Marketing to the Military Case Study: Budweiser

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

Budweiser is a popular pale lager produced by Anheuser–Busch, an American brewing company based in Saint Louis, Missouri. Prior to selling SeaWorld Parks and Busch Gardens to private equity firm Blackstone Group, Anheuser-Busch was one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, operating ten theme parks through the company's family entertainment division. 

Budweiser has, for years, been known for sport sponsorships such as baseball, football, soccer, and motorsports. The company has also been involved with video game sponsorship during the early years of the video game industry, and has also been known for airing humorous advertisements. Some of Budweiser's advertising tactics have become so popular that they are an indispensable part of the company's marketing strategy. Namely, the Budweiser Clydesdales (pictured above) have become an iconic image of the company, often being used in the Rose Parade and Superbowl commercials.

Below we'll discuss in full detail some of the strategies Budweiser has employed in bolstering their nearly ubiquitous recognition from sports lovers and TV surfers, to military veterans. 

Viral Video Marketing Campaigns

If you recall our previous post about video campaigns, we stressed the importance of creating consistent, valuable content. Things that people would want to spend time watching. 

Budweiser consistently creates and uploads videos on its official YouTube account, whose content consists of updates on the Made in America music festival, the company's sponsored Bud and Burgers Championship, and many of the company's aired commercials. Check out the company's 2015 Super Bowl Commercial titled “Lost Dog.”

One of the things we mentioned in our previous post about video campaigns was that "airing one or two commercials on television" would probably not communicate your company's culture or its commitment to its mission statement. The video above, while valuable to those who were willing to watch it, does not go beyond its heartwarming nature to call for a particular course of action or to propagate a sentiment the company wants to share with its viewers.

Indeed, airing one or two commercials like these may popularize your company's name to the families and friends spending their Sunday evening watching the game. But the most instructive part of Budweiser's video marketing strategy is its consistency and diversity of the message it has spread. For example, aside from a myriad of different projects and communities the company has targeted, Budweiser has regularly demonstrated its dedication to support the troops and those who have risked their lives to protect their fellow countrymen through viral video campaigns. 

Check out some of the numerous videos that Budweiser and the parent company have created to demonstrate their gratitude for veterans and service members. Many of these videos were created to build positive public perceptions of the company by emphasizing the company's efforts to support those who serve.

'Troops Coming Home'

'Coming Home'

A Hero's Welcome - Super Bowl XLVIII Commercial

9/11 Tribute

The last video, a tribute to those who have lost their lives in 9/11, was remastered and released again on 2011 as a ten year anniversary tribute. The videos were meant as tributes and a public demonstration of the company's solemn respect for those who have perished during and after the crisis. The commercials never aired more than once so as to not profit from the commemoration of the lives lost during the tragedy.

Promotions, Donations, and Building Culture

We mentioned that one of the main reasons to create valuable video campaigns is to inform the viewer of your company's culture and to shape the brand in the would like by emphasizing certain qualities. The commercials and videos linked above were some of Budweiser's content that centered on military service, emphasizing qualities the company prized such as patriotism, camaraderie, gratitude, respect, support, and service. The company has, for long, supplemented their video marketing campaign with genuine outreach to those who have served. Consider some of these initiatives that show the company's commitment to making an impact in the military community:

1) In March 2011, Budweiser launched the “Here’s to the Heroes” Home Run program. The program involved a $100 donation for every home run hit during the 2011 Major League Baseball regular season to benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation, an initiative that provides educational scholarships to the dependents of service members killed or disabled in the line of duty. Additionally, the company donated a portion of every case sold from May 26 – July 10 to the organization.

2) More than 5,500 Anheuser-Busch employees have served in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and other military campaigns. Employees currently serving in the U.S. military may resume their jobs at Anheuser-Busch.

3) From 2001 to 2009, more than 5 million military service personnel and their families received free admission to select theme parks through the “Here’s to the Heroes” program sponsored by Anheuser-Busch and Budweiser. 

