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The New York Times: The U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force are struggling to meet recruitment goals, despite offering significant incentives such as signing bonuses up to $75,000 and relaxing enlistment standards. In contrast, the Marine Corps has successfully met 100% of its recruitment goal for the year without offering substantial perks.
The Marines rely on a consistent, decades-old marketing strategy that values the intangible, elite nature of the service over material benefits. The Marine Corps has successfully attracted recruits by focusing on the prestige and honor associated with becoming a Marine, rather than offering financial or material incentives. The message they market is one of elite, challenging service, aiming to recruit “the few, the proud.” This ethos has a significant appeal for a certain demographic who value the intangible aspects of military service like courage, discipline, and pride of belonging. Furthermore, the Corps benefits from an informal recruiting force of young Marines who have completed their service and share their positive experiences, thereby influencing others to join.
This approach, coupled with an informal recruiting force of young, passionate former Marines, helps the branch not only meet but often exceed its enlistment goals.
The entire article can be read at the link https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/us/marines-army-recruits.html
