Advertising Encampment

[jimmydeanno]

I was thinking about how different wings advertise encampment and thought about the written communication that is distributed.

I've noticed many wings just send an e-mail and pass information word of mouth.  Others set up a website and direct people there.

Others put together a printed packet with instructions, no website, no e-mail, etc.

My wing utilizes the wing e-mail list and squadron commanders pass the information along.

I like to put something into the hands of the cadets and parents.  Something they can put on their refrigerator and gives a glimpse of what encampment is.  This is what I put together for our encampment this year.  Thoughts?  Does your wing do something similar?  Can we see it?

[Stonewall]

FLWG starts by a few email blasts to solicit for executive staff applications.  Once that's decided they'll do the same for other key staff positions.

Finally, by email and word of mouth, the wing encampment website is announced (more as a reminder) so people can refer to that.

Like you, I prefer putting something in the hands of the cadets and parents.  I don't care how technologically advanced we are, relying solely on the internet to inform cadets and their parents does not do the trick.  I believe in redundant communications for importants things like encampment.  Verbal, physical documentation, email and internet (webpage) so you leave little room for gaps.

[Chicago_Pilot]

I like the flier.  It gives enough information to get someone interested while still looking clean and professional.  Good job!

[Stonewall]

I like the flier. 

+1

I didn't see the attachment earlier when I replied because I was on my blackberry, but yeah, that thing rocks.  One day, when I'm a grown up and commanding an encampment, I'm going to plagiarise this.  :angel:

[Slim]

OTOH, I commanded the GLR-N encampment last year, and we did no physical mailing.  We used to mail an application packet to every member in MI and OH, and every unit in GLR.  We had to eliminate it last year so that $2000 budget line could be applied elsewhere, and relied totally on email and a website with the application packet available for download.

I was very nervous about doing it that way, only because everyone was used to getting the application packet in the mail, and I was afraid that people wouldn't be able to find us. 

In the end, my fears were groundless as we had one of the highest attendance levels in years.

[jimmydeanno]

I can see where that would be a little excessive.  I think a good compromise though would be to attach the application and a flier to the announcement sent to the squadron commanders/wing distribution list.  The local unit can then produce the flier and put them out on their info wall, etc.

I just included this one in the mailing that I did for my squadron because I was mailing stuff out anyway - didn't increase the cost at all.

I think most wings could use the $2000.00 in better ways to improve the encampment.

[Hoorah]

My thoughts on how to advertise the encampment is the following.
1. Have a meeting on how to advertise the encampment.
2. Flyers.
3. A complete text  to all people in the region where the encampment is.

[NIN]

WIWAEC (when I was an encampment commander, like when Smiley was a cadet..), we did two mailings: One was a cadet staff mailing to every cadet in the CAPWatch DB who had an encampment credit inviting them to apply for encampment staff.  (we didn't have an NCOA or CLS here at the time..)  Then, couple months later, a mailing to every cadet in the CAPWatch DB who did not have encampment credit. This was the basic encampment mailer.

Plus, we put the mailers out to the units (in case we missed people).

This helped us reduce the number of "second time basic cadets," which is a concept I greatly dislike.  Nothing worse than a 2 time c/A1C in ranks.

That being said, there are more avenues available these days than there were in 2000.

We didn't have a $2000 budget for printing and mailing. We spent about $100.

(BTW, as a metric, my goal was to get 50% of the cadets who needed a basic encampment to go to encampment. We usually made somewhere between 52 & 55%.)

[Eclipse]

I'm all for anything that works, but killing trees is so...last century...and most of the time stuff like that is pitched or lost before you get home.

We have multiple emails, posts to here and CS, a website, and I harp on it at every other activity, yet somehow there are cadets and seniors every year (including unit CCs) who insist they had no idea about it or when it was.

The sad reality is that due to oversaturation, most people don't read more then the first paragraph of an email, so even when you provide all the details in big red letters, they still call you direct as ask you for the same information.

The best marketing for an encampment is getting the buy-in of the Squadron CC's so that they are discussing it when the newbs come in the door, and it is considered an assumed part of the larger program.

[Ned]

I've been trying to develop an accessions-driven encampment planning model that would require little or no advertising.

The gist is that as soon as the new cadet hits the CAPWATCH DB, she/he is automatically programmed for encampment the following summer. (With a cutoff for troops joining in spring who might not have their Curry in time.)

So the new guy gets a letter from Gen Courter that says:

Greetings from the National Commander!

Welcome Cadet {lastname} to the Cadet Program.  I'm sure you will find it to be a thrilling experience that will challenge you to your very core.  Soon you will receive your Free Cadet Uniform and the books and materials you need to get started in this adventure.

