While not all brands recognize the value of military consumers, when they do they often resort to targeting them with discounts, perks, and loyalty programs. While these types of programs are certainly appreciated, they are not enough on their own to win over the hearts and minds of military affiliated consumers.
Military families face a unique set of challenges that shape how they interact with brands. To truly resonate with this audience, companies need to go beyond savings, beyond performance marketing, and connect with the emotional core of military life.
The Emotional Pain Points of Military Families
Frequent Relocation: Military families move every two to three years on average. This constant transition disrupts everything from friendships and schooling to healthcare and careers. Brands that acknowledge and support this instability can position themselves as reliable anchors in a sea of change.
Separation and Deployment: Long deployments mean extended periods of separation. Families deal with stress, loneliness, and uncertainty. Brands that offer resources, community support, or even messaging that recognizes this strain show that they understand the emotional reality of their lives.
Career and Financial Pressures: Spouses of service members often face challenges maintaining steady careers due to relocations. Financial stability can feel fragile, even with military benefits. Companies that support career flexibility, financial literacy, or employment opportunities for spouses provide real, lasting value.
Sense of Community: Military families often seek belonging wherever they are stationed. They value brands that don’t just sell to them but invite them into a community. Storytelling, events, and personalized engagement can go a long way toward building this connection.
Why Discounts Aren’t Enough
Discounts are transactional. They show appreciation but don’t necessarily build loyalty on their own because they can come across as opportunistic or even exploitative. Military consumers are highly brand-loyal, but that loyalty must be earned through consistent trust and emotional resonance. When brands lean excessively or exclusively on discounts, they risk reducing the relationship to one-dimensional value shopping rather than cultivating a genuine connection.
Moving From Awareness to Engagement to Conversion
Marketers often think of the customer journey in three stages: Awareness, Engagement, and Conversion. Some brands attempt to shortcut the process, pushing for conversion right away with an incentive. That can have a positive impact for certain products, but it is risky in an environment where advertising is generally mistrusted or ignored.
With military consumers, this strategy is not only less effective, but can lead to long-term damage of the brand.
Military families, even more so than general market audiences, need to see that a brand understands their world before they are ready to buy. Going directly for conversion without building equity can ruin the chance to develop long-term loyalty.
Being experts in connecting with military audiences, bBIG recommends the following approach:
Building Genuine Brand Equity With Military Audiences
Brands that succeed with military consumers are those that show up authentically and consistently. A few ways to build this equity include:
- Highlighting Real Stories: Share authentic stories of service members and families, not just polished ads.
- Offering Tangible Support: Scholarships, spouse hiring initiatives, and community programs build trust that outlasts any single promotion.
- Consistency Across Touchpoints: Military families are highly mobile, so whether they interact with your brand in Virginia or Germany, the experience should feel seamless and supportive.
Military families live lives defined by sacrifice, resilience, and constant change. They don’t just want discounts; they want to be understood, supported, and valued. By addressing their emotional pain points and building authentic engagement, brands can develop strong, loyal relationships.
The pathway from awareness to engagement to conversion isn’t just a marketing funnel with military audiences—it’s a trust-building journey. And those who take the time to walk it alongside military families will see the rewards of deep, lasting brand loyalty.