Royal New Zealand Air Force Recruitment

Using mobile technology to increase numbers and quality of new recruits.

These days, young people in New Zealand have plenty of career options open to them. Joining the Royal New Zealand Air Force - RNZAF - is just one of many choices.

The challenge for the Air Force is all about getting the best quality recruits, aged between 17 and 29, in a ferociously competitive environment. Smart, team-players, highly motivated, with the right attitude.

The RNZAF realised that a mobile text channel is a powerful way to reach this audience. And by integrating it with television, radio, and print advertising, along with the Air Force website, text became a powerful way for potential recruits to have a 'two way conversation' with the RNZAF.

Above the line advertising carries a Call to Action telling potential recruits they can register for a RNZAF Information Pack by texting a key word to a short code.

Those potential recruits then receive a text requesting their name and address details, which they send back to the short-code.

The addresses are then edited and verified by Telelink, using our highly-intuitive Run The Red console. Information packs are sent out to potential recruits the very next day.

Recruits are also able to 'opt-in' to a special Air Force text service. By doing this they can be receive RNZAF career information and invitations to upcoming special events.

For the RNZAF, this became an opportunity to grow their potential recruit database, and communicate directly with people who are actively interested in finding out more about a career.

Texted responses were used to accurately measure the effectiveness of the other media components.

Measuring the effectiveness of other media channels was a key objective. To do this each advertisement would carry a unique 'keyword'. 'AIR' on television, 'FORCE' in print. When people responded to an ad, they would include the appropriate keyword.

To date the Royal New Zealand Air Force campaign has been highly effective.

Over 500 information packs have been despatched. The Air Force now has a large database of genuinely interested contacts and a highly accurate overview of the effectiveness of the different media components of their advertising. For the Royal New Zealand Air Force, mobile technology really took off.