WBI Gives New AFRL Business Initiative Marketing Push, Gets Quality Results

13.05.20 06:47 PM By Jennie Hempstead

Graphic of WBI recommendations for future AF Explore calls

Written by: Laura Dempsey


When the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) decided on a new, revolutionary way to do business, they realized that a solid marketing plan was a fundamental requirement. The launch of AF Explore was set for September 2019, and the team behind AF Explore turned to Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) to design and implement a marketing plan that would leverage specific audiences in order to solicit high-quality submissions. In other words, get the word out, and do it strategically.


AF Explore was designed in response to the U.S. Air Force 2030 Science and Technology Strategy, which not only aligned with the National Defense Strategy of building “a more lethal, resilient, and rapidly innovating Joint Force,” but called for “transformational strategic capabilities that must be driven by scientific and technological advances.


“Rather than reacting to others’ advances, the Air Force will set an unmatched pace. Instead of looking at where potential adversaries are heading, the Air Force scientific and technical enterprise will predict where adversaries cannot easily go and then ensure the Air Force gets there first,” the 2030 report said.

AF Explore sought submissions for three functional challenges that advance one of five strategic capabilities outlined in the 2030 Strategy study: global persistent awareness; resilient information sharing; rapid, effective decision making; complexity, unpredictability and mass; and speed and reach of disruption and lethality. The three functional challenges were an in-flight rearing and refueling challenge; personnel recovery kit delivery challenge; and vehicle tracking in commercial imagery challenge.

Specialized businesses were needed for AF Explore’s mission of attracting new and innovative AF partners. WBI and theDifference Consulting (tDC) were able to spread the AF Explore Call for Submissions through a variety of network and out-of-the-box methods, including leveraging personal social media accounts  and targeting groups of specialized government personnel email connections.

Their work resulted in 250 percent more submissions than initially expected, while reaching a diverse set of companies and individuals.

WBI, working closely with AFRL and tDC, was instrumental in collecting and reporting all the metrics to determine the marketing investment’s effectiveness. This allowed WBII to make valuable recommendations that should make the next AF Explore call even more successful.

Jennie Hempstead