You are hereby ordered to attend encampment in {yourwing} at {yourwinglocation} during the period of {yourwingencampmentdates}.  As you will soon learn, encampment attendence is required to earn the coveted Billy Mitchell Award.


If for some reason you cannot attend encampment on those dates, please contact your squadron commander as soon as possible so that other arrangements can be made.

Sincerely yours,

(Signature)

Cc: Unit CC, file, DoD AWOL Apprehension Unit {yourstate}

Kinda like being drafted . . . .

In all seriousness, the goal is to create an encampment expectation and an atmosphere where a cadet would have to "opt out" rather than "opt in".

This would support the units by increasing encampment attendence, and support the wings by giving their encampment planning a longer view and greater certaintly for the numbers involved.  It also would support the units by ensuring cadets do not stagnate in the first achievement, since we know they have to complete that to attend the encampment they have been ordered to attend.


Could we do this and get away with it?


Remember, in every single survey done by the NHQ CP shop, encampment attendence was the single greatest factor associated with retention.  Cadets who had been to encampment their first year had vastly higher retention rates than those who had not.

And it would virtually eliminate encampment advertising and marketing.  We don't market the Wright Brothers Milestone - it is simply a required part of the program.  Why are we trying to pitch encampment like it was snake oil?

whaddya think?

Ned Lee

[JoeTomasone]

WIWAEC (when I was an encampment commander, like when Smiley was a cadet..), we did two mailings: One was a cadet staff mailing to every cadet in the CAPWatch DB who had an encampment credit inviting them to apply for encampment staff.  (we didn't have an NCOA or CLS here at the time..)  Then, couple months later, a mailing to every cadet in the CAPWatch DB who did not have encampment credit. This was the basic encampment mailer.

T'would be trivial to write an app to pull the emails of said Cadets from Capwatch and send emails instead.  You can even check to see if they already have the Curry.

[Eclipse]

whaddya think?

I think that as usual you are "in the zone" on this.

The advantages of encampment attendance, especially in the first year, and even multiple participation as a basic, are easy to see in cadets when they return, especially a well-run encampment.

Fresh or renewed spirit, understanding of the "real" CAP versus home-spun legends and misunderstandings, newly acquired skills, etc., etc.

Unfortunately, far too many units CC's have no interest in assimilating into the larger whole, and view encampments as a check-box to Mitchell and nothing more (frankly in a lot of ways that's how the program itself views them).

In some cases when cadets come "home" with their lights turned fully on, it brings out the weaknesses in the local program and unit CC's resent being shown as lacking instead of using it to build and repair.

I like Ned's idea, require attendance in the first calendar year.

[swamprat86]

I would be concerned with the verbage.  It makes it sound as if it is mandatory to attend and if they can not financially do it at that time, it may create unnecessary stress.

I would possibly change it to "encouraged" to attend.  Let the local unit members and encampment staff do the hard sell.

There is also the issue of some Wings do not get a firm date for their encampment until a couple of months before the event.  Also attendance expectation could cause planning problems if they are expecting a lage number and they don't pan out, even with notice.  I have been handling the registration for the past several years for our encampment and the man hours of setting up attendees, even while using the Encampment Management Program, adds up.  it would be a waste to set attendees up on expecation and then have to go back and remove them.

[jimmydeanno]

I like Ned's idea, require attendance in the first calendar year.

I didn't take his idea that way.  I took it as changing the culture of encampment  from deciding to go to deciding not to go. 

[Eclipse]

It might be interesting to note that the Sea Cadets have a mandatory training activity the first year of membership and they seem to be getting through it.

Whenever this is brought up the excuses around the current program start to pop up.

If the CP were changed to require more encampment participation, then by design or requirement there would be more encampments and more participants.

My state runs two encampments and a flight academy, and has been trying to ramp a third encampment up for several years, and this is in the current "one and done" culture.  Plus, an encampment doesn't have to be a 2-week knock-down, drag-out $500 experience.

Its all about where you want the bar.

[swamprat86]

Ours is not a 2-week $500 event.  It is a 1-week $100 event.  Don't get me wrong, I agree that the first year is the best time for a cadet to go to encampment.  I did it that way and turned out fine. 

Who pays for the Sea Cadet training?  If it is the individual, I am sure they can't hold them to the fire for it.  If we able to do this with little or no cost to the individual, then mandatory away.

If we mandate cadet activites like this then why don't we do it for SM activites such as SLS, CLC, etc.  They are required for "acheviement" progression as well but member go for years before taking some of these.

If we do it to the CP do it for PD as well.

[Eclipse]

If we do it to the CP do it for PD as well.

Except that progression itself is mandated with the threat of termination in the CP, its not a requirement in the senior program.

As to who pays for the training, it appears from a cursory surf that the cadets themselves do, just like CAP.  It looks like they have them all over the place, just like CAP.

