13 Apr Building relationships and storytelling: A look at the 2018 Marine Corps Trials

For the second year in a row, I was able to support the Wounded Warrior Regiment at the Marine Corps Trials at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The Marine Corps Trials are a preliminary event for the DoD-wide Warrior Games in July 2018, which will be held at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Our client, the Wounded Warrior Regiment of the United States Marine Corps, asked that The Bowen Group provide on-site coverage for the trials. Last year, we introduced live video streaming on Facebook during the Trials. We had one cell phone set up on a tripod, and a second cell phone logged-in to answer questions and respond to comments while the live stream was going. This year, we upped our game and, with the help of DVIDS and the on-base public affairs office, we had up to four cameras run the live stream. DVIDS is the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service for the DoD. DVIDS serves as the hub for all of the content created by the military and other DoD entities. Working with them and their satellite setup, we were able to have a multi-shot live stream for all of the events that was shared directly to the Wounded Warrior Regiment’s Facebook page. None of this would have happened if The Bowen Group had not introduced live streaming on social media to our client.

There were eight exciting events in total: swimming, archery, cycling, sitting volleyball, track and field, rowing and shooting. The athletes were made up of Marines who were wounded, became ill or injured while in service to the country. Each live stream had an average of more than 36,000 views! The most popular event was the swimming competition.

Each competition day, I was greeted by familiar faces from the previous year and new people who I met during my time on Camp Lejeune. This year, I was able to get more authentic content due to the relationships I had built with many of the Marines and coaches. I understood their stories better and was able to craft social media messages in a more meaningful way. We laughed and cheered as athletes competed in events. It was an honor to share the stories of the wounded warriors and to build lasting relationships with our clients and our partners. To see our work in action, visit the Wounded Warrior Regiment on Facebook, Twitter and Medium. Prepare to be inspired!

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