2024 MILMARK AWARDS
Submissions open 1 April - 15 May, 2025
Best-in-class Military Marketing
The MilMark Awards offer a platform for Air Force and Space Force marketers to showcase their most creative, outcome-driven campaigns.
This year’s awards feature new categories and improved judging criteria, providing a chance to gain recognition as a leader in Air Force and Space Force marketing innovation.
All Department of the Air Force Marketing Departments supporting Military Communities are eligible to enter.
What's New?
Dates
Submitted programs/promotions must be fully executed between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.
Compliance
Programs and Campaigns must fully comply with the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of the Air Force Instructions (DAFI).
Data
Data submitted must be valid and collected during the time-period specified in the category.
OneSubmission Limit
One submission per installation, per category. Installations may enter multiple categories.
Showcase Video
Previously optional, submissions are now required to include a 60 to 90 second video or animated slide deck providing a comprehensive review.
Categories
Four new categories encourage innovative, strategic campaigns, and address FSS’s key challenges like recruitment, retention, and wellness.
Strategy
FSS Marketing Teams select ONE of the following strategies for each submission:
- Introduce a new product, event, program, or s.ervice to a new or existing market
- Introduce an existing product to a new market segment.
- Increase the frequency of use of an existing product within an existing market.
SMART Objectives
Teams need to show S.M.A.R.T. objective(s) used to accomplish the selected strategy above. Each objective should be clearly defined and include metrics to measure success.
SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Example of a SMART Objective:
- Specific: Increase the number of participants in the Outdoor Recreation Program.
- Measurable: Aim to increase participants by 20% compared to last year.
- Achievable: Utilize targeted marketing campaigns on social media and base announcements.
- Relevant: The goal aligns with the installation’s mission to promote health and wellness.
- Time-bound: Achieve the increase by December 31, 2024.
Categories
This year’s updated categories are designed to push marketers toward innovative, strategic approaches that address some of FSS’s biggest challenges. By focusing on key areas such as recruitment, retention, and wellness, these categories better align with the evolving needs of the FSS and its mission to serve our military community. The new categories encourage marketers to create more impactful campaigns that not only drive results but also demonstrate strong brand management and market alignment, paving the way for stronger, more effective marketing strategies.
Category 1
Submitted programs/promotions must be fully executed between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.
Category 2
FSS Advertising Program with Examples
Category 3
FSS Mission Support Communication Campaign
Category 4
Outdoor Recreation Equipment Rental Programs
Category 5
Health, Fitness, Wellness Programs
Category 6
Local, Regional, or Market-Specific Campaigns
Category 7
Multi Channel Marketing Campaign
How to Enter
- Visit forcesupport.awardsplatform.com from Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 1200 CST to Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 1200 CST.
- Register for an account or sign in
- We recommend using as non-government email as .mil addresses often block awards platform messages
- Click ‘Start entry’ button
- Under the ‘Contest & category’ field, select ‘2024 Milmark Awards’
- Complete all remaining fields under each tab
- Click ‘Submit entry’ at the bottom of the page once your submission is complete
- You will receive a confirmation email after you submit your entry
Key Dates
Execution Period
Your marketing campaign must have been fully executed between the dates of Monday, January 1, 2024 and Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
Entry Period
Submissions are accepted via forcesupport.awardsplatform.com only from Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 1200 CST to Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 1200 CST.
Feedback Period
Installations who submit their entries between Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 1200 CST to Monday, April 14, 2025 at 2359 CST. April will receive feedback on their entry. After receiving feedback, they will have the opportunity to update and resubmit their submission until the entry deadline on 15 May.
Judging
The 2024 MilMark Awards introduce a streamlined two-round judging system to ensure fair and comprehensive evaluations across all categories. Round one focuses on eligibility, where entries are moderated for completeness, compliance, and alignment with key criteria.
Only qualifying entries move to Round two, where judges score submissions on a detailed 0 (poor) to 5 (exceptional) scale, assessing creativity, effectiveness, branding, and measurable results.
Questions
For questions and inquiries about Milmark Awards, submit a case via MyFSS
- Visit MyFSS on a CAC enabled computer
- Click the MySERVICES box
- Choose Marketing from the menu on the left
- Fill out the form
- Select ‘Marketing Questions/Inquiries’ in Category drop-down
- Use the subject line ‘2024 Milmark Awards’