How the US Army is using influencers to fix its $1 billion recruiting crisis

"In recent years, the US Army has faced a recruiting crisis, failing to add enough enlisted soldiers to its ranks. Previously, the military has relied on expensive television commercials and marketing campaigns to help with recruitment. But as younger generations are spending less time in front of television screens and more time watching content on their phones, a new way to reach potential recruits has emerged: social media influencers."

"At nearly no cost to the Army, soldiers around the globe are able to speak directly to Gen Z through apps like Instagram and TikTok. In January 2025, the Army started the Creative Reserve pilot program, in which eight Army-affiliated content creators brainstorm and work with the branch to navigate this new and largely unregulated territory of guerrilla marketing. The program has since been put on hold for an ethics investigation. But in its short existence, it saw some success at driving people to Army websites."

"Business Insider was invited to observe a handful of influencers at Fort Knox while they made content during ROTC Cadet Summer Training."

The US Army has faced a recruiting crisis, failing to add enough enlisted soldiers. Traditional television commercials and marketing campaigns have lost effectiveness as younger generations shift viewing to mobile devices. Social media influencers emerged as a low-cost channel enabling soldiers to speak directly to Gen Z on Instagram and TikTok. In January 2025 the Army launched the Creative Reserve pilot, pairing eight Army-affiliated content creators with the branch to experiment in largely unregulated guerrilla marketing. The program was later paused for an ethics investigation, yet it briefly drove measurable traffic to Army websites. Influencers created content during ROTC training at Fort Knox.

Read at Business Insider