

The other thing is, I think thinking outside the box and making sure you're thinking across all your different verticals, right?

And so it may just be a branding play to start.

But I'm sure there's other areas that we can help you from campus standpoint out with.

So just make sure you're you're leaning across all your your different.

Portfolios.

Firefox, the last thing is you guys being very clear up front with what you want to accomplish because we have so much inventory at layer field that we cannot be on all day with all different stats and things that we can do for you.

But if you guys come into the meeting with a plan approach and allow yourself to have some planning, keeping up with the mine, I think it will help us give you a solution that will be able to drive what you guys need.

So that's why I feel better.

Thank you.

A score card is an interesting approach because I think there's there's no right formula for finding the right partners.

It's a feeling and I think everyone in this room, we're all experts at what we do.

It's why we're all here and everyone wants to be treated as an expert in what they do.

So what?

I what our practice is when we're looking for partners is, you know, we want a collaborative approach and if that makes sense to not just our partners that are our vendors, but also.

Clients. So we see them as an extension of our team.

We're an extension of theirs.

We're kind of all in this together and so store values I think is an easy one to to track.

Like, are we aligned philosophically or lead? However, that looks like to you, but as far as crafting the right formula, I think that's gonna be really challenging and you might find that much too in finding the right team.

Yes, and scorecard's super interesting.

So I think amplifying people's voices that already are authentic to start with, so not just, you know, can you be a good partner, but have you lived in some way like around the experience?

Whether that's influencer partnering with our content creator, I also think that.

We did.

We activated for a plan through esports and gaming as more of like an open casting call situation and open the door for them to present ideas to us as content creators and partners, which was a super cool way to then create a methodology self selection because you're not.

Going through your pattern, if you're not interested.

Especially for a brand where in my opinion being was almost secondary to the production.

It's like, why do you wanna participate? And what's the idea behind it?

So, you know, while scorecard will be incredible to try and replicate that success down the road, allowing people then to through their lens.

Telling you you know while they're a good partner and what they intend to produce for the brand and be very interesting.

OK.

We're determining the property. I think one of the key places, the property and platform that finds the pool you're gonna be fishing from.

So having an understanding like does that property platform? Do they have an audience that's in the key demo, whether that's, you know, age, diversity, geography, household income and things that align with what you've seen be successful on your end partly from the makeup of the Air Force current?

Do those people join? What is their background?

You know, I was mayor and the second piece is looking at your property cycle graphics.

Are they patriotic?

Are they aspirational?

Are they in line?

Is that they can pass the physical requirements necessary to get in, and if not looking at what is that audience's capacity of that fan base, how many are actively serving?

Because that's an additional way to the likelihood of other fans who are similar.

And there again has to be joy or be open to that.

Hello. I'm Trevor pal Montez and the deputy activity manager. This effort, I have a question that I thought of that kind of goes along with score guardians. How do you.

Use that and present data to those decision makers to be able to decide whether they want to go 1 route or another route. You know, looking at an analysis alternatives.

Input.

Now I can't say that, but I think it depends on.

What type of measurement you're looking for, right?

So it could be.

So they're two different angles, right?

So there's some partnerships that are like, you know, for the most part, they're going to work.

They're pretty much tried and true in a sense, and you have very clear sort of like benchmarks for what you're going to get out of the partnership that will work for you.

That's a different story.

But at least you have some really clear benchmarks based on past examples of partnerships that you've been a part of or that they've been a part of this whole category of whatever the case may be, you could also say to yourself, and this requires immense buy off and.

Commitment and understand that.

But there are some new partnerships where you're setting great, so that in itself is kind of like the conversation to have that maybe some.

Kind of go about it within another place you're trying to bring something new grounds.

It will require, I think someone with us, you know, one or two years commitment, which when you're looking for ******** results immediately you're not going to see it, right.

So everybody needs to be buy off on waiting, not two weeks for great results, not a month for great results.

Sometimes it can take two years, right?

So then you start to kind of like layer in?

What are those?

Sort of like indicators of success that you can expect.

So I think those are maybe like the two sort of like areas that you could potentially consider early indicators.

