2024 MILMARK AWARDS
Submissions open March 15 - April 14, 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.
2024 MILMARK AWARDS
Submissions open 15 Mar - 14 Apr 2025
Best-in-class Military Marketing
The Air Force Services 2024 MilMark Awards Program allows FSS Marketing Teams to showcase innovative, outcome-driven marketing initiatives among peers and leaders while competing for the coveted recognition as a 2024 MilMark Award winner.All DAF Marketing Departments supporting Military Communities are eligible to enter
About
All DAF 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 March 14, 2025.
Compliance
Submissions found not to comply with Official Air Force Directives/Guidance or 2024 MilMark submission guidelines will be rendered ineligible.
Data
All entries must include data relevant to their campaign. All data must be valid and collected during the execution period.
Submission Limit
Installations may submit one entry per category. Installations may enter multiple categories.
Submission 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.
SMART Objectives
FSS Marketing Teams must choose ONE of the following goals for each submission. Then they must develop S.M.A.R.T. objectives to accomplish the selected goal and provide data to support positive or negative outcomes:
- Introduce a new product, event, program, or service to a new or existing market
- Introduce an existing product to a new market
- Increase the frequency of use of an existing product within an existing market
What's New?
Dates
Submitted programs/promotions must be fully executed between January 1, 2024, and March 14, 2025.
Compliance
Submissions found not to comply with Official Air Force Directives/Guidance or 2024 Milmark submission guidelines will be rendered ineligible.
Data
All entries must include data relevant to their campaign. All data must be valid and collected during the period specified in each category.
Submission Limit
Installations may submit one entry per category. Installations may enter multiple categories.
Submission 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.
SMART Objectives
FSS Marketing Teams must choose ONE of the following goals for each submission. Then they must develop S.M.A.R.T. objectives to accomplish the selected goal and provide data to support positive or negative outcomes:
- Introduce a new product, event, program, or service to a new or existing market
- Introduce an existing product to a new market
- Increase the frequency of use of an existing product within an existing market
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Each goal should be clearly defined and include metrics to measure success.
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 four categories guide marketers toward strategies that address key FSS challenges, like recruitment and wellness. These updates emphasize innovation, stronger results, and better brand alignment, driving more impactful campaigns that support the FSS mission.
Category 1
Social Media Program with Featured Campaign
Category 2
FSS Advertising Program with Examples
Category 3
FSS Mission Support Communication Campaign
Category 4
FSS Mission Support Marketing Campaign
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
Social Media Program with Featured Campaign
FOCUS: Compliance, Innovation, Content, Management, and Results
Category 2
FSS Advertising Program with Examples
FOCUS: Compliance, Innovation, Profitability in Advertising Programs
Category 3
FSS Mission Support Communication Campaign
FOCUS : FSS NAF Employee Recruitment and Retention
Category 4
FSS Mission Support Marketing Campaign
FOCUS A: Outdoor Recreation Equipment Rental Programs
FOCUS B: Health, Fitness, Wellness Programs
FOCUS C: Local, Regional, or Market-Specific Campaigns
FOCUS D: Open category
How to Enter
How to Enter
- Visit forcesupport.awardsplatform.com from Friday, March 14, 2025 at 1200 CST to Tuesday, April 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
Campaign Execution Period
January 1, 2024 to March 14, 2025
Submission Period
March 14, 2025 at 1200 CST to April 15, 2025 at 1200 CST
Key Dates
Execution Period
Your marketing campaign must have been fully executed between the dates of Monday, January 1, 2024 and Friday, March 14, 2025.
Submission Period
Submissions are accepted via forcesupport.awardsplatform.com only from Friday, March 14, 2025 at 1200 CST to Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 1200 CST.
Judging
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. Communication plans, social metrics, and consistency of visual design are a few examples of the 2024 Milmark Awards judging criteria.
Past Winners
NEW! Category 3: Social Media Program with Featured Campaign
FOCUS: Compliance, Innovation, Content, Management, and Results
Requirements:
- Goal and SMART Objective(s).
- 60 to 90 second Video or Animated Slide Deck featuring Social Media Campaign.
- Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Market Identification.
- Channels Used.
- Management/Implementation/Oversight Tools and Processes.
- Overall Content Strategy.
- Brand Management Strategy.
- Risk Mitigation Strategy.
- Comprehensive Analytics/Data collected between January 1 and December 31, 2024.
Milmark Workshop
Awards will be presented at the 2025 MilMark Workshop, held alongside the ANA In-House Agency Conference.
The MilMark Workshop is the premier event for Air and Space Force marketers, offering hands-on training, peer collaboration, and industry insights tailored to your unique challenges. It’s a chance to elevate your skills, share best practices, and connect with top marketing professionals.
When: 10-13 June, 2025
Where: Nashville, Tennessee
The 2025 ANA In-House Agency Conference is complimentary for our client-side membership.
Installations will be responsible for travel costs.
Questions
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’
