Family &
MWR is daring, different, and FIRST!
The
directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (Family & MWR) on
Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall (JBM-HH) has always worked hard to bring service
members and their families the best recreational opportunities found inside the
Military District of Washington (MDW). They also strive to add value to the
programs and services they offer inside the gates. Family & MWR do both of
those things with a tight budget and an eye on what’s trending with civilian
customers.
Having to
face recent budget adjustments, many Family & MWR offices across the
Department of Defense (DoD) are looking for ways to fund the events and
programs so critical to their installations mission readiness and soldier
readiness. JBM-HH’s Family & MWR
picked up on a unique trend taking civilian shoppers by storm and tweaked it
for use by their customers. In January, Family & MWR is set to unveil the
first ever subscription box in the entire DoD, the “Base Case”!
A
subscription box is a shopping trend where businesses work with a particular
company to send product samples to those customers who have subscribed to
receive those samples monthly, quarterly, or in whichever monthly intervals are
available. With the over 3,500 subscription boxes available worldwide, there’s
something for everyone…gourmet meals, gaming, organic products, pet lovers,
cosmetics, fashion accessories, snacks from around the world, those with strong
faith, gym-goers…and the list goes on and on!
Why have these boxes become so popular? It's partly the
"treat yourself" mentality of wanting to provide a bit of luxury or
pampering for yourself or a friend. It’s the same feeling a service member
feels when they receive a care package from home. Who doesn't love to get, or
give, a gift? And even better, an affordable gift -- or a whole box full of
them -- that keeps coming regularly in the mail? The benefit of giving a subscription box to a
friend or family member is that every time they get it, they think of you.
“As Family & MWR’s Marketing Manager, I’m always looking for
ways to provide real value to our customers,” said Ocie Jacobs Pejcic. “The
Base Case is about discovering new brands and trying out food samples before
you get the full size." Jacobs Pejcic went on to say, "There's a
value to not buying something unless you know you really want it."
Whether you’re giving a gift or simply indulging for yourself, the Base
Case is sure to please. The Family & MWR Base Case will
feature products from local businesses, usually in a single serving or sample
size, with a coupon to purchase the full size or multiple products at the
customer’s convenience. Each month of
the year has a theme to the subscription box which allows the greatest number
of customers to participate. In other words, the Base Case isn’t aimed at a
specific gender or interest. The Base
Case will offer products that everyone will be able to enjoy.
For instance, the January 2017 theme is “Baby, Its Cold Outside”. That Base Case will contain products to fight
the chill of the winter months, such as teas, hot chocolate, lip balm, hand
warmers, a scarf, mittens, soups or maybe ways to fight a cold. The exciting
part is that subscribers will know what the theme of the month is, just not what’s
actually in the Base Case.
Brian Meers, Family & MWR’s Advertising & Sponsorship
Coordinator said, “Once I started speaking to local companies about getting
their product in the Base Case, the interest sky-rocketed!” Meers also said,
“Now, I’m talking with Nestlé’s and other national brands! I really think the
Base Case provided just what so many companies were looking for to reach this
military market - at exactly the right time!” Meers went on to say that the
fees earned from business and advertisers for the opportunity to have their
product featured in the Base Case will generate income to help offset Family
& MWR’s budget challenges.
“That’s the end game.” said Denise James, Director of Family &
MWR. “Whether we operate with a fully funded budget or a reduced budget, Family
& MWR is still obligated to provide the best programs and services we can
for our service members and their families. The success of the Base Case will
help Family & MWR stay mission ready and operational.”
“We’ve taken an informal poll on the Base Case and got some great
feedback,” said Jacobs Pejcic. “Our customers seem very excited about the Base
Case. They think the monthly subscription fee is affordable and they are
anxious to see what each theme box will have in it.”
Each monthly Base Case subscription cost $20, including shipping.
Discounts are applied for a subscription of three or more boxes (a three month
subscription cost $55, a quarterly subscription cost $70, and a six month
subscription cost $110). Base Case’s will arrive via postal mail not later than
the 2nd week of each month.
Domico Pollard, Family & MWR Graphics Designer is responsible
for the logo design and Base Case packaging. “People have said that the
packaging for the Base Case is clean and minimalist but eye-catching.”
Packaging for subscription boxes is almost just as important as the box contents.
“People will be getting the Base Case as a gift, either for themselves or they
will have bought the subscription as a gift for a loved one. The packaging has
to add to the excitement.”
“Since the first subscription box hit the scene in 2011, small
business owners and bigger stores like Target and Walmart have jumped into the
subcom (subscription commerce) market and found success,” said Jacobs Pejcic.
“Subscriptions and sales are growing. We expect the Base Case to do very well!”
It is also important to note that Family & MWR is very
concerned with the impact the Base Case may have on the environment and how it
may affect the environmental footprint of JBM-HH. To that end, Family & MWR
is using shredded paper for the packing material used to keep items in the Base
Case from being damaged during shipping. The Base Case will also include a card
each month that provide ideas for how to reuse the box itself. “As much as we
want to ‘wow!’ our customers with the Base Case and its packaging, we also want
to ‘wow!’ the community by showing how attentive we are to the environment,”
said Jacobs Pejcic.
