Government Contractors Strive to Improve Competitiveness in 2014
January 14, 2014
By Bob Lohfeld, Guest Contributor President, Lohfeld Consulting Group With sales being flat or having declined in 2013 for three out of every four government contractors, two thirds of government contractors have initiatives underway to improve their competitiveness. To get a handle on what some of these initiatives are, Market Connections and Lohfeld Consulting Group teamed up to conduct a poll of 220 government contractors. What we found from the survey was that most companies are working on improving their business acquisition function, including reworking processes, adding tools, and moving to agile staffing strategies to better match resources to capture and proposal workloads. ... Read moreWeekly News Kick Off: A Potentially More Stable 2015 Defense Budget; Bid Protests Down; and Social Government 2014
January 13, 2014
Welcome to the Weekly News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. The topic of the defense budget is still dominating the headlines with insights on the 2015 budget and new ways to cut overall spending. Though as always, contractors keep announcing new wins. Be sure to check out this and much more in the latest Weekly News Kick Off. Happy Monday. Defense Budget Process for Fiscal 2015 Likely to Be More Stable For fiscal 2015, Congress has provided a $10 billion boost to the cap for defense spending, and the Pentagon has committed to proposing a budget that stays within that, ... Read moreThe FedPulse 2013 Greatest Hits: Sequestration, Government Travel and “Winning Contractors”
January 9, 2014
In an era of Buzzfeed-like “listicles,” the FedPulse team has created its own series of top stories for the year. Rather than focusing on the Top 10 signs that we grew up in the 1980s, and other silly click-bait content, our “best of” pieces showcase the issues and trends that resonated the most in the government-contracting marketplace. As expected, sequestration rose to the top by a long shot with positive contractor stories also resonating very well. #10: Q&A: AJ Clark, President of Thermopylae Sciences & Technology, Discusses Rise of “Smart Data” and Impact of Sequestration Unlike traditional companies selling to government, Thermopylae Sciences ... Read moreGovernment Contractors Reshape Growth Strategies for 2014
January 8, 2014
By Bob Lohfeld, Guest Contributor President, Lohfeld Consulting Group With three out of every four government contractors having flat or declining sales in 2013, it should come as no surprise that many companies are rethinking their go-to-market strategy and making changes in the way they compete. To get a handle on some of these changes, Market Connections and Lohfeld Consulting Group teamed up to conduct a poll of 220 government contractors. Surprisingly, about a third of the companies surveyed reported they are not making changes to their 2014 growth strategy. I wonder how rational this “stay put” strategy is, given only 15 percent ... Read moreQ&A: Greg Wenzel, SVP with Booz Allen Hamilton, Discusses AFEI Industry Day
January 7, 2014
On January 10th, Booz Allen Hamilton is hosting and sponsoring the AFEI Industry Day, which will bring together senior DoD leaders from the Defense Intelligence Information Enterprise (DI2E) and Joint Command and Control (JC2) communities to discuss the future of the DoD IT and mission environment. This event will provide a unique opportunity for industry to connect with key leaders and gather insights into agency objectives and mission goals. FedPulse had the unique opportunity to connect with Greg Wenzel, Senior Vice President with Booz Allen Hamilton’s Strategic Innovation Group, about this special event. FedPulse: Tell us about AFEI Industry Day. Wenzel: AFEI is focused on fostering ... Read moreWeekly News Kick Off: Sequestration’s Impact in 2014; Projecting Growth in Aerospace and Defense; and New Contract Wins
January 6, 2014
Welcome to the Weekly News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. With 2013 in our rearview mirror, it seems that 2014 is starting off with a bang – with many stories about new contact wins. Though the specter of sequestration is still looming overhead. Be sure to check out this and much more in the latest Weekly News Kick Off. Happy Monday. Chief Justice: Sequester Jeopardizes Federal Courts, Public Safety The federal court system would face major staff reductions, trial delays and security risks without additional funding, according to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Not Out Of The Woods Yet: 6 ... Read moreThe Greatest FedPulse Research Stories of 2013
January 2, 2014
In a year of budget uncertainty, actionable information in the form of market research has been the guiding light for many contractors – allowing them to traverse through some challenging waters. With 2013 officially behind us, the FedPulse editorial team has compiled a list of the top 10 research stories from the year. We hope this post will serve as a reminder of the power of information when developing capture strategies and campaigns in 2014. #10: What Is the Optimal, or Minimal, Sample Size for Statistical Validity in Government Market Research? Many clients often ask about the ideal sample size required ... Read moreWeekly News Kick Off: Obama Signs Budget Deal; More Cyber Pros Needed; Lockheed, Harris and Raytheon Announce New Contracts
December 30, 2013
Welcome to the Weekly News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. Stretching into week two of the extended holiday, we are seeing that the federal news cycle has slowed down a bit – but not too much. President Obama signed the budget deal, and Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and others announced new contract wins. Be sure to check out this and much more in the latest Weekly News Kick Off. Happy Monday. Obama Signs Bipartisan Budget Deal, Annual Defense Bill Last week, President Barack Obama signed a compromise budget that averts another government shutdown and a defense bill that provides base a ... Read moreThe Courage to Be Creative in Your Federal Marketing Efforts
December 27, 2013
Author: Matt Langan, Founder and CEO of L&R Communications It’s our inherent human nature to follow the pack, especially when it comes to marketing to federal decision-makers. However, the misguided belief that federal decision-makers want to see conservative approaches and content often leads government marketers to stick with traditional technical white papers and online “brochureware” that lack personality or creativity. As marketers, we often make the mistake of viewing the government customer as one-dimensional and focused only on the mission. This could not be more wrong. Although providing content and insights to help agencies support mission goals is paramount, federal marketers lack a ... Read moreTop 5 Government Marketing Recommendations for 2014
December 26, 2013
The lingering impact of sequestration and the government shutdown caused great challenges for government marketers in 2013. Budgets decreased, while the need to enhance brand awareness and lead generation increased. During 2013, Market Connections and FedPulse spoke to several industry leaders, as well as developed studies that offered the right tips for marketers to best connect with and influence government decision-makers. Following are the Top 5 Marketing Tips from FedPulse, which will help guide marketers in their efforts into 2014 and beyond. Tip #5 – Differentiate Through Content Marketing: Alisa Valudes Whyte, Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Merritt Group, believes that ... Read more