What’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 moreNew Study Sees Opportunities in Federal Health IT
April 11, 2012
The federal healthcare IT market is undergoing rapid change, in part driven by technological advances and in part by policies mandating better sharing of medical data while maintaining patient privacy. These conditions are creating opportunities for companies to gain market share and stand out as leaders in health IT. Last fall, Market Connections completed a multi-client study of the federal health IT space to assess the competitive landscape within federal health agencies, uncover the “pain points” that a successful vendor can help to alleviate and identify the top federal healthcare IT initiatives and solutions being considered by decision makers and influencers. Respondents ... Read morePush Polling Isn’t Proper Market Research
April 11, 2012
We are deep in the season of political polling, and regardless of anyone’s political leanings, it is easy for us all to get swept up in the who’s up and who’s down of the Republican primary battle. The scrutiny will only build as we get closer to November’s general election, when polls will try to predict everything from the presidential winner down to mayoral races all over the country. Political polling is a highly specialized niche of market research. At their best, market research surveys of all stripes allow us to gain insights into people’s behaviors and opinions, and tease out ... Read moreDeciding Between Phone and Online Surveys
April 11, 2012
Now that online research software and panels (pre-screened individuals who agree to participate in surveys in exchange for an incentive) are commonplace, our clients often ask whether surveys are best conducted on the internet or via phone. It’s a good question, but unfortunately the answer isn’t clear cut. Like most business decisions, it requires an assessment of the pros and cons of each option within the context of your specific circumstances. Telephone surveys offer several key advantages. With the help of various automation tools, making random contact with a representative sample of the targeted population is fairly straightforward in many markets. ... Read moreMaximizing Research Response Rates
April 11, 2012
An ever-present challenge in market research is maximizing survey response rates. In fact, voicemails, caller id, gatekeepers and spam blockers are so pervasive, that it’s common for the response rate to be less than 10 percent of the study’s sample size. Here are some must-haves for achieving an adequate population of completed surveys. A Quality List: Optimally, the list is 5 to 10 times larger than the reasonable sample size established for the study, is tightly aligned to the target audience, includes names and titles, and has been recently cleaned and updated. Well-Prepared Interviewers: Even highly experienced interviewers must be trained for ... Read moreNew Study Release: Social Media Use Expands in Government Space
April 10, 2012
The growth in the use of mobile devices to stay connected is expanding the use of social media, which in turn will affect the form and content of information on the Internet. This is just one key finding of Market Connections’ second annual Public Sector Social Media Study released October 18. Strategic Communications Group (Strategic), a PR firm specializing in the use of social media, collaborated on the project. Market Connections’ President and CEO Lisa Dezzutti presented the study findings to a standing-room-only crowd at a breakfast event October 18 at the Tysons Corner Marriott. “We are seeing mobile usage driving social media,” ... Read moreThe Poor Performance Problem
April 10, 2012
From GovSupervisor, April 11, 2012 If you are ever in a conversation lull at work and need to generate some immediate energy, bring up the topic of federal employee poor performance. The issue is resonant and generates great emotion. We’ve all heard the stories of the sleeping employee, the one who could never complete a simple assignment without asking endless questions and involving the entire department in high drama, or whose products had to be reworked every time. Yet, as we shall see, this issue is widely misunderstood. There’s more to the picture than meets the eye. It is also no small matter. OPM’s ... Read more7 Habits Of Highly Successful Government Contractors
April 10, 2012
From GovPlayers, April 11, 2012 We recently sat down with Jennifer Schaus of Jennifer Schaus & Associates in Washington, DC. The firm provides a full array of government contracting services. Services are typically offered on a part-time or consulting basis and include: sales, marketing, business development, lobbying, GSA Schedule help and more. Ms. Schaus provided some insight on how to win in government contracting. Many firms eagerly enter the government market with great expectations and big dreams but are quickly devastated as they attempt to navigate through the red tape, acronyms, procedures and heavy competition. Some of the most successful companies – ... Read moreService Contractor Magazine Highlights Social Media in the Public Sector Study in Center Spread
April 9, 2012
Obstacles to federal employees’ use of social media for work are declining. According to Market Connections Inc’s new Public Sector Social Media Study released Oct. 18, just 19 percent of agencies surveyed reported they ban access to some or all social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, down sharply from 2010, when 55 percent of agencies banned access. With use becoming more ubiquitous and accepted across the government, vendors need to know the right ways to engage with their federal agency customers. The study found that federal employees are using social media to inform decision making, educate the public, access information and ... Read moreNEW VIDEOS: Real-World Social Media Insight from Corporate and Government Marketers
April 8, 2012
The social media event we hosted in October 2011 with Strategic Communications Group featured an exceptional panel of corporate and government marketers who have ownership of their organization’s social participation. They hailed from Deloitte, Intelsat General, Polycom, General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Defense. The panel offered advice for marketers who desire to integrate social media into their mix of external communications tactics. Three brief videos provide real-world perspective from panelists to help public sector marketers define a social path for your organization. Advice for an Organization Evaluating Social Media Building Internal Support for Social Media Measuring ROI for Social Media Panelists ... Read more