Q&A: Greg August, Media Director at mcgarrybowen, Discusses Why Targeted Media Buying Works for Clients Like Northrop Grumman

July 17, 2012

Advertising and marketing agencies working in the government contacting sector are tasked with the challenge of both developing creative that resonates with government decision makers, as well as targeting these federal leaders with their messaging. This is no easy task.  While the DC marketplace is small, when compared to a national consumer advertising campaign, it can be difficult for advertising agencies to develop the right media buying strategies that work. In addition, as the competition is heating up amongst contractors for less government dollars, effectively reaching federal leaders and procurement officers is paramount. FedPulse recently spoke with Greg August, Media Director at ... Read more

Monday Morning News Kick Off: Fear of Sequestration; GSA’s Digital Services Innovation Center; NIST Mobile Guidelines; and SAIC Wins TSA Contract

July 16, 2012

Welcome to the Monday morning news kick off post from the FedPulse blog.  There was once a time when things slowed down during the ‘dog days’ of summer in the DC area.  Clearly this is no longer the case and, as such, there’s no shortage of news to kick start the workweek.  From more sequestration news to mobile security guidelines, we have a most comprehensive round up of government-related news for you.  Happy Monday. Fear of Sequestration:  The Pentagon has Become a Hostage in the War Over the Deficit The topic of sequestration and how it “threatens to rip the heart out ... Read more

Whether or Not Sequestration Happens, the Sky Will Fall on Government Contractors

July 12, 2012

Laurie Morrow, Director of Research Services, and Melissa Burgess, Research Analyst at Market Connections, Inc. If Congress approves spending levels that exceed the budget caps of the Budget Control Act of 2011, we could be entering into an era of sequestration in 2013.   Whether or not sequestration actually happens, there will still be deep budget cuts that will seem like the sky is actually falling on government contractors. This was our big takeaway from the “OMG—What If Sequestration Happens?” event hosted by Professional Services Council (PSC), the trade and advocacy organization for professional and technical services contractors that serve the federal ... Read more

Open Government Data Conference: Research Should Drive All Open Data Initiatives

July 11, 2012

Monica Mayk Parham, Marketing Director, Market Connections, Inc. I’ve been attending the International Open Government Data Conference, sponsored by Data.gov at the World Bank this week. We’ve seen quite a few advanced uses of open data in both domestic and international contexts. Kenya shared their open data initiative, which has steadily gained interest since its 2011 launch. I met the folks from Socrata, a leading platform for hosting and manipulating open data. And I spoke at length with REI Systems, who works with GSA on Open Government initiatives like Data.gov and USASpending.gov. A few key conclusions coming out of this conference: Involve ... Read more

Political Leaders (Sort of) Address Changing Face of Government Business

July 10, 2012

By Dave Glantz, Director, Research Services, Market Connections, Inc. Last month, I had the pleasure of attending a Tech Town Hall hosted by the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) and Microsoft.  The event brought together Virginia U.S. Senate candidates George Allen and Tim Kaine, along with a number of business leaders like Jim Sheaffer, President, North American Sector, CSC; Dendy Young, Managing Partner, McLean Capital; and Fred Humphries, Vice President of Government Affairs, Microsoft. Although the event was hosted by the NVTC, not much talk about technology actually occurred.  Instead the panel focused more on taxation, immigration, education and other mainstream political ... Read more

Monday Morning News Kick Off: Agency Buyout List; VA Halts Job Downgrades; and Booz Allen, CACI and QinetiQ Win Navy Contracts

July 9, 2012

Welcome to the Monday morning news kick off post from the FedPulse blog.  With many in the DC Metro area suffering from long-term power outages last week, plus the July 4th holiday falling on Wednesday, it was difficult to get fully ramped up into work mode.  Well, now’s the time to get fully back into the game.  Thankfully, we have assembled all the actionable news you need to be the best government and contracting professionals possible.  Happy Monday. New Rule Could Force Inexperienced Contractors Onto Agency Projects An agency could potentially be working with inexperienced employees when a new contractor takes over ... Read more

Market Connections’ 2012 Government Contractor Study Captures Media Attention

July 5, 2012

On June 21, Market Connections released highlights from its 2012 Government Contractor Study at a Government Marketing Forum event at the Tysons Corner Marriott.  The study showcased how government contractors with higher contract win rates are expecting to see continued growth in the future, especially for those who assess opportunities in cyber and cloud early. Members of the media also found the results newsworthy. Following are the major press coverage from the event: “Study: Successful Government Contractors Foresee Growth Opportunities” by AOL Government.  Read the article. “Most contractors expect federal revenue growth to increase, survey says” by Washington Business Journal.  Read the article. “PODCAST: Lisa Dezzutti, CEO and ... Read more

PODCAST: Lisa Dezzutti, CEO and Founder of Market Connections, Discusses How to be a Pivotal Player in Today’s Government Climate

July 3, 2012

In case you have never checked out the Pivotal Plays blog hosted by MorganFranklin, it is an award-winning blog that showcases people and organizations that put into play a decisive action with tremendous impact on the business — developing groundbreaking innovations, and accomplishing the extraordinary with limited resources.  This is why we were honored to see Market Connections’ Founder and CEO, Lisa Dezzutti, showcased as a leader who enables federal agencies and government contractors to pull off their own pivotal plays.  Be sure to check out the full Pivotal Plays post below.  We have also included the podcast interview with ... Read more

Monday Morning News Kick Off: D.C. Agencies Open After Severe Storm, DHS Outlines New Cyber Plan; and Northrop Grumman Wins Afghanistan Communications Contract

July 2, 2012

Welcome to the Monday morning news kick off post from the FedPulse blog.  While many of us are taking time off during this holiday week, the reality is that government still needs to be fully operational – even during the dog days of the July 4th holiday.  So, for all those government and contractor employees working this week, we have compiled all the actionable news you need to kick-start the workweek. Washington-Area Agencies Open After Severe Weekend Storm Federal agencies are open today in the wake of the severe storm that caused widespread power outages in the Washington area over the weekend, ... Read more

Customer Satisfaction Research Driving Success for Winning Contractors

June 27, 2012

Gaining honest feedback from clients and customers is vital for enhancing overall performance.  Though getting this type of feedback can be challenging. For government contractors who are often embedded with their clients on a daily basis, it can be difficult to gather constructive feedback needed to ensure re-compete contract wins.   And, it is easy for contractors to make false assumptions about their perceived performance that could actually jeopardize contracts. Winning government contractors are using the results of customer satisfaction research to increase competitiveness and achieve business growth during these austere times. Market Connections’ 2012 Government Contractor Study found that contractors with higher win ... Read more