The company remains a sponsor of this popular program in Florida, Virginia and Texas. The company also helped found the U.S. Military Sports Association, an organization that supports our uniformed men and women’s sports activities, and has donated more than 18,000 pieces of sports equipment to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

4) Since 1987, the company and its Foundation have donated nearly $11 million to military charities, including the USO, Fisher House, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Pentagon Memorial Fund, America Supports You, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Hispanic War Veterans of America, Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Korean War and Vietnam War Memorials, among others.

5) On New Year’s Day 2011, Budweiser paid tribute to America’s heroes with a patriotic float in the Tournament of Roses Parade, which was pulled by the Budweiser Clydesdales and featured veteran service organizations and Anheuser-Busch employees who had served in the military. The gesture was made to give thanks to those who have been in active duty or who are currently serving and for all the sacrifices they've made to protect the residents within the country.

Blogs, Infographics, and White Papers

Blogs: 
Budweiser has also made effective use of other content marketing strategies to bolster its public reputation as a socially aware thought leader with expertise in fields related to brewery and drinking culture. 

When going to the company's blog, you will notice that the content marketing team regularly creates a diverse array of different topics. Whether the post is about the company's environmental efforts, a recipe to brew an imperial stout oatmeal recipe, or about how lager should be tried over wine at the dinner table for the night, Budweiser's marketing team is constantly creating valuable and searchable content for its viewers. The blog's home page is visually appealing and user friendly, allowing you to go through previous posts and catch up on the latest news, company initiatives, fan-made recipes, etc.

Infographics:

The company has created or commissioned contractors to create visually appealing infographics. For example, During the FA Cup, Budweiser wanted to create an infographic that compared the life cycle of the pint of Budweiser in one's hand to the events that have occurred during the the FA Cup so far. The campaign was designed to be used across Facebook and the focus was to create an engaging timeline. The importance of having visual content is at an all-time high. As the Content Marketing Institute reported, "Social media sites that focus exclusively on images are swiftly gaining in popularity. In February, TechCrunch reported that the percentage of online adults using Pinterest (15 percent) had almost caught up to the percentage using Twitter (16 percent)." Budweiser understands the appeal of creating visual content and has taken advantage of its presence on social media to spread this type of content to its viewers. 

The organization will continue to create informative and well-designed bits like the one above as part of its ongoing content marketing strategy. For instance, another notable infographic created with the intent of informing and spreading a bit of the company's culture and history. Not all of Budweiser's (or your company's) content has to be overt advertisement. Many individuals find even bits like the one depicted here interesting, due to the colorful presentation of what would otherwise be fairly uninteresting information. 

White Papers:
The company is also no stranger to creating white papers on topics of importance. Given the nature of the company's products and the association between alcohol and impaired judgment, many brewing organizations are constantly under scrutiny. According to Anheuser-Busch's press release, "Anheuser-Busch's representatives participated in the launch of the Beer Institute’s comprehensive white paper detailing alcohol responsibility efforts, including drunk-driving and underage-drinking prevention, and supportive data – including those championed by Anheuser-Busch. Maryellen Pado, Senior Director for Corporate Social Responsibility at Anheuser-Busch, presented Budweiser’s 'Friends Are Waiting' campaign to attending congressional staff and media." 

Given the dangerous nature of under age drinking and driving under the influence, the company has taken an active step to write a report in a white paper that could be read here. Writing these types of reports show the public that you are a thought leader and recognize that you are truly committed to your company's core values.

Takeaway

The key takeaway from this case study on Budweiser's marketing strategy is this: you don't have to be as big as these companies to create valuable content to benefit your business. 

While it's true that we've investigated perhaps one of the most well-funded companies with a large budget for marketing, the fact is that many businesses can still succeed in creating content that can attract consumers and other businesses alike. As we've mentioned repeatedly throughout our previous posts, you do not need to buy prime time Superbowl commercial advertising slots in order to spread your message, your company's culture, your products/services, or your mission. Remember, businesses have started and taken off with less resources and less access to an audience. 

