The local Boy Scout council (Sam Houston Area Council) had experienced a decrease in membership over the last five years and needed a campaign to boost recruitment. We identified two audiences, boys age 6-10, and parents of those potential Cub Scouts. Parallel messages were developed for both audiences. The goals were to increase recruitment and enhance the perception of the Boy Scouts showing relevance to today’s market and current family values. 

 

We decided to use testimonials for the broadcast TV. We had a talent call for real Cub Scouts and their parents. After interviewing close to 50 families, we picked five for the shoot. The kids and parents came in for the real shoot and were told that they would just need to be open and honest about their Scouting experiences. Mark Hayden sat in front of the Scouts and their parents and had a conversation with them. What you see in these TV spots is unscripted honest dialog from the people that are the beneficiaries of the Boy Scout program, parents and kids, that appreciate the values and life lessons learned by both child and parent.

 

These were part of an integrated campaign that included the TV plus radio, outdoor, direct mail, posters, flyers, promo items, and yard signs. The response to the campaign was tremendous and membership grew 15% over the previous year. Traffic to the website jumped 847% during the 30 day media campaign.