Industry overview
What is shaping defence
Defence organisations work with suppliers, veterans and the public on sensitive topics. Every engagement in this sector is handled under strict confidentiality and clearance requirements.
- Indigenous manufacturing is building a new supplier base
- Veteran welfare and resettlement need better evidence
- Public perception supports recruitment
Client background
A recruitment outreach programme, working in Australia & New Zealand. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A recruitment outreach programme
- Sector
- Defence
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Consumer panel, Quantitative research, Social media marketing
Client challenge
The programme wanted to understand awareness of career options, perceptions and concerns among young adults, to improve outreach.
Research objectives
- Answer the core question: what young people think about careers in the armed forces.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 2,500 young adults aged 18–24.
Audiences we typically reach in defence
Defence suppliers and MSMEsVeterans and familiesServing personnel (where permitted)Young people considering careersThe general public
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Australia & New Zealand. Markets: Australia and New Zealand.
- Australia
- New Zealand
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2Survey of young adults
- 3Message testing
- 4Insight
We surveyed young adults about career aspirations, awareness of entry routes, perceptions of service life and preferred information sources, and tested outreach messages.
Consumer panelQuantitative researchSocial media marketing
Sampling strategy
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
Data collection
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Comparison of concepts, messages or products against each other
Key findings
- Awareness of technical and officer entry routes was low, especially among young women.
Specific information about pathways mattered more than general inspiration.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: specific information about pathways mattered more than general inspiration.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: awareness of technical and officer entry routes was low, especially among young women.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The programme developed targeted content on career paths and eligibility.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how ready are local suppliers?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.