Helping veterans succeed in business

Many service members dream of owning their own business after leaving the military. Unlike World War II and Korean War veterans, however, only a small percentage of post-9/11 veterans have joined the ranks of entrepreneurship. To reverse this trend, the Small Business Administration’s Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) offers a portfolio of programs that gives veterans the tools needed to succeed in business.

Reaching and capturing the attention of veterans during their transition to civilian life is exceedingly complex. Moreover, the increasing diversity of today’s veterans adds to the challenge, as each population consumes information in its own unique way. With traditional media no longer generating desired results, OVBD knew that it needed to change its approach. Bringing in our team was the first step.

Leveraging research that showed the continued growth of digital streaming and social media use among women, racial and cultural minorities, as well as LGBTQ veterans and active-duty service members, our team recommended that OVBD emphasize digital marketing. With this approach, OVBD would have a highly efficient, cost-effective way to reach targeted populations and deliver customized messages.

By overhauling OVBD’s communications strategy and introducing the use of multimedia and paid digital advertising campaigns into a mix of outreach tactics, our team made OVBD’s programs highly visible fixtures among aspiring and existing veteran entrepreneurs. These programs included:

Since 2014, our team has developed annual communications strategies outlining critical milestones, metrics, deliverables, and events for OVBD’s portfolio of programs. After launching OVBD’s first paid advertising campaign, our team recommended the best platforms, tactics, and graphics for connecting with OVBD audiences. Mixed media plans that outlined all campaign components made the best use of OVBD’s paid media budget.

To emphasize OVBD’s inclusivity, our team continued to update the positioning and messaging framework for each campaign. All content positioned OVBD as a welcoming, trustworthy, and knowledgeable source of information. Moreover, it encouraged aspiring veteran entrepreneurs to explore the OVBD website, download resources, or visit a local Veteran Business Outreach Center.

Our team also produced success story videos featuring veterans and military spouses who used SBA resources to start or grow their business. These videos were modified for use in social media posts that consistently generate year-over-year increases in the number of participants in OVBD programs.