For more information about creating valuable content for marketing to general audiences as well as for specific military audiences, check out some of previous blog posts about content marketing and using video campaigns.

Check out some of RallyPoint's unique Business Services here and have access to more than 740,000 members of the military and former military on our social network.

Military Marketing: Infographics

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

Infographics are generally long, informative, and sometimes vertical graphics that include details such as charts, graphs, statistics, diagrams, and other types of visual information, such as the one presented above by RallyPoint. The power of an infographic lies with its ability to present lots of information in a visually appealing way so that the reader wants to read the content you've written. Again, having readers want to consume the content you've created is akin to saying that your content is valuable, the most important aspect about content marketing.  

There are many outside resources you can reach out to if you don't think you have the time to spend on creating your own infographics for your company. Sites such as infogr.am or visual.ly can create professionally designed infographics for you in exchange for a fee. 

But why infographics?

1. People Like Visuals

As the Content Marketing Institute revealed earlier in 2013, 

"Visual content is at an all-time high: Social media sites that focus exclusively on images are swiftly gaining in popularity. In February, TechCrunch reported that the percentage of online adults using Pinterest (15 percent) had almost caught up to the percentage using Twitter (16 percent). Facebook recognized that Instagram was going places when they purchased the photo-focused app for $1 billion in 2012. Today, Instagram has 150 million monthly active users. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all get the power of the picture and have added better image-sharing functionality to their platforms over the past few years."

We live in an age where information is fed to us in a non-stop manner - it's no wonder why many call our current period the "information generation." According to Richard Alleyne we receive 5x as much information as we did in 1986, or as much as about 174 newspapers a day. 

A study by the International Journal of Communication also revealed that Americans consume about 1.3 trillion hours of information outside of work, an average of almost 12 hours per person per day, with media consumption totaling 3.6 zettabytes and 1,080 trillion words, corresponding to 100,500 words and 34 gigabytes for the average person on an average day. That is a lot of information occupying a person's mind on a daily basis. 

So how, in a world where the average person is bombarded with massive amounts of information daily, can a business attract a potential consumer and his willingness to read the content that you're creating?

In a word, color.

Researchers have found that color increases readers’ attention spans and recall by 82% and helps gain readership by 80%. What better way to increase the memorability of your content by including some infographic material embedded on your blog post? Not only will readers be more inclined to click on your post in the first place, but they are also a lot more likely to finish reading the material because they have been captivated by the material.

2. People Remember Your Company

Infographics are generally designed to include information that the organization that created them wants its readers to understand. Logos, website addresses and domains, email addresses, phone numbers, contact information. 

An infographic created and posted by RallyPoint regarding homeless veterans

Infographics can leverage readers' attention by showing the viewers what type of content matters to the company and why it is spending time to create visually appealing images to attract people's interest. Usually, many details and the company's brand can be found in an infographic created by the business. The first infographic presented at the top and the infographic below demonstrate how a company's brand is an invariable part of the information that the company is trying to present.  

3. More People Will Read Your Material

Earlier in this post, we mentioned that not only will readers be more inclined to click on your content, but that they would also be more likely to finish reading the material. We bring this up as a separate point because this is important within the context of gaining visibility through search engines. 

With more individuals reading your post and traffic to your blog posts increasing because readers find your content genuinely enjoyable to read and are interested in finding out more, the chances of having your content go viral are higher.

Check out some of the infographics that went viral on social media outlets, such as this infographic detailing the health risks associated with sitting down for long periods of time (created by MBC, a medical billing and coding organization).

Viral content means more inbound links (i.e. more companies, blogs, and online writers to direct their readership to yours for similar content), which means your website comes up higher on the search engine results. You can build an even more robust infographic/blog campaign by incorporating the keywords that you would like to hit in terms of attracting a target audience as part of your post's title. 

