Military Public Affairs and B2B Communications:

Almost the Same But Totally Different

By Steve Staedler

On the surface there may not be many parallels between working military public affairs during a time of war and handling public relations for business-to-business clients here in the states.

Aside from the flying bullets and mortar rounds, each scenario communicates with a vastly different audience: B2B public relations efforts often target a specific industry or potential OEM customers, while public affairs programming frequently communicates with other service members on base and the public back home. Generally the goals are different as well. B2B public relations programming is more closely measured against sales or lead generation, whereas success in public affairs is determined by how closely you meet the objectives outlined by the base commander.

For me, I’ve had the opportunity to work in both scenarios. In 2006 I deployed as part of a public affairs team with the Air Force Reserve in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for the past eight years I’ve handled public relations for several national B2B clients. While there are obvious differences, working military public affairs and B2B public relations do share some common threads.

First, they both seek to tell a story. Whether the subject is an Airman showing heroism on the battle field or a water meter with new radio-frequency capabilities, the goal is the same — to clearly communicate your key messages to targeted audiences.

Second, they both operate from an approved plan. While the goals and objectives are different, the fundamentals of an effective communications plan (identifying current situations, threats, opportunities, strategies and tactics, etc.) drive both military and B2B campaigns.

Third, they both involve media relations. Reporters want to hear a good story. It’s the PR professional’s job to capture that story, package it and present it in a way that’s attractive to the reporter and their audience. In dealing with reporters from the battle field, they want great visuals for television and print, they want to make a connection with viewers and readers back home by speaking with young Airmen who are on the front lines — and they want the story today. Trade press editors look for many of the same elements. They want to cover something that’s new or innovative in the industry, they want to talk to the engineers or project managers who helped bring the item to market and they want great photos available to meet their deadline.

The last similarity between the two is that they know their target audience well. Understanding who your target audience is, what their hot buttons are and what catches their attention will help ensure your core messages are received.

Practicing good, sound PR strategies and tactics will help you meet your goals and objectives…regardless of which side of the ocean you’re on.