Be understood by those that matter.

Reach the right decision-makers. Earn their attention. Build meaningful engagement.

Defence Voice helps defence brands reach the right decision-makers, build credibility and deliver campaigns that make a measurable difference. Combining Shephard's deep defence market knowledge, established audiences and specialist campaign expertise, we manage everything from strategy and content to distribution and reporting. Whether you're launching a capability, building market presence or planning an annual programme, we start with your objectives and build the right approach around them.

Those who trust in our expertise
At a glance
27.5%
Average email open rate

Outperforming the industry benchmark of 18.5%, demonstrating strong audience engagement.

65,400
Average video views

Generating substantial visibility for branded video content across defence audiences.

18,100
Average industry spotlight views

Connecting sponsored editorial content with targeted and engaged defence industry readers.

3.8%
Average promotional Ad CTR

Driving measurable audience action through targeted promotion and in-house creative.

Figures based on campaign performance over the past 12 months. Results vary by campaign format, audience and duration.
The challenge

Defence audiences are knowledgeable, time-poor and sceptical of marketing

Simply putting a message in front of them is not enough. The challenge is understanding who matters, what will earn their attention and how to engage them with relevance and credibility.Whether you are launching a capability, entering a market, building your reputation or sustaining visibility around a strategic priority, effective defence marketing starts by asking a better question: what are we actually trying to achieve?

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That is where Defence Voice comes in.
More pressure, fewer resources

Defence marketing teams are expected to show measurable impact while working with limited time, budget and people. Every campaign has to earn its place, and there’s little room for activity that doesn’t move the business forward.

Complex subjects, specialist audiences

Defence capabilities are technical, procurement cycles are long, and the people involved know their domain inside out. Generalist media and agencies often struggle to tell the story with the depth and accuracy this audience expects.

One-off activity rarely builds influence

 An isolated ad, email or event appearance can create a moment of visibility. But shaping programmes, procurement and partnerships takes a consistent narrative and connected activity that builds presence over time.

how defence voice works

Three outcomes, delivered together

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1. Reach

Reach the defence decision-makers who matter

Connect with the people who have genuine influence over programmes, procurement, strategy and partnerships.

  • Senior industry, government and military audiences
  • Targeting by defence domain, geography and behaviour
  • Less spend on irrelevant audiences

Focus your investment on the defence audiences most relevant to your objectives

2. trust

Earn credibility with the defence community

Position your brand inside an environment defence professionals already trust, built on more than four decades of defence journalism and analysis experience.

  • Expertise positioned through trusted journalism and analysis
  • Content that informs rather than advertises
  • Formats suited to complex defence subjects

Build your brand's credibility through engaging thought leadership content across Shephard's trusted defence media platforms.

3. Deliver

Deliver meaningful results without adding pressure to your team

Defence Voice acts as an extension of your team, managing activity from planning and content production through to promotion and reporting.

  • Specialist defence marketing expertise
  • Campaigns managed from planning to delivery
  • Transparent reporting on performance

Deliver superior campaigns without increasing the burden on your team.

Where does this sit in your organisation?

Marketing Leadership
Turn marketing strategy into market influence.

Build a sustained presence with the defence audiences that matter, through integrated programmes that connect your objectives to measurable outcomes.

Communications
Build a reputation that carries weight.

Turn your organisation's expertise into authoritative content that earns attention and strengthens credibility in the defence market.

Audience and media
Make every impression count.

Reach clearly defined defence audiences through trusted channels, reducing wasted spend and improving campaign effectiveness.

Product marketing
Make complex capabilities matter.

Translate technical propositions into compelling stories that help the right audiences understand their relevance and value.

How a campaign comes together

Whatever the brief, we start with the problem – not the product.
We don't begin by asking which advertising format we can sell. We begin by understanding what you need to achieve, who you need to influence and what might make the difference. Sometimes the answer will be a proven format. Sometimes it will require a different combination of content, targeting, channels or creative thinking.