Within commitment right to the effort, but you break a new ground and because that is the first so success, then the other thing is kind of like looking at insurance for.

Sorry I didn't say earlier.

Paul Dunphy from next marketing.

So we use scorecards to when we identify attention partnerships. And really the number one thing that a scorecard is going to do in our payment is that it's going to disqualify partnerships.

It's not going to lead you to the end of the road and say this is the perfect partnership.

We need to do it at all cost, but it will very quickly.

Take those partnerships that do not meet the criteria that you've set for yourself.

Often table and they alleviate the time and effort that you would normally put into evaluating and investigating those partnerships.

So the first thing it does success some of the benchmark of or garden rails rather of what it is that you're going to look for in a partnership.

Second, blue partnership. What it allows you to do is it allows you to set, like we said earlier, some goals upfront that say, you know does it partner align with us in terms of our goals or objectives.

Our values are and persona, etc. Right doesn't offer opportunity for ownership or what I mean by that is how do I stand out as a partner with this property?

What is it that we can do to activate that's going to make us stand out?

And then finally, we'll see the opportunity.

How are we going to make the target audience care if we spend money on this property? And it's not just seen as well?

Yeah, of course. You spend money in, we care so.

It it sets the tone, I think, and then also gives you a basis point for valuing the sponsorship.

So that comes down to the investment that you're willing to make and look at both the tangible assets like signage and mediatine and assets like tickets and access and then intangibles as well. And there should be a weighted valuation on intangible alignment that provides.

Benefit.

Back to the Air Force in this case.

But you were giving the brand of the property thread for those intangibles that ultimately aligns with giving you a dollar value of investment. And it takes away from value on properties purely on an impression basis, which is what most rents are still doing in this day and age.

They're valuing partnerships like media buys, and that's not the way that it should be done.

OK.

All grade point and as an extension of that idea to I think you you hit on it at the very end is the longevity.

So is this a flash in the pan or are we looking for a long term partner? And how do we assets create value after the initial release right? Like is there an opportunity to?

Recut reshare.

Re amplify.

In some way, is the partner able then to create a through line into other activations or other pieces of content?

Is it again like are we dating?

Are we getting married?

No one knows, but I think it's a really nice way to think about the longevity of the partnership and the relationship. If you can see the long term of how either the content.

Or the execution of other placements.

Can.

Kind of adding to that.

For ongoing relationship management with partners, how do you maximize the long term value of mobile partnership?

So basically nurturing the partnership over time.

What kind of techniques up there you considered?

Addie Parker with Deloitte.

I'm gonna take a different spin on that answer real quick first and and almost rhetorically, count the question back of did the Air Force as a whole have the internal structures to be able to manage these partnerships?

So we're here talking about ADC today and yet we have the question, what is the Air Force like?

What is the Air Force brand for all of us?

And there are so many other offices in the Air Force other than ADC.

That might be forming partnerships, Hollywood.

Office, the sapphire, whatever it may be, and it are the internal structures thus that there is awareness of what these partnerships are happening across the Air Force and how to operationalize them for yourself in a way, you know someone else formed a partnership that longevity intent to it.

How how can another part of the Air Force capitalize on that?

Without going through the entire process again, how do you make that easy? Just as a right consensus?

Because incredibly important element of that the maturation of the partnership, because otherwise your partnerships and I you know.

Lose that opportunity.

Frankly, my narrator and might be contracted, whatever it may be, and it's it's looking at opportunities that require.

OK.

The next question what are the best practices?

For considering agreements to ensure flexibility and adaptability in rapid exchanging, meeting escape. Hmm.

No.

Have a structured partnership sponsorship agreements to ensure flexibility and adaptability and rapidly changing media landscape.

So I think the general communication partnerships is key.

We're going to this right down the partners in response to the tariff situation that's happening in Washington.

I think it's early in the you can communicate with people. I think you will be in a good place if you wait until you know to change something on June 1st this will be a struggle for everyone, right?

If you're eliminated and you communicate well in advance, I think there's a fix for if they're a true partner.