All this contributes to you scoring a higher rank on popular search engines, allowing you greater access to those who are interested in the types of content and products you create as well as the services that you offer. this better even more by adding highly targeted keywords as part of the title, description and meta information of your Infographic. 

This can give your Infographic higher chances of appearing as a relevant image or resource in search results. This can go really well for your business as up to 60% of consumers will have the most probability of contacting your business if they see your images, in this case an Infographic, as a relevant source for their needs.

See the Difference Yourself

Get some content and start planning the type of information you'd like to present in your infographic. Want to try your hand at creating your own infographic?

Piktochart is free for casual users (the site also offers premium upgrades starting at $29/month). The service offers an incredibly user-friendly dashboard where you can fiddle with basic, intermediate, and advanced templates in order to visually tailor your narrative however you want. 

You can manipulate the fonts and images and create designs that you would want into something that tells your story. You can change fonts, insert or move images, and do just about everything you can do with other softwares for free. 

Upgrading it will allow you to "save into a search-engine optimized friendly HTML version (almost released) and to remove the watermark that comes on the free level." It may well be worth a shot, and if you have the budget but not the time to invest in creating your own infographics, you can always find online services that will create one for you. 

If you're interested in seeing more of RallyPoint's infographics, check them out here.

For more information about creating valuable content for marketing to general audiences as well as for specific military audiences, check out some of previous blog posts about content marketing. Check out some of RallyPoint's unique Business Services here and have access to more than 740,000 members of the military and former military on our social network.

Marketing Insights for Reaching the Military: What is Content Marketing?

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

"Give them quality. That's the best kind of advertising," said Milton S. Hershey, founder of Hershey Foods Corp. 

Hershey, in the 19th and 20th century, was speaking about the market he was catering to (at the time, fans of chocolate and sweets) when he acknowledged that the quality of the product being delivered would result in a positive feedback loop. Happy consumers buy chocolates for themselves and for family and friends, who all learn about the delectable treat packaged by Hershey's company. 

But times are different now, and although word of mouth remains powerful, mass media has made advertising both easy and difficult for companies to market their products to target consumers.

This isn't to say that Hershey's advice has withered as a result of changing social and business environments. In fact, Hershey's advice is more relevant today than ever. The quality that Hershey was referring to is now applicable to the content being produced by marketers in order to attract consumers, not simply the quality of the product itself.  As Danielle Sacks correctly pointed out, "the Internet has turned what used to be a controlled, one-way message into a real-time dialogue with millions." Gone are the days where marketers flash their products on newspaper ads.

Marketing to veterans and members of the military is no different. The insight of 21st century digital marketing is that there is an ever-growing emphasis on the quality of the content being created. 

Content Marketing, as defined by the Content Marketing Institute, is a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action. Some of the forms used to create this type of content includes infographics, webpages, podcasts, videos, books, ebooks, blogs, apps, white papers, presentations, case studies, how-to guides, question and answer articles, photos, etc.

A sample infographic created by RallyPoint.

The simple key to understanding the core of content marketing (and thus attracting prospective consumers) is value. 

What makes something valuable? 

What is valuable content marketing, anyway? 

Content is valuable when individuals want to read/watch your content. 

Old Spice Content Marketing: Commercial Video Campaigns

For example, millions of people have gone on YouTube to watch the "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" video. The commercial has garnered more than 51 million views, and its content was brilliant, humorous, attention grabbing, but above all else, valuable to the consumer. Old Spice has been able to attract the attention of thousands of consumers on Twitter due to its approach to viral marketing using valuable content. Old Spice's social media presence has grown due to a series of numerous commercials starring Isaiah Mustafa and Terry Crews. One thing is certain from their marketing campaign: consumers found value in watching these commercials and many undoubtedly keep the brand name in mind when they browse through the aisles of a supermarket or other health and pharmaceutical retail chains.

As you may be able to glean, this type of focus on producing valuable content has become an increasingly important and necessary component of many companies' marketing strategy. Take another example of a hugely successful content marketing campaign which, on top of appealing to the general public, has also branched out to targeting military families and veterans. 

