Writing Sample

Koy C. Grant, Communication Professional

On October 7, 2008, Fort Hood was awarded the Quality of Life Award for Communications Excellence

for the Fort Hood Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) campaign - Get Out On Fort Hood

(G.O.O.F. off). This campaign promoted Army Family Covenant benefits and discounts on Fort Hood.

Enclosed is the award write up, which includes information on the campaign and communication

outcomes. As the Public Relations Coordinator for Family and MWR, I wrote the award submission and

collaborated with the Family and MWR Marketing and Advertising Team to develop and implement the

campaign.

QUALITY OF LIFE AWARD FOR COMMUNICATIONS EXCELLENCE

BACKGROUND

A marketing campaign was established to promote the programs and services created as result of the Army Family Covenant. Fort Hood was challenged with finding ways to promote the free and discounted services and programs that were made available to the Soldiers and their Families through the Army Family Covenant.

The Fort Hood Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Marketing and Advertising team developed an innovative catch phrase G.O.O.F. Off. The acronym stands for Get Out On Fort Hood. The idea behind G.O.O.F. Off was to create a memorable slogan/phrase that would generate a lasting impression on patrons; by incorporating the installation’s name in the phrase, it made it unique and therefore created a sense of community for the patrons and employees by encouraging participation by the patron and allowing the employees to take ownership of their facilities and/or programs.

The purpose of the marketing campaign was to promote the following facilities and services and/ or programs that they offered. These services and programs included the Phantom Warrior Lanes, $1 discount per person per game; The Courses of Clear Creek, free nine-holes of golf, green fees and cart rental; Casey Memorial Library, Sail Away with Books Reading Program; Patton’s Inn and Legend’s Pub, free pool; Oveta Culp Hobby Soldier and Family Readiness Center, free room rentals to Family Readiness Groups, free childcare and free computer services; Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area, free entry, availability of cottages, boat rentals and swimming; and Child and Youth Services, sixteen hours of free respite care, free child and youth services registration and free instructional classes.

METHODOLOGY

Ongoing starting the month of October, marketing promotional tools were distributed throughout the

Fort Hood community.

RESULTS

The Fort Hood Community was respondent to the marketing campaign set forth by the Fort Hood Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Marketing and Advertising Team.

Phantom Warrior Lanes – October 2007 – August 2008, 12,636 discounted games of bowling have been bowled by Soldiers and their Families during times of deployment and off-duty hours.

The Courses of Clear Creek – October 2007 – August 2008, 4,004 free rounds of golf have been played by Soldiers and their Families during times of deployment and off-duty hours.

Casey Memorial Library - Facility usage has increased. Due to the type of program offered no numeric measurement is available.

Patton’s Inn/Legend’s Pub - Facility usage has increased. Due to the type of program offered no numeric measurement is available.

Oveta Culp Soldier and Family Readiness – October 2007-August 2008, the Soldier and Family Readiness Center has serviced over 40, 739 Soldiers and Family members.

Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area – October 2007-August 2008, 109,640 vehicles entered the park equaling 390,321 park patrons.

Child and Youth Services – October 2007-August 2008, there were 8,185 hourly care visits for 44,816 free/reduced hours with a savings to patrons of $125,236.54. SkiesUnlimited registration increased by over 100 percent. Registration increased by 51 percent from last year due to the Army Family Covenant entitlements. Registration for FY 07 was 4969 with registration for this FY being 9,002.

COMMUNICATION EFFORTS

Flyers were distributed to Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities.

Posters were distributed to the main Fort Hood Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities listed on marketing material.

A Phantom Distribution email was sent reaching approximately 12,000 people on Fort Hood.

We Invite You To: Get Out On Fort Hood On Us…

Take advantage of the free and discounted services that we offer:

FAMILIES OF DEPLOYED SOLDIERS

G.O.O.F. OFF ON US AND...

Bowl A Strike at Phantom Warrior Lanes

$1 discount per person/game (limit 3 games), Monday - Friday

287-3424

Tee Off at The Courses of Clear Creek

FREE 9-holes of golf, greens fees and cart

Monday – Friday, All Day; Saturday & Sunday, after 5 pm

287-4130

Read A Book At Casey Memorial Library

287-4921

Bring The Kids To Child & Youth Services

16 Hours of Free Respite Care, Free Child and Youth Services Registration, 20% off child care, FREE Instructional Classes and more…

287-8029

Shoot Some Pool At

Patton’s Inn 287-8484

& Legend’s Pub 532-9324

Free pool, low cost beverages, DJ and more

Relieve Some Stress at Oveta Culp Hobby Soldier

and Family Readiness Center

FREE Room Rentals, Childcare Available. FREE computer access

287-9274

Relax By The Lake at BLORA

Receive FREE entry to BLORA

287-2523

Participants must show proof of being a Family member of a deployed Soldier and/or DAC

Programs brought to you by the Army Family Covenant

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN

G.O.O.F. OFF, log on to www.hoodmwr.com

Advertisement ran in the February and April edition of the Hood Happenings magazine.

The advertisement in the February edition ran alongside an article about the Army Family Covenant. This magazine has over seventy distribution points on the installation with 16,500 copies in circulation each month.

