Is the Sky Falling on Government Contractors?
June 18, 2012
In many ways, the government contractor community is in a state of uncertainly with pending budget cuts in this austere environment. When reading the news, it often feels like Henny Penny is doing all of the reporting and the outlook is very dire. But is the sky actually falling? Market Connections will be releasing this year’s Government Contractor Study on June 21st, and some of the findings regarding future opportunities may be surprising. For example: Will we see improvements in the market after the 2012 election, or will the current climate continue through 2013 and beyond? Are contractors expecting increases or decreases in ... Read moreEvery Time You See Engage, Think Market Research — Obama’s Digital Government Strategy Requires Research-Driven Citizen Engagement
June 14, 2012
Effective customer interaction is a key ingredient when doing business in today’s real-time world. This is no different with the federal government. This concept was further reinforced when the Obama Administration recently released Digital Government: Building a 21st Century Platform to Better Serve the American People. In the digital strategy document, President Obama stated, “I want us to ask ourselves every day, how are we using technology to make a real difference in people’s lives?” The administration is essentially imploring its agencies to push for better, standardized digital solutions that can be quickly analyzed to generate results based on citizen engagement. In ... Read moreQ&A: Robert Derby of Sage Communications Discusses Why Agencies Like GSA Need Targeted Marketing to Save Taxpayer Dollars
June 13, 2012
As government agencies are continually under the microscope when it comes to the most effective use of taxpayer dollars, it is critical to make sure that all marketing efforts are targeted and offer the most ROI. The editorial team of FedPulse recently connected with Robert Derby, Senior Vice President, Branding and Marketing Communications at Sage Communications, who shared some compelling insights into why government agencies need to use the right tools to ensure that their marketing and communications efforts are targeted and effective. FedPulse: Tell us about Sage Communications. Derby: Sage Communications is a full-service, integrated marketing firm that provides advertising, public relations, ... Read moreCompanies Must Create Strategic Communications Campaigns to Reach Government Decision Makers
June 12, 2012
Monica Mayk Parham, Marketing Director, Market Connections, Inc. As the federal market continues to tighten, now more than ever, companies selling to the government must laser-target the right decision makers to compete for contracts and win. With agencies continuing to pull back funds, contractors also have to be more nimble and thoughtful in their efforts to influence those making the purchasing decisions. As Eva Neumann pointed out in her recent Washington Technology commentary, “strategic communications is now a ‘must do’ and no longer a ‘nice to do.’” In addition to differentiating your offerings and messaging from the competition and raising brand awareness, ... Read moreMonday Morning News Kick Off: DoD Freezes Conferences and Associated Travel, Government IT Reform a ‘Shock to the System,” and Microsoft and CSC Secure FAA Cloud Contract
June 11, 2012
Welcome to the Monday morning news kick off post from the FedPulse blog. In our opinion, the best way to ease your transition back into work life on Monday mornings is by arming yourself with knowledge. Fortunately, we have been kind enough to aggregate all of the government- and contractor-related stories you’ll need to be the smartest professional possible. Happy Monday! VanRoekel: IT Reform ‘a Shock to the System’ U.S. CIO Steven VanRoekel said the 25-point plan to overhaul federal IT has been successful as “a shock to the system,” according to Federal Computer Week. VanRoekel outlines key milestones since the plan’s ... Read moreFive Minutes With … Lisa Dezzutti on Reaching the Federal IT Leader
June 7, 2012
This is a re-posting of a story from the Welz & Weisel blog. View the original post. In this era of Tweets, webinars and hyper-mobility, would you believe that federal agency IT decision-makers can’t get enough of … print articles in industry pubs? And trade shows? Yep. While they also depend greatly upon online content, social media and other digital resources, they still also seek out information in traditional forms, according to the 2012 Federal Media and Marketing Study from Market Connections Inc. So companies seeking IT contracts must execute messaging plans that integrate both “old” and “new” thinking, according to Lisa ... Read moreAre Government Contractors Doing Enough to Differentiate Themselves?
June 7, 2012
Without a doubt, the next 12 to 24 months will be a period where government contractors need to be even more competitive – chasing after fewer and smaller contracting opportunities. Many are already seeing this as a particularly challenging time. As the market for winning new contracts and holding on to existing ones becomes more difficult, what are winning government contractors doing to differentiate themselves? Market Connections will be releasing this year’s Government Contractor Study on June 21st, and some of the findings may be surprising. For example: How crucial is thought leadership marketing? Are companies with higher win rates using more white ... Read moreAgencies Developing More Comprehensive Mobile Strategies and Policies
June 6, 2012
Monica Mayk Parham, Marketing Director, Market Connections, Inc. The rise of mobile technology in the government sector has allowed government employees to be more nimble and effective. Though with increased mobility comes greater challenges for those in charge of implementing mobile applications, such as Roger Baker, CIO at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The proliferation of tablets, smartphones and other mobile applications across various platforms creates data security and management issues for the approximately 280,000 doctors and employees at the VA. One example, highlighted in AOL Government, was when a group of VA doctors developed their own mobile app without the ... Read moreWhen Government Agencies Receive High Klout Scores, Does it Really Mean They Have More Clout?
June 5, 2012
Dave Glantz, Director of Research Services, Market Connections, Inc. IBM Center for the Business of Government recently issued a report that provides some very interesting social media insights for federal agencies: which agencies have the highest Klout rankings. If you are not familiar with Klout, it essentially measures your overall social media influence. For example, when you create content or engage through social networks, Klout will analyze that impact and give you a “Klout Score” anywhere between 1 and 100 – with 100 being the most influential. According to the IBM report, NASA received the out of all other federal agencies with ... Read more2013 Contractor Outlook Event to Showcase Best Practices of Winning Government Contractors
June 4, 2012
Market Connections will release the results of this year’s National Survey of Federal Government Contractors at a Government Marketing Forum networking event on June 21. This is your opportunity to be among the first to hear the results of the national 2012 Government Contractor Study and the outlook for FY2013. The study results will highlight the best business development and marketing practices of the industry’s leading companies. A panel of BtoG experts will share their insights into the FY2013 marketplace. The study will include: Government contractor marketing spend and mix Win rates on re-competes and new contracts Capture, bid and the proposal processes of ... Read more