Why the Media Loves Veteran Stories

More and more franchisors are jumping on the veteran bandwagon – offering deep incentives to pique interest from military veterans for their franchise opportunity. Similarly, the media has seemingly shown more interest in the veteran story as of late. CNN, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and the like have plastered their business pages with veteran success stories. “Veterans walk with integrity, have character and take initiative,” said Mark Carins, Director of Franchise Development for the 42-unit Whitewater-based Toppers Pizza*. “Without question these are hard-working, dedicated folks. Their self-discipline, self-motivation, energy and attention to detail are all traits and characteristics that make excellent Topper Pizza business owners.” From a reader’s perceptive, it seems as if the media is more interested in writing about veterans. To determine if this perception is reality, or if the franchise community is simply more focused on this initiative, 1851 asked a panel of journalists about veterans and the media. The panel included Fern Glazer, co-owner of Little Warrior Media; Kurt Begalka, Editor of the McHenry County Business Journal; Mark Brandau, Associate Editor of Nation’s Restaurant News; and Steve Coomes, freelance journalist and CEO of Words to Chew On. 1851: Why do you love veteran stories? SC: I don’t particularly love them as stories. If, as a writer, I happen upon one and it's a good one, I'll run with it. But I don't venture out to find them. MB: I think B-to-B media like stories about veterans because we often can report the more positive stories possible with this group of Americans. Veterans have a slightly higher unemployment rate than non-veterans of the same age group, and unfortunately the most prominent storylines about veterans are disability and suicide right now. We have the ability to balance that with news about veterans having opportunities in business through franchising and about how veterans’ propensity for discipline and commitment make them great businesspeople. KB: They served, sometimes even sacrificed their lives, for this country. Many will bear the physical and psychological scars the rest of their lives. They deserve our admiration and respect. FG: I don't. I love any good story. If it happens to be about veterans, so be it. My guess is editors love these stories because we all have a connection to veterans--we wouldn't have our freedom without them--and connections make people read. These stories also tend to be emotional, tug at the heartstrings, something that can certainly sell papers, generate clicks. 1851: Are you seeing an uptick in pitches from publicists on veterans and franchising? FG: No. Though I'm aware of many efforts by franchises to court veterans as franchisees I haven't gotten many pitches of late. MB: A little bit, but mostly around the typical times for that: Memorial Day and Veterans Day. SC: Yes, I do, but on a small scale. They're trendy and popular for all the right reasons, so why not pitch them? Usually it's from a chain that has some sort of a vet-assist program. KB: Not really, although I have gotten more "veterans finding it tough going in the job market" stories lately. 1851: Do you feel more veterans are venturing into business for themselves based on the news you read and the communication you have with the business community? KB: I think more people, in general, are venturing into business. They are out of options and need to make a living. FG: I don't know about that. But I recently met an amazing veteran who started his own roadside assistance company and only employs other veterans. This guy was very knowledgeable, super friendly and dynamic. A real character. After meeting him I said, "This guy needs his own TV show!" In the end, it's all about interesting people and stories that grab you, engage you. SC: No, I don't have any proof of that. And just because their stories are more popular these days, that doesn't mean more of them are entrepreneurial. MB: I think so, at least anecdotally. Trade associations and nonprofits like the IFA’s VetFran and the 100,000 Jobs Mission likely are having an effect. 1851: What advice do you have for franchisors and/or franchisees who want to get more ink in your publications? MB: We always need to be able to make the business case to our readers about whatever we cover, and NRN shies away from one-source-one-tactic stories. Two or three companies doing something constitutes a trend that needs investigating. One company doing one strategy does not necessarily mean that the strategy is the end-all-be-all; often, it means that one company has a really good publicist. Human-interest angles are fine, but ultimately, what we cover in B-to-B has to help readers make better business decisions. SC: A good personality, a compelling tale and relevance to the audience. Not every story matters to every audience. KB: Local, human angle and relevance to our readers.   --Nick Powills