Lego Content Marketing: Successful Film Campaign

Do you remember watching The Lego Movie in the theatre? You essentially paid to watch a 101 minute commercial for Lego brand toys. Pablo Smithson from The Guardian made the point that "As a product, Lego is for kids, so the Lego marketing team's main challenge [was] to make their products appealing to children; however, it is the parents, aunties, uncles, grandparents and godparents who hold the purse strings. This is where the joy – and the genius – comes in: The Lego Movie is a ripping adventure for kids, but is also great fun for adults."

The rave reviews that the film received and the ensuing craze for Lego clearly boosted the company's sales. According to the Wall Street Journal, "revenue in the first six months rose 11% boosted by 'The Lego Movie' products, making it the biggest toy company in the world by revenue and profit, ahead of Barbie-maker Mattel Inc."

As for targeting military audience, especially successful was Lego's strategy of coupling the film's success with its special discounts and free admissions to various Legoland amusement parks for veterans and service members. This was particularly successful because, as a joint research study by Stacy DeBroff and MilitaryOneClick revealed, "military families seek relaxation and rejuvenation through destination vacations to resorts or amusement parks, and nearly 60% head out for vacation time one to two times per year. Moreover, half of all military families will plan their travel based on the availability of discounted pricing for service members." 

Now, you might be thinking that your company or department cannot afford to spend millions of dollars on viral content marketing campaigns like other larger businesses.

The good news is that you don't need millions of dollars. You just need to create content that is a valuable source of information or inspiration to your consumers. There are many different avenues that improve your visibility, your target, and your mission when it comes to content marketing, and there are many things you can do without a million dollar budget. 

Check out some of RallyPoint's unique Business Services here and have access to more than 740,000 members of the military and former military on our social network. 

PSA: Online Presence is Important to Transition

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

The importance of having online presence has become increasingly greater with the popularity of social networking sites in our daily lives. College administrators as well as hiring managers and recruiters have found social networking sites to be a great tool to find out more about candidates outside of the materials presented in the application process. 

In fact, a new survey discussed on CollegeRecruiter confirms what many of us already know: "the use of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn have become an essential practice amongst human resource professionals with 92 percent of U.S. companies using social networks and media to find talent in 2012, up from 78 percent five years ago." 

The survey also found that nearly 3 out of 4 hiring managers and recruiters check candidates’ social profiles, and 48 percent of them always do so, even if they are not provided in the application.

All this information suggests that having an online presence is crucial to employment and transition. 

Most hiring professionals go to LinkedIn first in order to search for you and assess you based on relevant keywords. If you don't a LinkedIn profile, or an incomplete one with few relevant keywords, you’re probably going to have some trouble gaining visibility to them. 

The best advice for cultivating an online presence is the following:

• Have a broad presence in the social media world
• Exude and communicate professionalism
• Avoid uploading, posting, or being tagged in controversial material

Develop a Broad Online Presence

Expand your social networking presence and make sure that you have some presence in the major networks that employers use to scout or screen candidates. 

LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter tend to be the largest civilian social networks that many hiring managers sift through to get both a metaphoric and literal picture of you and the type of person you are while they consider your application. RallyPoint is the largest military network, and many hiring managers that work for companies that have a robust hiring process for veterans and service members are active in the site. So make sure that you've organized and completed your profile on these major sites and you should have your bases covered.

Exude and Communicate Professionalism

Part of cultivating a good online presence for your future employers and veteran recruiters to see involves making sure that your profiles on various social networking sites are completed and organized.

• You want to make sure you include information that is relevant to your skill set and experience, and fill out as much information as possible when describing when and where you've worked and what you did. Part of this discussion is mostly relevant to professional networking sites like LinkedIn and RallyPoint, where many hiring managers and veteran recruiters go to find talent for their job openings. Also make sure your Facebook profile doesn't include too many personal details that you wouldn't want your employer to know through a quick Google search of your name (e.g. extraneous information about when you expect a newborn or financial information). Adjust your privacy settings if you want to limit the amount of information available for strangers to see publicly. 

