In tough times, contractors turn to creative marketing campaigns
In the best of times, selling to the government is not an easy task. In the worst of times, it’s even harder.
As federal budgets shrink and competition intensifies, contractors are battling it out not only for dollars, but also for the attention of their government customers.
That’s sparked a slew of creative marketing campaigns over the past couple of years, featuring virtual conferences, 3-D animation, apps, e-books and the increased use of social media.
Traditionally, contractors set up booths at trade shows to interact with government officials and keep them in the loop about new products or technologies. In fact, that was the dominant method of communication between industry and government up until a few years ago.
The way federal workers look for information and consume content is also changing how contractors market to them, experts said.
Essentially, procurement officers are just like regular shoppers. They like doing their own research online, whether it’s on a desktop or on phones and tablets.
Perhaps the biggest shift in contractors’ strategy is promoting the notion that they are partners with the government, instead of just pitching products to them, marketers said.
Companies that offer up thought leadership use it as a way to build goodwill, said Mike Carberry, a marketing professor at American University’s Kogod School of Business.
The challenge is differentiating yourself from the pack at a time when “everybody’s doing it,” he added.
Source: washingtonpost