I think there's a fix for everyone, so I think it's all. It all comes back to open minded elementary age kids. Communication is key throughout partnerships.

Yeah, which is exactly the same machine.

Great. As a brief, I feel like if you have a really good brief and open lines of communication with some clear goals and deliverables, the shape of what those take, especially if it's a longevity, right.

Not just like a one and done partnership execution, it can involve because if your goals aren't being met.

The success of the partnership, you know, won't be repeated.

So I think it's in the interest of both parties to want to participate in that type of conversation. But you know, for us and how we've gone about executing partnerships is through really good briefs and not necessarily telling them what to say or do or giving them a.

Really clear indication of what the brand is or what the purpose is, what the parameters are and our expectation of what that looks like in market.

And oftentimes that looks more like they're telling us.

What they think their partnership can do right?

And so sometimes we have an idea and it takes a shape of something else. By the end of the conversation.

But I think coming in with some clear indicators, one of success and two.

How to execute that will align nicely with kind of an end goal that will take shape?

You may not even have anticipated.

So the way that we've structured partnerships is and after working with a couple of influencers, you learn that they have like an ego that needs to be stroked sometimes.

So we do kind of with certain clients more like a thought leadership group with the influencer.

So they kind of have a seat at the table in the meeting. So they're sitting there with.

Like one of our clients and our client is explaining to them.

What's going on?

And then we're all sitting together and thinking of ideas.

So it's not like, OK, can you do?

Six Instagram posts and then Tiktok. It's like, OK.

Maybe you can write something on your sub stack and.

Get on this podcast and talk about this really organically.

And from now, like rock solid contracts with all of them, so you can get around, it's very clear.

Very bad. You do that, so I can't get around that.

Yes.

Congress CEO for Vivo 360.

For almost 25 years old.

From a partnership standpoint, I think how we have been successful is coming to the table.

And approaching it and I think someone said earlier was like a marriage or, you know, you're going to get engaged or you're starting to date.

And it cannot be transactional.

I think a lot of times when we talk about influencers, it's almost like we're exchanging time for money.

Can you do this?

And then we do this for you.

It really if you want longevity, longevity in anything, including a marriage. I'm assuming even though I'm not married, but you really have to start with.

What are my values?

What are your values and build on that?

Cannot be transactional.

This is not exchange.

No exchanges.

Let's deliver.

It really needs to be authentic and from the core.

This is beautiful.

OK.

What about the next question?

How do you leverage partnerships that create immersive experiences that go beyond traditional within activations and truly engage the public with your brand? We've talked about media.

We have some pretty clear underst.

Anding, looking at you folks have been a little bit quiet.

So we've done a lot of immersive experiences and they don't always have to really relate to what we're doing.

So for the voter registration example, we actually did a concert in Atlanta and we had our main influencers there, but then we reached out to like.

Microinfluencers in the area and we were like, OK, you can come and have VIP section if you post about it.

So we weren't even paying for them to promote it.

Then we were able to track it, so it was a free concert, but you have to sign up and give us your phone number and your e-mail.

So then we were able to see like the demographics of the people coming and see if they were kind of matching with our target market and then?

And from that we were able to follow up with text and e-mail.

Reminding them, oh, it's like Election Day. Go out and vote.

So it's really a part of the full funnel and if you can get their information, it can lead to more down funnel conversions.

Steal from your mind.

So talking about immersive partnerships and Heidi, I think going back to what you were talking about, like internal partnerships too.

So, and also Lauren, President of part Time group.

We do immersive experiences, and we're talking about this in the earlier session and what we try to help the client with is building their internal partnerships, bringing them to the space so that you're creating for that attendee.

A full opportunity.

So the example we were talking about earlier was, let's say you're at a trade conference for high school students and you're trying to get them interested in the Air Force.

So you would pull in the trades experts who are Air Force personnel, bring them there to talk about the trades, and captivate the audience through their interest.

And then you have the recruiter standing by that you could then usher them to and say, have you met so and so, and then you can create the lead that way so.

So it's all about capitalizing on that FaceTime that you have because it's it's not long and thinking about who are the most important people.

