Experiential Marketing and Marketing Experience: An Empirical Study of the Influence of Summer Boot Camp on Military Propensity

The purpose of this study was to examine how experiential marketing may influence military propensity via the Summer Boot Camp (SBC), a 5-day quasi-training camp for high school and college students run by the Taiwan military. A survey of 1,102 participants was conducted using questionnaires. The findings indicate that a satisfactory SBC experience leads to a higher degree of perceived experiential value, which in turn triggers favorable behavioral intentions regarding the military in terms of supporting national defense, recommending the SBC to relatives and friends, and visiting regional recruiting centers. Further, perceived experiential value plays an important mediator role for experiencing a military propensity by exerting a significant indirect influence. However, the influence resulting from a good experience and value is not sufficient to motivate participants to actually go to enlist. Implications for recruiting efforts are discussed in terms of designing effective experience marketing.