Turning what you do into marketing & branding gold

Govcon firms know that the next few days will set the tone for their next 12 to 36 months of business. That’s because it’s the time of year when contracts are won and scaling to meet those contracts begins.

Getting these wins is a big deal for the bottom line. But many govcon companies leave it at that instead of using marketing and branding strategies to leverage the win into higher profiles, improved brand credibility, and accelerated revenue and growth.

“A robust marketing and branding strategy helps build and maintain relationships with current and potential customers,” said Geiger Consulting Group founder Stephanie Geiger. “Without that distinct brand identity, contractors may miss opportunities to maximize contract ceilings and attract new technology partners.”

Minnesota-based Agiliti created a lot of market differentiation when it won a $491 million contract in 2022. The company secured press in a leading state outlet – the Minneapolis Star-Tribune – as well as a top healthcare outlet, Becker’s Medical Review. And the coverage didn’t end there. When CEO Tom Leonard announced his retirement a few months later, the media included that contract in its coverage.

Agiliti isn’t alone. Marketing expert Mark Amtower says that any company can use everyday activities as a drumbeat that builds an audience, creates engagement, and earns trust. “Your contract wins aren’t just money,” he said. “They are opportunities to discuss your people, your processes, and your technologies. Tell those stories on social media, on webinars, and in the press so people see your story everywhere they look.”

Maximizing Contract Completion

If getting a contract is worth a bit of attention, surely completing one is even more important as evidence of a company’s value to taxpayers and the government.

Yet few firms do more than note completion in a social media post or on their website, even though the overarching components of promoting a completed contract are fairly straightforward:

• Announce the completion, ideally with key stakeholders like a government contract officer or an agency head.

• Discuss the value generated for taxpayers and government services, ideally in a case study.

• Turn the completion announcement into collateral like:

  • A press release

  • Social media posts

  • Newsletter and website content

  • Webinars

And while multi-million-dollar contracts include many operational successes that may play well in marketing content, Geiger said the following types of content are best when promoting a completed contract:

• Case studies

• Use cases

• CPARS and success metrics statistics

• Customer testimonials

• Project highlights

It takes work to best promote your completed contracts, but it’s worth it. As Geiger put it, companies “need marketing to tell the story about your current win to position yourself for the next one.”

Transforming Human Resources

If there’s any part of business that seems as far from marketing and branding as possible, it might be the Human Resources department. That’s where important yet dry things like payroll are discussed and hiring policies are developed.

It’s also where Peraton Senior Vice President of Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning Alison Paris says her company thrives. She explained that the company’s marketing and branding strategy plays a key role in college recruiting, especially for two important audiences: (1) future employees and (2) academics who are involved in its technology and research innovation.

Peraton’s higher education strategy starts with finding the right schools. Its affiliation with Virginia Tech, for example, offers “a year-round program for students to gain real, technical work experience.” George Mason University is located near several Peraton offices and offers “many degrees and programs that align with Peraton’s core business.” And the University of Maryland’s focus on diversity in cybersecurity ensures that Peraton is casting a wide net for high-quality team members.

The company also generates additional value by coordinating communications with its partner colleges and universities. Paris said that Peraton penetrates deeply into its target audiences through college fairs, hackathons, and courses that help students prepare for security clearances. The universities return the favor, using social media to promote events and videos, and by including relevant alumni in student events.

Insights about new rules/regulations/standards

Government regulations may be public, but understanding them can be challenging and compliance can be expensive. Even more expensive, though, is not following them – which can give companies that do understand regulations an edge in the marketplace of ideas.

Take CyberRx founder Ola Sage. Her company is one of 57 authorized assessors that defense contractors will have to use to achieve Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). Each of the estimated 80,000 defense contractors must meet 110 requirements or risk losing both current contracts and future business.

 There are over 1,300 contractors per assessor, so there will be plenty of business to go around. But Sage knows that the big corporations’ reputations may give them an advantage over her small firm, which she wants to rapidly grow once CMMC formally takes effect. So, instead of sitting back and letting business come to her, she’s used every available tool to differentiate her company with as many potential customers as possible.

For example, when I suggested we co-author an op-ed about supply chain communication, she jumped at the opportunity. She’s also augmented her value to contractors through a regular regimen of webinars, conference speaker slots, and conference exhibits. And she told me that a new staff member’s job will include creating greater synergies between, and value from, CyberRx’s marketing and business development strategies.

It’s a huge investment for CyberRx. But it’s worth it, because CyberRx’s cybersecurity knowledge and experience – and the company’s status as one of just 57 CMMC authorized assessors– is in front of 80,000 potential buyers day in and day out.

Turning what you do into what you know

It’s easy to think that what we do is pretty normal and humdrum. And, for each of us, it kind of is. But our everyday work can provide unique and – in the case of government contracts – highly valuable insights that improve national security, stop hackers, and ensure that the American people are better served than ever.

What you know matters. Now, go turn it into marketing and branding gold to get bigger and better contracts than ever before.

A version of this piece was originally published by Dustin Siggins at Washington Technology Magazine.