What are we trying to get in front of our audience at whether it's a voter registration conference or a trade conference or concert?

Yeah. So thinking also about your internal partners as well.

I'm just reviewing the descriptions.

Call and then also facilitate or someone likes group sessions like this.

Right, especially a little bit quiet so.

So let's do this.

Think of that recording device over there.

Everyone just needs to be recorded, right?

So you get to talk to us in the future. We're gonna listen to that.

We're gonna use AI.

We're gonna transcribe it all, and we're gonna write our requirements.

We're gonna write our strategy about we might adjust it, right?

Author's tactics.

We might call ya to help do that.

So this is our chance to just pack that transcript full of keywords and phrases.

For all the strategic steps involved in creating partnerships, so develop and execute strategic partnerships. Now strategic planning work. So when we sometimes when we say strategic means long term strategy.

Means, you know, speaks to the entire thing.

But when listening, I'm hearing things that are very specific.

This is to get about.

That's now.

There's tactics involved, right?

And so let's let's go down the line here.

I'm just gonna go like this.

It's like a wave, right?

And I just want, just like we did before, because I don't jazzed up for a second. Let's do that again.

Let's get the energy and let's talk strategic partnerships. So let's talk.

Strategy in a high level. Give me a word, phrases, things that you've used in past that you like.

Cling to when you, when you do that, we've heard values right.

I love the analogy of relationships.

What else?

Positioning, positioning, love it.

Tell me more.

Justin Parks, PVR. No, I mean not right rules, but.

Just good campaigns.

So our partnerships with Citadel teaching, our audience, what makes our partners better and different.

A few different ways. You know the most effective ways for validating our score and greater Western lifestyles.

So the words you can do that in authentic way.

It resonates with our fans and our recall shows that our usage rate shows that the one thing you said in lifetime.

With partnerships is important, right?

Ward's important, you know, when QBR talked to my sport and my branch, they knew it very well.

Represent sport and just 8 seconds on bucking bull, it represents a marathon when it represents many of the shared values we have with the Air Force.

It is much more in just.

Bye bye.

I also think you touched on something really important, which is with partnerships.

It's two ways, right?

And I think you know your brand, you know your you know that that ethos you've got to know the parts just as much. And I think that when I work with my partners, I know the difference between ones that care as much as I do and ones that.

Don't and I give more.

You know, you just you want to spend time and energy with partners that reciprocate, you know, really give that back.

So I also think that as you know, knowing their brands and your brand almost being that.

Extension of each of the teams I think is a is a really important part of partnerships.

Yeah, of course. Marriage. Marriage.

Yeah, because it's the intention is not just about what you're going to get from the other person, it's about what you're also going to receive and you have to be willing to give and care about what the other person you know. In this case, you know.

What we would say, whether it's the Air Force.

And your organization, let's say it's it's very, very important that it's. It's a word that comes to mind is marriage.

Yeah, yeah.

Let's go.

Do you want to touch on that, or do you want to go into? Now let's go tactical, OK?

I think that's a good one, like my father-in-law who's not the target audience.

He's in his 80s, but it is who he is.

He's retired military and so I think like, there's so many young people out there that feel lonely and it's just an opportunity to find your place.

So that's what.

It's in the barship.

Yeah, that's that's something you can see. Great.

Anybody else in the section?

I think like building community not only around like a large headquarters Air Force level, but also bringing it down to the local levels. A lot of the micro influencers are not only service members but their spouses and in recruitment and retainability you're also retaining the family I think.

It's really important not to forget that when you start thinking about partnerships because.

At the end of the day, it might be the spouse who's forcing somebody to.

To leave the service while keeping them in. And when we start looking at larger scale partnerships, whether it's you know on an Air Force level or a DoD level, there's also this cross collaboration that can exist from the total force.

When you show people working together in uniform, you see the brother and the sisterhood on purpose that comes between the services, whether Air Force or Marines or Navy. And I think that just on a.

A larger scale, looking at things from the spouse and the family's perspective.

Thinking long.

Through different doors and a lot of other opportunities.

All right, you got to get your work out for you to work.

