A Unified Voice: The need for change in USAREUR Public Affairs

VILSECK, BY, GERMANY

11.23.2015

Story by Sgt. Kyle Burns 

2d Cavalry Regiment

VILSECK, Germany - As each year passes, developing technologies and evolving social platforms provide the Public Affairs professional, and the leaders they serve, various avenues in which to communicate with their audiences. However, these opportunities require an evolution in the way we approach Public Affairs and engage the public.

In order to build a Strong Europe, our messages must be communicated effectively, collectively, creatively, and professionally. In order to properly convey these ideas, Commanders and Public Affairs Leaders must change the way we engage our modern audience. The 2nd Cavalry Regiment has been on the frontlines of this fundamental idea and continues to adapt media policy based on its successes and failures.

The most profound development in Public Affairs has been the emergence of social media as a primary source audience engagement. In the past, Public Affairs relied heavily upon external media to disseminate videos and articles. This method of storytelling is effectively obsolete. Soldiers, Families, and supporters have a constant flow of media and digital interaction in their pockets via smart phones, which brings a greater challenge to PA and leaders: getting your voice heard in the midst of information overload. The battle we fight has moved from the airwaves to the cluttered newsfeeds of social media. To rise above this, we have engaged our audience like never before; across various social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, YouTube) simultaneously and by maintaining a level of interaction with our followers that encourages them to stay with us. Responding to comments or posts, liking and sharing user made content on a regular basis, giving updates as they happen, and building audience relationships takes time, but ultimately achieves the goals of Public Affairs for their commanders.

Part of the mantra of Public Affairs has been “to tell the soldier’s story”. This still rings true, but needs to be approached differently to fulfill the mission of modern Public Affairs. Today, the standard for PA professionals is to create journalist-style videos and articles for publication on external media outlets. This idea of being a journalist and creating news-style content for other agencies is no longer acceptable for today’s audience. This is in part, due to the technological leaps and direct access to soldiers via social media.

Family members don’t have to watch AFN or listen to the radio to hear from their soldier, they can easily check their soldier’s social media. Often times, Soldiers will post quick photos and videos from their job or event to their personal feeds, releasing imagery before trained PA professionals and decreasing the trackable audience for that event. To combat this, the 2CR has shifted their focus to a web based focus for product, releasing us from the constraints of traditional broadcast standards. This enables us to pour our time and resources into a specialized product, experimenting with new ideas to see what works and what doesn’t, such as adding watermarked hashtags to imagery to increase awareness.

By doing this, 2nd Cavalry Regiment has brought a higher standard of branding to the message of what it means to be part of a Strong Europe. The success of the Operation Dragoon Ride Video Blog (VLOG) is a perfect example of a successful implementation of this idea. The VLOG, spearheaded by 2nd Cavalry Regiment Public Affairs, captured the story of the unit’s movement from Estonia to Germany so as to assure our NATO allies of our commitment to the NATO Alliance. With several community engagements and points of interest, the 2CR PA team proposed a video blog that would be shot in a casual format and then edited by PA professionals. The result was a resounding success, to the point of the Washington Post declaring it a “strong social media component.”

By creating stylized templates, utilizing hashtags and other social media trends consistently, we have effectively broadcast the capabilities of a Stryker Brigade in Europe, all while assuring our regional allies that we will stand beside them to deter any threat they may face. This consistent message should be reflected in a consistent visual style. A large obstacle in our ability to convey our story is the idea that each iteration of Public Affairs must re-work their product to be unique or different, which leads to visually disjointed representation of who we are and slower overall content production. In order to create a more professional product, Public Affairs professionals should coordinate consistent fonts, colors, and visual styles for the various ongoing missions occurring across Europe. These digital assets, SOPs, and tools should then be passed to the incoming PA personnel for use. The result would be a visual representation of the very message we are conveying to the public: we are consistent, we are united, and we are professional. This level of planning should be executed and enforced by Public Affairs Leaders, and expected of them by their commanders.

U.S. Army Europe provides a rare opportunity for junior leaders to have strategic level impact, specifically in communications. Throughout our various missions across seven different countries in Europe, 2CR Soldiers ranking from Private First Class to Captain have engaged media, briefed distinguished visitors, and interacted with local populations at community events on a regular basis. The importance of proper PA training and leadership support cannot be over stressed. Ensuring that soldiers understand the mission and their specific role in it, provides a fully ready force that benefits the NATO Alliance. The current mindset, that Command elements need the majority of PA training, must transform into a multi-level training program that adapts to the mission and environment. Ideally, the program would highlight unit or mission specific social media trends, how soldiers can actively contribute, and the impact their social media posts may have on the mission.

This requires more research from the unit level Public Affairs personnel, but ultimately brings social media to the forefront of PA efforts and validates the importance of those efforts to leaders.

In the evolving battlefield, commanders and the Public Affairs personnel that support them, must continually seek ways to improve the way they deliver messages to the public. By quickly adopting common practices used in the civilian sector, streamlining production under a unified theme, and reinforcing those ideas with military professionalism and precision, the entire field of public communications within USAREUR could revolutionize what it means to be a Public Affairs professional and the capabilities they can provide. Our stories would make an emotional impact and rise above the clutter of the digital age, achieving the mission and preparing a new wave of Public Affairs leaders that are well versed in the experiences that only USAREUR can provide.

• Date Taken: 11.23.2015
• Date Posted: 12.10.2015 09:00
• Story ID: 184105
• Location: VILSECK, BY, DE