Custom-made buttons were distributed to all Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation employees, to be worn during their work shift, with the slogan, “G.O.O.F. Off on Us! Ask me what’s FREE”. This ensures that the employee is aware of their program and/or services that they offer.

Fort Hood’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation’s unofficial Web site –www.hoodmwr.com featured a G.O.O.F. Off Web ad. The Web site receives an average of 14,000 unique hits per month.

Families of Deployed SoldiersG.O.O.F OFF ON USGet Out On Fort Hood On Us. Take advantage of the free and discounted services that we offer more...Updated: 08/04/08

Bowl A Strike at Phantom Warrior Lanes$1 discount per person/game (limit 3 games), Monday thru Friday287-3424

Tee Off at The Courses of Clear CreekFREE 9-holes of golf, greens fees and cartMonday – Friday, All Day; Saturday & Sunday, after 5 pm287-4130

Read A Book At Casey Memorial LibrarySail Away with Books Reading Program287-4921

Bring The Kids To Child & Youth Services16 Hours of Free Respite Care, Free Child and Youth Services Registration, 20% off child care, FREE Instructional Classes and more…287-8029

Shoot Some Pool At Patton’s Inn & Legend’s PubFree pool, low cost beverages, DJ and morePatton's Inn 287-8484 | Legend's Pub 532-9324

Relieve Some Stress at Oveta Culp Hobby Soldierand Family Readiness CenterFREE Room Rentals, Childcare Available. FREE computer access287-9274

Relax By The Lake at BLORAReceive FREE entry to BLORA287-2523

Participants must show proof of being a Family member ofa deployed Soldier and/or DAC

PRIMARY CONTRIBUTORS

The primary contributors to this communication effort consisted of, Fort Hood Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Marketing and Advertising Department Team Members: Regina W. Beard, Marketing Account Executive; Koy C. Grant, Public Relations Coordinator; Jason Weiss, Graphic Illustrator/Web Designer and Tanna L. Jones, Graphic Illustrator. And the employees of the following facilities were instrumental in making this marketing campaign successful: Phantom Warrior Lanes, The Courses of Clear Creek, Casey Memorial Library, Patton’s Inn, Legend’s Pub, Oveta Culp Hobby Soldier and Family Readiness Center, Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area, and Child and Youth Services.

COMMUNICATION GOALS

The goal of this marketing campaign was to promote the free and discounted services and programs created as result of the Army Family Covenant. The unique and memorable slogan, G.O.O.F. Off, which incorporated the installation’s name in the phrase, brought a sense of neighborhood pride for the Fort Hood Community, both for the patrons and the employees.

The short term communication goal was to brand the innovative catch phrase, G.O.O.F. Off and to inform Fort Hood Soldiers and their Families about the free and discounted services and programs offered through the Army Family Covenant and encourage participation.

The long term goal was to increase awareness of the Army Family Covenant, increase usage among Fort Hood Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities, to provide a quality of life for Soldiers and their Families, equal to the quality of their service and to keep with the promise to care for the entire Army Family.

AUDIENCE TARGET

Audiences were targeted via various avenues. Ongoing starting the month of October marketing promotional tools were distributed throughout the Fort Hood community by the following means:

Flyers were distributed to Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities.

Posters were distributed to the main Fort Hood Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and

Recreation facilities listed on marketing material.

A Phantom Distribution email was sent reaching approximately 12,000 people on Fort Hood.

Advertisement ran in the February and April edition of the Hood Happenings magazine. Article ran

alongside advertisement in the February edition about the Army Family Covenant. This magazine has over seventy distribution points on the installation with 16,500 copies in circulation each month.

Custom-made buttons were distributed to all Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and

Recreation employees, to be worn during their work shift, with the slogan, “G.O.O.F. Off on Us! Ask me what’s FREE”. This ensures that the employee is aware of their program.

Fort Hood’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation’s unofficial Web site –

www.hoodmwr.com featured a G.O.O.F. Off Web ad. The Web site receives an average of 14,000 unique hits per month.

The G.O.O.F. Off program was presented at unit town halls and Family Readiness Group meetings

to encourage Soldier and Family participation.

Discussed on Fort Hood Focus radio segment on KUSJ 105.5 (Local radio station for the Fort

Hood/Killeen, Temple and Waco area) reaching approximately 60,700 people.

The G.O.O.F. Off marketing campaign directly relates to the Army Family Covenant because the programs that were promoted were programs that were either created as a result of the Army Family Covenant or enhanced due to funding provided by the Army Family Covenant.

CONCLUSION

A unique and memorable slogan/phrase was created by Fort Hood’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Marketing and Advertising team that promoted Fort Hood’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities and the services and/ or programs that were made available to the Soldiers and their Families through the Army Family Covenant.

The G.O.O.F. Off campaign incorporated the installation’s name in the phrase; it made it unique and therefore created a sense of community for the patrons and employees by encouraging participation by the patron and allowing the employees to take ownership of their facilities and/or programs.

The development of this memorable slogan/phrase generated a lasting impression on patrons and increased facility and service usage among the Fort Hood Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities. The success of this campaign effort was measured by the increased number of participant usage at each facility.