• Uploading a professional photo involves one that would help the employer see how you would fit with the company's culture. Sometimes wearing military uniform detracts from the employers' ability to envision you fitting in, so try to get a civilian and professional photo of you taken. 

• Part of communicating professionalism on online social networks is also making your profile viewable and understandable to the common civilian employer without military experience. Try removing military lingo that isn't readily understood. 

• Mention your civilian world achievements when you can. A lot of your accomplishments may be pertinent within the military community, but many civilian employers might not appreciate them and such information only serves to clutter your professional profile. Be concise but informative and relevant.

Avoid Controversy

Being careful with what you post in the online world may seem like common sense, but unfortunately many individuals still don't seem to truly understand how this impacts their professional careers. 

Remember the old adage that if you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say it at all. Unsurprisingly, recruiters and hiring managers find negative content to be more harmful to their perception of the candidates than not having any content at all. 

This isn't to say that you shouldn't post anything at all, but that you should always be mindful of who might be reading the content you post online. Expressing your opinions on headline issues on Facebook, for example, is not off limits. But the type of language and the approach you use to speak about the issue at hand might merit some careful consideration. As mentioned before, you should also look into your privacy settings if you want to have more control over your profile's content.

The survey we've mentioned above talks about some of the content that are big "No's." 

• Content that recruiters especially frown on includes references to using illegal drugs (78 percent negative) and posts of a sexual nature (67 percent negative). 
• Profanity in posts and tweets garnered a 61 percent negative reaction. 
• 47 percent reacted negatively to posts about alcohol consumption. 
• Grammar or spelling mistakes on social profiles saw a 54 percent negative reaction.

Go through your profiles on Facebook/Twitter and other social networks to make sure that nothing sensitive or of that nature is linked back to you. Don't let the opportunity for a job interview be pre-determined by the type of inappropriate things that your friends tagged you in, the regretful things you wrote when you were serving, or other sensitive material that you wouldn't want your family members or hiring managers to see. 

Go fill out your RallyPoint profile and make the first step in attractively marketing yourself to veteran recruiters and hiring managers. Go reach out and contact companies in our career corner.

The infographic used throughout this post is from the Hollister Institute and has been modified in this piece. All rights and ownership to the infographic and any derivates belongs to the Hollister Institute.  The source for the information presented in the infographic is pulled from Staffing Industry Analysts, Career Builder's "Annual Social Media Recruitment Survey" - conducted between Feb. 11 & March 6, 2015 & article: "Number of Employers Passing on Applicants due to Social Media Posts Continues to Rise, According to New CareerBuilder Survey."

Top 4 Private Sector Industries for Veterans in 2015

David Yoo, RallyPoint Civilian Careers.

The infographic above highlights some of the major breakdown of veterans in the private sector by industry in 2012. The top three major industries at the time included manufacturing, professional business services, and retail, which accounted for nearly half of the employed veteran population in the private sector. 

Since the 2012 report by the U.S. Office of Personal Management has been published, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee released an updated report (published in 2014) on the state of veteran employment that revealed some changing trends. 

Veterans make important contributions to numerous industries, the report explains, and today represent about 6.5 percent of all private-sector employees. The new report also revealed the veteran employment breakdown in the private sector using more recent data. According to the report, there is a "particularly strong veteran presence in the transportation and utilities industry (12.2 percent of workers), mining (11.7 percent), manufacturing (9.0 percent) and construction (8.1 percent)."

In short, the report indicates that the transportation and utilities, mining, manufacturing, construction, and information industries have collectively made up almost half of the current veteran hires. The report also suggests that veterans are seeing a decline in presence in the retail and business and professional services industry. Veterans now make up 5.9% and 7.3% of retail and professional business services, respectively -- a 7.1% and 7.7% decline since 2012.

Below we outline the top 4 industries where there is a high demand for veterans with skills and qualities learned and gained throughout their years of service. 