[NIN]

In all seriousness, the goal is to create an encampment expectation and an atmosphere where a cadet would have to "opt out" rather than "opt in".

[snip]

And it would virtually eliminate encampment advertising and marketing.  We don't market the Wright Brothers Milestone - it is simply a required part of the program.  Why are we trying to pitch encampment like it was snake oil?

I've heard this concept somewhere...

www.goarmycadets.com

[SarDragon]

WIWAEC (when I was an encampment commander, like when Smiley was a cadet..), we did two mailings: One was a cadet staff mailing to every cadet in the CAPWatch DB who had an encampment credit inviting them to apply for encampment staff.  (we didn't have an NCOA or CLS here at the time..)  Then, couple months later, a mailing to every cadet in the CAPWatch DB who did not have encampment credit. This was the basic encampment mailer.

T'would be trivial to write an app to pull the emails of said Cadets from Capwatch and send emails instead.  You can even check to see if they already have the Curry.

No need to reinvent the wheel here. Log into eServicesand look at the top center of the screen, where the member munbers are shown. click the likned number, and it allows you to extract any or all of the emails for those members.

Copy and paste the list into your email client, and go for it.

[Nathan]

I would be concerned with the verbage.  It makes it sound as if it is mandatory to attend and if they can not financially do it at that time, it may create unnecessary stress.

Well, it is mandatory to attend if the cadet actually intends to progress in the program. And progression in the cadet program IS mandatory, therefore, encampment is mandatory.

But I understand what you're saying. Still, I think that the fact the email mentions what the ultimate deadline is (Mitchell), the cadet would be able to make the inference. If not, the email directs the cadet to squadron command, who would be able to clear the issue up.

MOST encampments are around $100, though, so I can't imagine that if the financial situation is good enough to join CAP that it wouldn't be able to support the $100 for MOST cadets. The few that we do have to deal with we do so in the manner described above.

There is also the issue of some Wings do not get a firm date for their encampment until a couple of months before the event.  Also attendance expectation could cause planning problems if they are expecting a lage number and they don't pan out, even with notice.  I have been handling the registration for the past several years for our encampment and the man hours of setting up attendees, even while using the Encampment Management Program, adds up.  it would be a waste to set attendees up on expecation and then have to go back and remove them.

I'm imagining there would be a test period of this to get numbers, but if the encampment commander were to assume that most of the new recruits would be attending, then all he/she has to do is figure out what the general yearly incoming cadet recruit numbers are, knock off maybe 20%, and then maybe average that number with the usual number of attendees at past encampments.

[IceNine]

whaddya think?

Ned Lee

I like it a lot.  I will likely bring this up to my unit commander's at my next meeting.

Especially in the world in which we live where cadets would rather stay out of the sun and play XBOX.

Establishing the appropriate mentality as and new members walk through the door is essential.  Whether that is requiring uniforms, holding members accountable for unexcused absences, or developing the opt-out vs opt-in requirement.

You've got my vote

[RedFox24]

Back in the stone age when I was a cadet, while it was never said it was mandatory, it sure was implied that is was necessary for a cadet to go to a Type A in the first two years of membership.  Of course there were the Type B, but it didn't count toward the Mitchell Award and they were almost "warm ups" for the Type A.  The emphasis was always on the Type A. 

When I went on to be a Squadron and Group Commander, I gave cadets the same message of necessity as was given to me.  But my motives were slanted because I knew if I got my cadets to encampment, they were more likely to stay a member and not drop out. 

As Eclipse points out we run the two encampments plus a flight encampment here in Illinois.  The success of these encampments is largely due IMO to the fact that they 1.  are held the same time each year   2.  are well advertised via the net, message boards and word of mouth in the squadrons  3.  Many of the seniors who work these activities are also in some position of authority at the local squadron so they are sold to the local cadet on a regular basis and 4.  there is a continuity of command on the senior level which allows for a smooth flow of execution of the encampments. 

The most important things is when a cadet returns to the unit after an encampment that the encampment experience meets and exceeds their excitations and they see an opportunity to advance in the encampment structure.  So when next year rolls around, they sell the encampment in their own unit for the encampment commander because they want to return and bring someone with them. 

[Slim]

I would be concerned with the verbage.  It makes it sound as if it is mandatory to attend and if they can not financially do it at that time, it may create unnecessary stress.

Well, it is mandatory to attend if the cadet actually intends to progress in the program. And progression in the cadet program IS mandatory, therefore, encampment is mandatory.

Not necessarily.  A cadet can be in the program for four years, progressing at the minimum (one achievement every six months) rate, without attending an encampment.  It's not mandatory until Mitchell time, which I think is wrong, but that's outside of my lane.  If it was within my lane, an encampment (or RCLS) would be required for each phase.