America’s 18 million veterans have made immense sacrifices while serving their country. Yet, many face formidable challenges upon discharge. Nearly half of the 200,000 service members who transition to civilian life annually report difficulty readjusting largely due to the complexity of the support ecosystem, especially when navigating resources from the 45,000 veteran-focused nonprofits in the U.S. Veterans’ families are critical to veterans’ well-being but remain under-supported. This is a significant issue that demands our attention.
Philip Morris International’s U.S. Businesses (PMI U.S.) saw an opportunity to help bridge these pressing needs with ‘Serving Those Who Served,’ a multi-faceted initiative designed to empower veterans and their families through advocacy, resources and strategic investment. The objectives were enormous and deeply meaningful: to increase access to legal aid, improve job placement opportunities, and bolster mental health and wellness support for veterans.
If successfully addressed, this issue can unlock immense potential. Veterans bring leadership, resilience and a deep sense of public duty—qualities that enrich communities, workplaces, and public life. By investing in their reintegration, we not only honor their service but also strengthen the civic fabric of our nation.
PMI U.S.’s initiative demonstrates how business can be a force for good—leveraging its platform, partnerships and, people to address systemic challenges and foster a more inclusive, civically engaged society.
PMI U.S. has cultivated a meaningful relationship with America’s veterans over the years, but had not led a veteran-focused civic initiative of this scale prior to 2024. ‘Serving Those Who Served’ marked a strategic evolution from general community investment to targeted, research-informed civic engagement.
PMI U.S. took an evidence-based approach to supporting veterans and their families, grounding its efforts in research and direct engagement with military and veteran organizations. This commitment led to the development of two landmark white papers. The first, Serving Those Who Served: Empowering U.S. Veterans and Their Families to Create Better Futures, published on June 12, 2024 — Flag Day — explored the systemic challenges veterans faced in areas such as employment, mental health, healthcare, and social reintegration.
The second, On the Home Front: Addressing the Needs of U.S. Military Spouses, released in May 2025, focused on the unique barriers military families face. Active-duty families struggle with employment, housing, hunger, healthcare, and frequent relocations. Veteran spouses often help navigate benefits, translate military skills to civilian careers, and manage the long-term health issues of their partners.
Together, these white papers informed PMI U.S.’s broader initiative in supporting veterans and the military community through data, grassroots advocacy, and strategic financial investment to drive scalable solutions.
Highlights included:
Several key lessons emerged throughout the initiative. Storytelling proved to be a powerful tool, featuring veterans’ voices helped humanize the issues and foster an emotional connection with audiences. Targeted outreach was essential; focusing efforts on regions such as the Northeast corridor, Texas and Colorado led to notably strong engagement. Employee activation and executive sponsorship were critical in amplifying the campaign’s credibility, visibility, and reach. Finally, strategic partnerships added substantial value. Collaborating with trusted organizations ensured that our efforts were impactful and deeply informed by the communities we aimed to serve.
Our initiative exceeded key performance benchmarks within months and strengthened PMI U.S.’s reputation as a public health innovator invested in America.
Across two national campaigns—'Serving Those Who Served’ and ‘On the Home Front’—PMI U.S. drove meaningful impact in support of veterans and their families, with strong performance across paid media, earned reach, community engagement, and financial investment:
PMI U.S.’s campaigns show how data can drive real change when combined with corporate action. By blending research, advocacy, direct investment and strategic partnerships, we are supporting veterans today and laying the groundwork for sustained impact for years to come.