OK.

We're going to shift a little bit to another portion of this, which is.

Reach new audiences right from a strategic tactical level.

And I want this group to to tell me more about, you know, obviously we're creating strategic partnerships and say we've got that pool of strategic partners, but we want to reach new partners.

And one of one of the the strategies or adjustments that need to be made or risk that needs to be taken to take that step into a new.

Community.

Hey, I don't remember the question.

What did it?

What did it make you think of?

Citizens.

Yeah. So, OK.

So let's get to PBR.

Western Bull riding rodeos.

What if PBR wanted to enter, say, hey, we'll be in a baby line?

Let's try that out.

You'd like to call, OK.

We need that.

But I'm saying what I'm saying like, like what?

That takes. Why did you say no?

Talked about, I guess, from the brand's perspective, we spoke about the scorecard.

We also had it too.

Not every brand is a fit for GBR, but how about your wing shots?

That sounds about right, OK.

All right, we got one more question again because some of the experience that we for instance could do maybe like at Georgia.

State or Florida, right?

So it's again the partner communicating with the properties to say, hey, listen, we're thinking about.

Going in a different direction, right?

So before you jump ship and go find a new partner, we could have delivered that for you. If you want to set something to, it's not communicating, yeah.

I mean the the owner is now looking for specificities.

The question, but then too I think whatever strategic partnership right that you all are considering will consider have considered.

It should be not necessarily to completely bring in whole new audiences, right, but to drive consideration for that audience that is potentially as warm as possible, as long as you get to the heart of like what that new consumer will mean.

Right. And like that's how I think about it.

I mean, to your point, when you immediately said no, you're not looking for any new audience, right?

You are speaking to someone.

Perhaps have thought about right the Air Force, but didn't know it was them because no one spoke to their niece in any real way. That literally gave them chills.

That you know what?

Like this is for me right?

And you know, if you are able to kind of like find that nugget of insight, that truth, right, whether or not it's someone looking for a community, right.

Or whether or not when I came here today, I thought about my dad.

Right. I didn't know. I would feel that.

But when I came here.

So I don't think it's just all about reaching new consumers.

I think it's about reaching that someone that didn't know it was here until you spoke to them in a specific way and found that this continue partner who brought that to life and that's what I was looking for like that. And he wants the question because I wasn.

Sure.

About it, I'm not a good kid to you.

Yes. So I think you're really important.

Vagal nerve.

Yeah.

Sorry, I'm going to call it interesting because there was a there was a conversation I had that you could share now.

And something that I'm realizing.

We're talking about partnerships, right?

We're talking in.

You are providing us insight on how we deal with partnerships, but we're also using insight to figure out how to work.

You're our partners, OK?

And so thank you because we're all engaged here, right?

I got job.

You get a job. You got a company.

I got an Air Force.

But here's here's the here's a fact.

Over 20 countries in this in this world.

Do not need you.

They do not need to market it. Why?

Because they have the mandatory military service.

This mission.

Is that important?

And so our partnerships are important because we we've got a budget, right.

We've got a mission and we've got, you know, bodies that we need. We have jets with seats that we need busing, and when we don't meet the mission and we don't mark correctly, if we don't meet the right people.

We don't meet our mission now we're telling you.

So I had this discussion with Christy earlier and I was like, we need really change the narrative around how important this is.

Because it's really this marketing.

To the right people to sign up.

Really enables this democratic process that we have for you to volunteer, not for you to be told.

So it's so important and who we work with is important and how we work with them is important and we've done decent that we've done bad that we've done.

We're trying to get better.

So on that note.

How can we leverage that?

Mindset in partnership.

That's my next question.

We leverage that.

Top down upholding this volunteer force.

To create partnerships.

Also, Brittany Ward managed agency for the algorithm and the recording.

Silence, captain errand.

It so like that's how you how do we work with you?

You were the last, right?

And then serving the thread back to how do you find new communities? Even for me, it goes all the way back to identity, and I think until you can tell us who you are, we can't go and find partners to say who you are.

So whether that is just like a A2 way conversation of let us help you articulate that because you know the old traditional model of the brand says we are who we are.