The objective isn't to do something new for the sake of it. It's to find a better way forward.
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1. Align
We take the time to understand your objectives, establish what success looks like for you, scope the project and plan how we will work together.
2. Design
We build a campaign around the channels most likely to reach your audience, informed by what we know about how that audience behaves.
3. Produce
Our specialist defence content and production teams turn complex subjects into engaging, credible campaign assets, combining sector knowledge with formats suited to your audience and objectives.
4. Deliver
The campaign goes live across Shephard platforms and our first-party audience, timed to when your audience is most engaged.
5. Report
You receive clear visibility of performance, so you can demonstrate value internally and plan the next phase with evidence.

What a Defence Voice campaign can include

We use our experience to understand what works, our curiosity to question what could work better, and our expertise to build the right approach around your objectives.
To reach
  • Placements across Shephard News: air, land, naval, uncrewed, special operations, digital battlespace and military training
  • Domain newsletter sponsorship
  • Opted-in partner email
  • Social and video distribution
To build trust
  • Sponsored editorial and thought leadership
  • Executive interviews and podcasts
  • Technology reports
  • Content hubs and micro-sites
To deliver
  • Campaign planning and narrative development
  • Specialist defence writers and producers
  • Creative and production
  • Promotion, optimisation and reporting
working with you to deliver value

Defence Voice packages

Activation

A focused campaign designed to build visibility around a product launch, strategic announcement or key industry event.

typical inclusions
• Audience and channel plan
• One content asset
• Distribution across two domains
• Performance report
Campaign

A connected, multi-channel campaign that builds engagement and momentum around a defined commercial objective.

typical inclusions
• Narrative development
• Content series across multiple formats
• Multi-domain distribution and audience targeting
• Mid-campaign optimisation
• Full performance reporting
Partnership

An ongoing strategic relationship, combining campaign planning, specialist content, audience engagement and performance optimisation throughout the year.

typical inclusions
• Annual campaign planning
• Always-on content and thought leadership
• Event-led campaign cycles
• Narrative development
• Account-based audience mapping and targeting
• Full performance reporting and analysis
Our work in action

Our recent work

Every defence organisation faces different challenges, from launching new capabilities to building influence in established and emerging markets.Explore how we've helped defence brands connect with relevant audiences through targeted content, integrated campaigns and sustained market engagement.
See our case studies
Campaign timing

Built around the shows that matter to your market

The strongest defence campaigns do not start when the doors open. they run for the months before and after it, while the conversations an exhibition starts are still live.
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Before

Build awareness and book meetings with the people you want to see on the stand.

During

Make announcements, share interviews and launches while attention is at its highest.

After

Convert attention into your pipeline with follow-up content aimed at the audiences that engaged pre, during or post event.

Why Shephard Defence Voice?

Why choose to work with us rather than a generalist agency?
Built on experience.

For over four decades, Shephard has worked exclusively in defence, alongside shifts in markets, technology, and influence.

Access an audience that already trusts Shephard

An established and engaged audience spanning industry, government and military stakeholders.

Gain editorial credibility

Your campaigns can sit alongside trusted defence journalism and analysis, not inside a general advertising environment.

Get audience insight

Your targeting will be supported by data across defence domains, geography and audience behaviour.

Get specialist delivery

Have support from planning and narrative development through to content, promotion and reporting.

Achieve transparency

Get clear visibility of what your campaign did, delivered with accurate and timely reporting

Common questions

One point of contact, one plan, one report. No handovers between an advertising team and a studio team.
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What size of campaign does Defence Voice run?
We support everything from individual campaigns to multi-channel programmes and annual partnerships. Our approach is always shaped by what you're trying to achieve, with a preference for connected activity that builds measurable impact over time
Who writes the content?
Specialist defence writers and producers, drawing on more than four decades of defence journalism and analysis.
How is performance reported?
You receive clear reporting on reach, engagement and audience quality, shared during the campaign as well as at the end of it.
Can you work alongside our agency?
Yes. Defence Voice frequently supplies the defence audience, environment and market knowledge that a generalist agency cannot.
How far ahead should we plan?
For campaigns built around a show, three months ahead gives the strongest result.
What is the difference between Defence Voice and Defence Insight?
Defence Voice helps you reach the defence market. Defence Insight helps you understand it. Many organisations use both.
Work with us

Start a conversation about your next challenge

You don't need to know which product, channel or format you need. Tell us what you want to achieve and who you need to reach.

‍We'll help you find a better way to engage them.
Prefer to read first? Learn more by downloading our Welcome Guide
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Understand the market you're trying to reach

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