#1 Transportation and Utilities

The transportation and utilities industry, the industry with currently one of the highest employed veteran population, has many openings that range from engineers to vehicle and transportation technician specialists.

For example, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) received recognition from the Virginia Department of Veterans for employing countless veterans for the shipbuilding headquarters in Newport News, Virginia. Industrial product managers and ship engineers continue to be one of the "hot" positions for companies who seek qualified veterans who can fill the vacancy.

Companies that need train engineers and train operators are also starting to look towards the veteran population to fill these high-demand positions. 

Additionally, many of the country's energy companies express great interest in tapping into the veteran population's potential and have shown great strides in seeking transitioning members of the armed forces. Chesapeake Energy and CenterPoint Energy are merely two examples of companies who are turning to the veterans to fill professional and technical jobs in their companies. 

#2 Mining

Working for a mining company does not solely involve putting on a hardhat and digging away in dark-lit caves. Many companies both inside and outside the United States (such as Australia) have expressed interest in having veterans fill positions for important jobs within their companies. These types of companies require electricians, carpenters, and heavy equipment operators. For example, companies such as American Mining and Crushing (AMC) and Newton actively seek to staff their offices and fields with qualified veterans who know how to lead and operate. 

The AMC is the newly established US subsidiary of African Mining & Crushing, which has presence in the international mining industry and 10 years of experience an international mining company with more than 300 employees, while Newton provides resources to veteran employees whether they are transitioning to civilian life, transitioning back to reserve status from active duty or preparing to deploy. Many more opportunities are available in this industry and many companies already recognize the value that veterans bring to their workforce. Qualities of discipline, being a team player, and being able to fix problems under pressure are especially compelling reasons to hire employees with a military background in this sector.

#3 Manufacturing

Operations managers, industrial product managers and logisticians are among the many openings that companies have for veterans interested in working in the manufacturing industry. 

Operations managers have the important task of ensuring that the warehouse, facility, or factory is running according to plan and that it is being run as efficiently as possible. Veterans are seen to be highly qualified in this particular area due to the military's culture and focus on paying attention to detail and ensuring processes are being done according to standard protocol. 

An article written by Orion International (the full article can be found here) explained: "Polaris, maker of off-road vehicles, including ATVs, motorcycles, and snowmobiles, is among the companies leveraging veteran talent among their ranks. 'Our operations managers can support any piece of the company. Right now we’re filling a lot of these positions in our international groups, corporate procurement, sales and service, and the manufacturing side, where they’re focusing on things like lean,' explains Amy Fossum, Staffing Manager at Polaris. She goes on to [explain] that Polaris hires veterans because they know how to lead, how to plan and conduct training, and they're adventurous."

Industrial product managers and logisticians are also attractive positions for veterans who seek civilian employment opportunities in manufacturing industries. In fact, some of the country's biggest manufacturing companies launched the Get Skills to Work Coalition, a few years ago, which was created to help veterans prepare for jobs in industrial production. These positions are ones that focus on managing the acquisition, distribution, and delivery of products and ensuring that the entire supply chain operations runs smoothly.

#4 Construction

A new focus by the country in an effort to revitalize construction projects has meant an increasing demand and desire to hire veterans with the skills and qualities that employers find attractive and necessary. Construction workers and construction program managers are one of the most desired positions in the industry.

Construction program managers plan the work and determine the project's cost as well as ensuring that the project itself is carried out appropriately and on time. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has stated that about 1.5 million construction jobs will be added between today and 2022, meaning that the demand for construction program mangers will also increase and the veteran population is well positioned to take advantage of job openings in major construction companies. BC Construction Co. and Williamson & Associates, Inc. are two of many companies who are looking for veterans to fill positions in their construction projects.

More opportunities can be found using our career corner platform on RallyPoint here.

Guns that Shaped US History

RallyPoint Team

There is no doubt that the United States has produced some of the best weaponry in the world. Each firearm in our nation’s history has played its part, but some have become iconic. Here are a few of the guns used by our military which made huge impacts throughout time. 

