49th FSS Marketing takes best in ACC

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sondra Escutia
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  When the 49th Force Support Squadron Marketing director needed a sign for their newly-opened Studio 49, she did not just get an ordinary sign.

She got a staggered, sheet metal -- complete with blinking, rewired lights -- display which conveys to customers the type of team the Holloman Marketing team is.

"You ask us to go a mile, and we will go two," said Amanda Gallagher, Marketing director.

The "think outside the box" attitude that resulted in the above-and-beyond display is the same attitude that recently earned the 49th FSS Marketing team the title of best in Air Combat Command.

Inside their colorful office -- which they call the "Creative Circus" -- they explained the reasons behind their success.

"We try to stay innovative," said Ms. Gallagher. "I think a lot of times, because we have limited resources and restrictions on an Air Force base, it can be an excuse for doing subpar marketing ... and that's not an excuse."

Marketing's mission, they said, is to ensure the programs and events on base are successful and that people know about them, but it is how they've gone about doing this that got them recognized.

"I think sometimes there's a big difference between advertising and actually getting out there," said Bill Dunlap, Marketing webmaster. "We went out to get the people verses the people coming to us."

A few of the programs that allowed the Marketing team to do that included the Big Give Project, now in its fourth year, and the Hollognomes Project, which provided some friendly competition among Holloman units. Ms. Gallagher said the project started with a random idea, and grew into a thriving program that culminated in some well-traversed Hollognomes.

"I was like 'I want to do something with gnomes,'" she said. "I feel privileged that I can say something like that and throw it out into this room and somehow it takes life. It was just dirt that got life breathed into it and all of the sudden it becomes a program."

Along with their programs, they all agreed teamwork and a positive attitude play a large part in their accomplishments, as well as the leadership from the 49th FSS and their director.

"How can you put such a group of creative folks, who are often going in all directions at the same time, in one office?" said Dwight Harp, Marketing commercial sponsorship coordinator. "It's (Ms. Gallagher's) job to get the mission done, rein it in and still not quench the creativity to get the mission done. That's quite the challenge."

Each team member resounded with only positive comments about their leadership -- each with different reasons that they said makes them excited to come to work every day.

The 49th FSS leadership reciprocated the sentiments and said the team is essential to the success of the squadron.

"Our Marketing team is the energy that fuels the FSS. To be successful, they focus on harnessing their creativity and spreading it throughout the squadron and base," said Maj. Christopher Busque, 49th FSS commander. "Our Marketing team is so much more than just that. They are the medium by which we connect our Airmen, families and entire Holloman Community to all the great things the FSS has to offer."

The team said they plan to continue to keep Team Holloman in the know using multiple outlets, a few of which Ms. Gallagher pointed out as goals for 2011.

"Each year we sit down and brainstorm what we want to accomplish for the year. We print it and start marking them off as we accomplish each goal," she said. "This year we have some ambitious goals like creating an FSS (application) for iPhones and iPads. We also want to start building commercials for Facebook and online."

To see more of the 49th FSS Marketing Office's work, check out their Web site at www.hollomanfss.com, pick up a copy of the monthly "Vector" magazine or visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hollomanafb.