Thursday, January 12, 2017

We, too, have joined the Subscription Box bandwagon!




 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.

For more information, visit Family & MWR online at www.jbmhMWR.com.


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