Teams Across the Exchange Come Together to Celebrate the Youngest Heroes
April is the Month of the Military Child, but the efforts to make the celebration come to life begin long before—back in October for the Exchange MOMC team.
As the team sat down to prepare, one looming challenge was front and center: a year after having to cancel all in-person MOMC events because of the COVID-19 pandemic, how could the Exchange put together fun events and activities for kids in a safe manner?
“Month of the Military Child has always revolved around our in-store events, but different parts of the world are in different situations right now with the pandemic, and the command approach varies from installation to installation,” said Advertising and Promotions Specialist Brandon Crowder. “We knew we had to give the stores the flexibility to do what was best for them.”
The team developed a plan that put stores in the driver’s seat, allowing them to set the when, where and how of their events, while the MOMC headquarters team supported stores with suggested protocols, resources, graphics and online activities.
Some stores, for example, will hand out treats during drive-thru events to keep everyone safe. Other stores will spread out giveaways—such as the iron-on collectible military brat patch or the free Purple Up treat from Exchange restaurants—over the entire month, rather than designating a single day, to avoid crowds.
“The pandemic has been particularly rough on kids as they’ve had to adjust to things like remote schooling and not being able to see their friends,” said Ann Marie Flint, buyer III for the toy team. “We wanted to make sure military children could take a break from all that’s going on in the world to be celebrated and recognized for what they do. They may not wear the uniform, but they make their parents’ mission possible.”
On the Hub, Corporation Communications Specialist Mario Baltierra created an interactive landing page for all things MOMC—upcoming events, sweepstakes, downloadable coloring sheets, video drawing lessons from Disney artists and more. Military kids and families who visit the Hub page at ShopMyExchange.com/momc will find a board-game theme where they can click on different parts of the board for different activities.
While the Merchandising Directorate’s toy team is the engine behind the monthlong celebration, putting it together involved nearly every aspect of the Exchange enterprise: social media, marketing, signing, e-commerce, public affairs, tabloid team, services and food, digital media, even the Exchange Credit Program, as well as store teams.
“It’s an omnichannel effort, and it takes all of us to make it happen,” said Exchange President and Chief Merchandising Officer Ana Middleton, the daughter of an Air Force chief master sergeant. “From the beginning, Team Exchange was up for the challenge. Kids are a vital part of the military community, and we were going to do whatever we needed to do to celebrate these kids and let them know how important they are.”