And everyone says, OK, it's gone because you have influencers, content creators.

Communities, you know, citizen journalism. Tiktok, right.

And so I think until there's sort of this new season and era of articulation of what is the Air Force now and what do we want to be, it's going to be really hard for myself, my agency, the 21st agency for the algorithm.

Umm to really keep being able to then go out and find people that can amplify that message. I also think you know along that that same idea.

Is reaching new communities with a better articulation of who you are, but putting people in positions that look like them because this format of.

Of Air Force pilot fighter.

Is only.

One fraction of the type of person you want to recruit, and I think so far, you know, that's the reliant has been told there's so many other storylines that haven't been and so reach a new audience is articulating identity, who you are is ultimately the right way then.

To start positioning people who look like them talk like them, feel like them, have community, right?

Because people are lonely and they want to find their tribe.

The expectation of personalization is that of all time high.

So there's no possible way to create one overarching campaign to save all those things, and I think the nuance of it all and personalization speaking to those communities and really speaking to their core identity through yours is a way to make that happen.

Anyone get on the algorithm?

Is that what you're saying?

Sophie Gibson, Google 360.

I have.

Now told her name again, Brittany Brindley. Father Brittany said. When we think about this again.

How? How the Air Force presents it's it's very masculine oriented and in recruiting and this is something I've said as my journey as an entrepreneur and business person for well over 30 years.

Years when I even started my own company 24 years ago, I was literally.

Had my baby under the table picking her up breast feeding, putting her back onto the table, and what I think.

The world has done successfully is for us to see that this way of doing business or this way with the Air Force.

Is the only way? Is this masculine way and that's not realistic, especially today's environment, not even for men.

And it's hard to separate family.

From you know your reality every day with your family from seeing these images where you're just, you know, running and shooting and it's it's unrealistic anymore. And if you're recruiting, you have to think of all the people.

Never think of Dad or grandfather's.

Not here talking to me about this anymore.

But what was he saying, right?

What is the new message today?

What are they saying today that incorporates family and a lifestyle that you can go on a journey, you know, even after you've served?

So I think really should be looking at it from that perspective and not just what we have been doing over.

Well, you're right, Clarence. It's a.

I just wanted to pay you back.

I salute green things that the lifestyle branding niche have not been tapped into at all.

Traditionally in recruitment you see things through sports and NASCAR and athletes, and an example would be like the well-being space of, you know, HGTV or different things that people can do with their hands.

Somebody who might be recruited in might not necessarily be attracted into a flying commercial.

What they might be for something that is advertising, what they can do after hours, is there a third place that I can go to when I'm 18 and I can't drink?

Where am I going to go and meet friends showing the different experience from a support standpoint can be a complete, untapped realm that military really has not tabbed into, which is families.

I think one of the things for you guys as you construct your portfolio of partners is having clearly defined some ways and objectives for each part because WWE might have some weaknesses that you know, Brittany's agency, you know they might be way better than this area than.

We are.

They can provide a service that we can't so and that could extend me neither.

But I think also for you guys where it's the active duty component is different than the reserve component is different than the guard component is different than staff war.

And having strategies clearly defined within each of those plays, and then make sure the property knows, hey, this is the way we see guys like you guys are playing this position in our portfolio and make sure that's clearly defined and all that.

Strategy is extremely important.

Bookmark in recording.

See this is working done this before.

How you doing?

My name is Andrew Kates, and in 22 years in the Air Force. So I have some background on this.

So in regards to what burrito?

General Amrin Amarin was talking about. He was pretty much talking about the numbers, 20 million Americans between 18 and 24.

25 are eligible to be in the military, but however it slips down to 12 million if you have the basic requirements and then 3.5 million that you have the health care costs.

In regards to what you're saying about the fitness and masculinity.

You have to have the standards in order to enter the military.

So with that being said, you have to have refined grants that specifically is tailored to your niche.

So for example, UFC definitely because you got fitness involved, so the UF.

C You're looking for as an Air Force as a military branch, and some of those brands need to have some of those traits and those values.

