Re-Branding the VFW's

Goodbye/Hello 19 "Re-Branding the VFW's"

Patt Cottingham
Patt Cottingham has been working as a brand communication strategist for the past ten years.
Posted: July 26, 2010
In World World I, World War II, and Korea returning veterans used the VFW's as clubs to meet socially, have a drink, and contribute to the communities they were in. They were
at Memorial Day ceremonies, Fourth of July parades, and Veterans Day functions. They also served to help returning veterans get their needed benefits. All well and good.

However it was the Vietnam Veterans where the VFW started to lose membership. One returning veteran from Vietnam remembered it this way "When I returned from Viet Nam we were not exactly welcomed with open arms at the VFW. I was actually mocked that I really didn't serve in a "real war" as the stalwarts of the post claimed. Needless to say there has been a huge disconnect between the VFW and me. I still smart from that remark."

Here are some statistics that illustrate the daunting challenges the VFW's are having nationwide. Today the VFW posts have 1.6 million members. Of that number 495,000 are older than 82, 300,00 are older than 72 (and younger than 82). Less than 10 percent are younger than 50. The numbers are setting a coarse for oblivion unless the VFW's become more relevant to the returning soldiers of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fast forward to the soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.We now live in the era of YouTube and Facebook. Soldiers can upload videos, share stories on social networking sites. Talk with family and friends and capture images to send back home via cell phones. These wars have become more up close and personal than ever before. The other difference in these wars is the women who are serving. About 200,000 women have now served in Iraq and Afghanistan. These women are front-line, rifle-carrying combat personnel. Which means they are now suffering the same devastating mental and physical wounds of male soldiers.
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Re Branding the VFW