Comment below or start the conversation here and connect within the military community.

Top 5 MREs of 2014

RallyPoint Team

They may not be the most gourmet meals you've ever tasted in your life, but when it comes down to it...some MREs really are better than others. Here are the 5 best MREs of 2014. What is your most ridiculous MRE memory?

Comment below or start the conversation here and connect within the military community.

The Greatest POW Escapes

RallyPoint Team

Prisoners of war are those captured and held in custody from a belligerent power during or after an armed conflict. The United States has had over 130k POWs since the beginning of WWII. Many times, POWs are rendered helpless and are never recovered. But, sometimes they are able to break free from those who hold them captive - here are some of the most unbelievable POW escapes of all time. 

Comment below or start the conversation here and connect within the military community.

The 3 Most Incredible US Sniper Shots

RallyPoint Team

The entire nation is talking about “American Sniper” author, Chris Kyle, and his legendary sniper shot from 2,100 yards. It’s time for you to learn about some more incredible snipers! Do you have any amazing sniper stories that you’ve heard along the way?

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Who are the global military power houses?

RallyPoint Team

If militaries around the world went head-to-head, these power houses would come out on top. Are you surprised to see any of the countries included?

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Highest & Lowest BAH Rates Across America

RallyPoint Team

Do you ever wonder which cities offer the highest BAH rates? How about the lowest? Rank and dependency status rates have been averaged out to give you the 5 highest and 5 lowest. Surprised by anything?

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American Forces in Afghanistan - 2014

RallyPoint Team

2014 was a year of transition for the US military in Afghanistan. Take a look at the major shifts that occurred from the beginning until the end of 2014. Does anything surprise you?

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Divorces Within the Military

RallyPoint Team

Though it is often said the divorce rate for members of the military are higher than that of civilians, statistics reveal that military status does not seem to influence divorce rates. That said, are you surprised by the seemingly low number of divorces within the military? Do you think there is a reason more enlisted personnel get divorced than officers across the branches?

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Military vs. Civilian Compensation Packages

RallyPoint Team

Compensation packages for members of the US Military are much different than those of civilians. On average, men and women in the military receive a much higher value after taking into account tax advantages, health care, and retirement.

Does this change the way you look at military pay?

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Military Pay and Benefits: Where does most of the money go?

RallyPoint Team

The Department of Defense spends billions annually on military pay and benefits. As Congress proposes cuts, let's take a look at where most of the money goes today.

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Retirement in the Military

RallyPoint Team

As of last year, the total number of personnel retired from Active Duty service was 1,551,844. The types of retirement typically vary across each branch. Do any of these statistics surprise you?

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Traumatic Brain Injuries in the Military

RallyPoint Team

Traumatic brain injuries can have serious implications for people - most notably, difficulty with emotional management. The effects of TBI's aren't very well-known though they can prove to be life-altering injuries. Can improvements be made to help "cushion the blow" for our men and women in service?

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How Do We Help Our Homeless Veterans?

RallyPoint Team

A recent survey found that an alarming amount of Americans believe most homeless people they see must be veterans. Though that isn’t true, is there a way to change that stigma? And with at least 76,000 American veterans stranded on the streets each and every night, is there a way to better help them?

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What Role Does Religion Play Within Our Military?

RallyPoint Team

With members of the military identifying with 98 different religions, it is evident our Armed Forces is extremely diverse. Unfortunately, religious differences sometimes cause feelings of animosity between service members. Are you less likely to trust another service member who does not identify with the same religion as you?

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How Long Will Our Military Be Fighting Ebola?

RallyPoint Team

As more soldiers recently deployed to Western Africa to support the fight against Ebola, there are still many questions that surround the deadly disease. After seeing the facts, does your perception of Ebola change? How long will our military need to continue supporting efforts in Africa before it is contained?

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*These opinions belong to the writer and in no way reflect the views of the DoD or other departments of the US government.