Monday Morning News Kick Off: DoD Seeks to Change Procurement Rules, DISA Taps Social Media, and the Federal Customer Service Act
May 7, 2012
Welcome again to the Monday Morning News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. For our second installment of this post, we have pulled together all the actionable news you need to kick-start the workweek. And, as we pointed out last week, knowledge truly is power and we hope to arm you with all the right data to be the smartest government and government contracting professionals you could possibly be. Happy Monday! Customer Service Act Is Good News for Citizens and Employees As the Federal Customer Service Enhancement Act, H.R. 538, has passed out of a House committee and is moving forward, ... Read moreVA Takes Bold Steps in Using Research to Repair Supplier Relationships
May 3, 2012
Laurie Morrow, Director of Research Services, Market Connections, Inc. When doing research regarding perceptions and attitudes of key stakeholders, it is often very challenging to gain feedback that may be brutally honest or even negative. The reality is that the most honest feedback from research is always the most valuable and provides organizations with the insights needed to enhance performance. The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) recently undertook an aggressive research effort to gauge perceptions of its suppliers. After Maurice C. Stewart, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), joined the VA a few years ago, he undertook the ... Read moreCASE STUDY: Lockheed Martin Establishes Thought Leadership in Cloud Computing
May 2, 2012
Lockheed Martin wanted to establish its Cyber Security Alliance as a thought leader in cloud computing and cyber security, while measuring perceptions of the company and other cyber security solution providers. Market Connections conducted an independent study of U.S. government federal civilian, defense, military and intelligence agency IT decision makers to evaluate awareness and attitudes around cloud computing and cyber security. Together, Lockheed Martin and Market Connections presented the findings to the media and government agency decision-makers on behalf of the 14 Cyber Security Alliance partners through a custom white paper and related webinar. Key Findings The study revealed that understanding of cloud computing ... Read moreMonday Morning News Kick Off: House Approves Cyber Bill; GSA Tool to Verify Social Media Accounts; and Booz Top Employer for Veterans
April 30, 2012
Welcome to the inaugural Monday Morning News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. For anyone working in the government sector – whether as a contractor or as a federal employee – knowledge really is power. And, the more we arm ourselves with the right information, the better we will perform professionally. As such, each week, we will pull together all of the actionable news you need to kick start the workweek. Happy Monday! House Approves Bill to Boost Cybersecurity Research On Friday, the House approved the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2011, a bill to increase education, research, and development to confront ... Read moreEnsuring Your New Name Is The Right Name
April 27, 2012
Organizations are sometimes faced with an unavoidable need to change their name. Perhaps the need is driven by changes in the industry, an expansion of offerings and markets, a new strategic direction, or a merger or acquisition. An organization’s name carries emotional connections and even equity with it – the amount of which depends on the brand power, reputation, and loyalty it has built in its markets over the years. As a result, selecting the new name that will represent the brand is an important strategic undertaking. Though it’s tempting to just pick a new name from a list of options ... Read moreMarket Connections’ 2012 Federal Media and Market Study Captures Attention of Government Press
April 20, 2012
Last week, Market Connections officially launched its 4th annual Federal Media and Marketing Study at a standing-room only event at the Tyson’s Corner Marriott. Several members of the government press attended and found the report’s findings worthy of covering. With the big news that “print is not dead” among federal decision makers, we would humbly agree this year’s study findings are very noteworthy – especially for those selling products and services to the government. Following are the major press coverage from the event: “Media use by feds” FedNewsRadio interview with Lisa Dezzutti, CEO and Founder of Market Connections. Listen to the interview. “New trends ... Read moreQ&A: Nancy Nolting, Marketing Programs Manager at Intelsat General Corporation, Discusses the Value of Customer Satisfaction Surveys
April 16, 2012
Intelsat General Corporation is an industry leader when it comes to providing communications solutions to commercial, government, and military customers through fixed and mobile satellite systems and associated terrestrial communications services. As a large organization offering commercial satellite communications solutions, Intelsat General deals with significant government contracts that are highly complex, often involving multiple partners and many levels of decision-makers from both the civilian and military agencies. In 2010, Intelsat General Corporation began working with Market Connections to implement its first customer satisfaction survey, and repeated the program in 2011. We sat down with Nancy Nolting, Marketing Programs Manager at Intelsat General, ... Read moreFederal Decision Makers Still Reading the Printed Word and Attending Trade Shows
April 12, 2012
Today, more than 200 executives from the DC area convened at the fourth annual Federal Media and Marketing Study (FMMS) breakfast hosted by Market Connections to learn how to effectively reach government decision makers when selling to the federal market. Knowing how to target those leaders who, ultimately, make the buying decisions can be highly challenging. Fortunately, the 2012 FMMS presented by Market Connections, in conjunction with Sara Leiman, vice president, media director at TMP Government, aggregated the use of print, television, radio, mobile, social media and Internet-based news media by senior federal employees. With than 3,700 decision makers — the ... Read more4th Annual Federal Media & Marketing Study to Help Marketers Refine Strategies for Selling to the Government
April 11, 2012
In today’s government contracting environment, companies and organizations selling products and services to the federal government need to keep every arrow in their marketing quivers as sharp as possible. One of the core components of marketing success in this new contracting environment is knowing where and how to reach senior decision-makers at civilian and defense agencies. This involves understanding exactly which print, radio, online and social media venues federal leaders embrace on a daily basis. Market Connections and Sara Leiman, VP Media Director at TMP Government, are excited to announce the release of this year’s Federal Media and Marketing Study on April 12, 2012, ... Read moreWhat’s New, What’s Next? Emerging Government Trends in 2012
April 11, 2012
Market Connections’ staff has reviewed several sources focusing on emerging government trends and topics for 2012. Similar to last year, we will focus on trends and recommendations discussed in conferences, roundtables, news articles, and Market Connections’ own studies. Continuing to do more with less? There is agreement among experts that the budget environment will continue to be an issue in 2012, making for an increasingly competitive landscape with limited market growth. Overall, government budgets for discretionary appropriations are down from 2011 to 2012. Air Force and Navy plan a 25% reduction in IT costs with emphasis on consolidating IT Acquisition (Fed Focus ... Read more