So that's why I was gonna kind of.

Asking about this because I don't even know if those individuals that they were talking about.

So you have to have an understanding of your audience and your audience as a military, and the military has standards and some Americans are not going to fill in that niche.

We are a specific niche.

She's red upper.

What you joined went back in 1999.

I'm sorry, 21.

Why did you join?

I was going because of education, education. There was a need that I needed to do.

I didn't.

I was already independent and one of my dad page works. So and then also military for

AFS.

So my dad was Navy, so it's been that's been my life.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's all I know.

No, get it.

Got how old were your parents? When when you joined?

I was 18.

I went to recruiting myself.

My mom didn't know that I was going to be leaving until that's what I thought. Yeah.

Yeah, I think the, you know, when I'm recruiting expertise, I only have my experience, but I have been learning a lot and even quickly one of these almost respond to you is and I'll let you respond.

So as we are just recruiting to the demo right #1 influencer for the demo is the parents.

And so we have.

To group there.

So that's one thing those numbers don't.

Share like so you know, General Amerin. Really. You should times that by two.

Or three.

To say or or maybe even more because you know you have a grandfather or a grandmother or.

A mom.

Or that, or a foster parent.

Or a teacher, or, you know, we're talking to all those folks.

And so. So I said yes.

And we're also marketing to those other folks because we can't just expect us to go.

We can't go to your door and say, hey, can I send you John?

You know what I mean?

We haven't talked to your mom. Talk to John.

John, can I talk to dad? Talk to John.

And so I'll push back on that.

Respectfully, as opposed.

We do not get up. Hold Sanders. But there's.

There's different ways of attracting the folks that can meet the standards.

Partially due to services.

Anyway, thanks for saying that.

So what I was fearful of is that you would be excluding a whole demographic that will be qualified.

That does fit the standards even above those standards. You know, it's just that by excluding you have already hurt yourself literally in the leg because you have excluded a whole segment of the population, including, you know.

I was.

An athlete.

That didn't work championships. And you know my my husband no longer married.

I could beat his *** any day.

Excuse me? It's it's just a matter of.

Where I am, it's just a matter of.

Your expectations, and you cannot be excluding folks without making sure you know you have to include them.

And more than likely are qualified.

But the commercials the messaging does not have them in any interest whatsoever.

And that could be my grandmother who say, oh, well, the Air Force does allow my granddaughter or my grandson to have a family, you know, and that my grandmother could be now major influence.

So we cannot be absolutely force.

What's going on in?

Oh.

Then open a can.

You mind?

It was.

I just want to ask what you were saying.

In another in another session, when I was in this morning, it was stated that there's 132 other jobs other than what is advertised.

In you know, in the really cool video that we saw this morning, you know, with the dogs and the guys on the ground and the helicopters.

There's so many other jobs.

There's so many.

There's there's cyber, you know, cyber warriors. There's, you know, the guys that fix the planes, you know, mechanically minded.

There's so many other different partnerships other than what is already being done, and I think when you think about like diversity, that's what we should be looking at. All the different types of jobs that are a part of the Air Force and not just the really cool stuff.

That we see because all those other things like cyber warriors, it guys, you guys have fixed leads, those are all really cool jobs too, to a bunch of other 17 1/2.

I was just Alex and Martin.

No, actually I want to say something very similar to you then in the sense that I think given the earlier session we talked about.

Data, right?

And how data is changing the world very quickly. And then you also mentioned in an earlier question are we doing the right thing in this sort of like modern world of media?

So I think what I'm trying to tie it to and coming back to your statement of.

Why you went into the service literally, the world is changing so fast, just in terms of what motivates certain consumers like.

While you're made of motivation, still raise true for many, right?

I think there are a group of folks who don't even necessarily know what's in Korea right for them or Korea in general.

Something what we're trying to as marketers just kind of get at is how do we start to rebuild?

Which is an interest in a job, right?

That is not grown right and in order to do that you have to bring more people into the fold.

So I don't.

You know, if I can speak with everyone on that side of the room who is ******** like marketers, it's not a matter of just sort of like bringing the skill set down.