Helping Your Federal Buyer Go Against Convention
July 11, 2019
Have you ever changed your mind? Not necessarily about something trivial like what you want for dinner, but truly changed your mind about a long-standing opinion of a person, company or issue due to a new experience, discussion or interaction? If you have, you are one of the few. However; as marketers, we ask our target audience to change deep-seated opinions with our marketing and PR efforts. Why is it so hard to change an entrenched opinion or perception? It isn’t so much about influencing that one person, but more about how much you can influence everyone around them. The Difficulty of ... Read moreHappy Independence Day 2019!
July 3, 2019
Nearly 250 years ago, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, birthing the United States of America, a nation founded with the belief that all men are created equal, with unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Like Market Connections, our founding fathers believed gathering data was a crucial tool for measuring progress. In 1790, not long after the birth of our nation, the first census of the whole United States was taken. Here are some fun facts from that first census: Census Bureau Director: Thomas Jefferson Number of questions asked: 6 Total number of states: 13 Total population: 3.9 million Year ... Read moreThe Increasing Role of Professional Associations in Reaching Federal Audiences
June 18, 2019
Over the past year, Market Connections’ signature studies, including the Federal Media & Marketing Study and the Content Marketing Review, have pointed to a rise in the role of professional associations with federal decision makers. These studies, along with additional surveys we have conducted in the federal market, have concluded that public sector marketers should strongly consider working with professional associations to reach federal, state and local decision makers. To further test our hypothesis, we created a PulsePoll™ specifically asking about the role of associations, with the hope that this data can not only support government contractors’ membership and engagement ... Read moreEducate and Engage Your Government Customer with Your Marketing Content
June 11, 2019
When creating marketing content for a government buyer of products, services or emerging technologies, federal and state and local decision makers want to be educated and not sold to, according to the 2019 Content Marketing Review: Federal & Beyond. Content should help them make informed decisions and have minimal sales messages. Additionally, for state and local decision makers, consider including insight from government thought leaders to help support your message. Regardless of what you are selling, whether they’re simple products (including laptops, desktops, servers), standard IT services (cloud, cybersecurity) or complex emerging technologies (AI, automation, blockchain), respondents prefer research reports and ... Read moreCongratulations to Women in Technology 20th Annual Leadership Award Winners
June 4, 2019
Market Connections would like to congratulate all winners of the 20th annual Women in Technology’s (WIT) Leadership Awards. Presented on Thursday, May 9th, the awards showcase the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of female leaders in academic, entrepreneurial, government and corporate roles across the Washington, DC technology community. The 2019 winners include: Corporate: Large-Market Sector – Toni Townes-Whitley, Microsoft Corporate: Mid-Market Sector – Padma Chitrapu, Neustar, Inc. Corporate: Small-Market Sector – Hildi Pineda, AbleVets LLC Rising Star – Allison Farris, Microsoft Small Business/Entrepreneur – Janel Merritt, DigiDoc Inc. dba Public Sector Solutions Groups STEM Leadership – Meg Layton, Symantec Corporation Unsung Hero – Mahwish Hamlani, Accenture Government – Chérie Smith, U.S. Army ... Read moreDGI’s E-Discovery, Records and Information Management Conference Highlights Key Agency and Industry Insights and Concerns
May 31, 2019
Earlier this spring, Market Connections attended the Digital Government Institute (DGI) E-Discovery, Records and Information Management Conference and Expo to better understand the concerns surrounding mandates, requirements and solutions for the federal government and how contractors can support them. Aimed predominantly at government employees, and sponsored by top industry contractors, discussions concentrated on current technology solutions and requirements, policy updates and changes, and examples of successful electronic records and e-discovery programs. This diverse grouping of experts led to rich discourses that highlighted the distinct perspectives of the government, contractor and legal realms. One key challenge pervaded: As the volume of digital information ... Read moreDon’t Let Buzzwords Kill Content Directed at Your Federal Audiences
May 29, 2019
“Our company provides innovative, cutting-edge services meant to disrupt the existing paradigm through best-in class products, agile, game-changing industry leaders and a one-stop, value added portal.” If “Buzzword Bingo” were a game, this sentence would have hit all the squares on the bingo card! Writing a description of how your product, service or even your company, is different than your competitors can be difficult for B2G marketers. Commonly used words like innovative, cutting edge and next generation, have lost their impact and can ring hollow to customers. While marketers often get requests to use these words in their materials, can including these ... Read moreContent Marketing: Be a Partner to Your State & Local Customers
May 22, 2019
Even the largest of states rarely serve a population one-tenth the size of the entire United States. Similarly, state budgets are a fraction the size and scope of the country as a whole. The overall budget for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, alone, rivals that of many mid-size cities. Therefore, it is not surprising that state and local decision-makers do not have the same resources as their federal counterparts when it comes to the procurement of IT products, services and emerging technologies. With fewer dollars to spend and fewer people to serve, state and local staffing levels are ... Read moreMeet the Team: Laurie Morrow, Vice President, Research Services
May 15, 2019
Laurie Morrow has over 25 years of experience in market research and was Market Connections’ first employee when it was founded in 1997. In addition to her passion for research, Laurie also has a passion for the curly W – that is the Washington Nationals. You can almost always count on her being at spring training each March catching her favorite team prepare for a summer of pitches, swings and home runs for the upcoming season at Nationals Park. With two signed baseballs from Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, a signed third base by Anthony Rendon, a signed baseball bat by Ryan ... Read moreShould You Include Case Studies in Your Public Sector Marketing?
April 23, 2019
For public sector marketers, case studies provide you the opportunity to demonstrate your past performance while highlighting your expertise and product or service’s unique features. In an arsenal of marketing materials, should you put an emphasis on creating case studies to highlight your products and services to public sector markets? The resounding answer is yes! Results from Market Connections’ most recent study, 2019 Content Marketing Review: Federal & Beyond, demonstrated the value and importance of case studies across federal, state and local decision-makers in informing and educating them about products, technical services and emerging technologies. Ninety-five percent of respondents across both federal ... Read more