PRBreakfastClub

Positioning a company effectively to pursue and win government business is one of the most interesting and sometimes the most challenging initiatives a communications professional can undertake.

This is not a post on how to get on a GSA schedule or how to navigate the government contracting process. This is a post on five things to consider to effectively position a company in front of government agencies to win business:

1.The government market is highly segmented. Some companies approach marketing and communicating to the government as if “the government” is a single entity. The reality of it is that each government agency has its own challenges and mission requirements that need to be addressed. A one-sized fits all approach in the federal sector will not get you very far. Instead, it is better to target a specific agency or agencies for your products and services, presenting a customized solution for their needs. Read the rest of this entry »

In a recent post from blogger Complicated Mama, she talked about a few encounters she had at last week’s Toy Fair. In a surprising turn of events, she was confronted with rude company reps that wanted nothing to do with bloggers. What was even more interesting is that in addition to writing for her own blog, she was also writing for a toy industry trade publication. Oops!

I know from personal experience that trade shows, especially ones as large as Toy Fair, can be incredibly hectic and exhausting. Camera crews, journalists, reporters – there are hundreds of companies all vying for the attention of the media. PR reps go to great lengths to set up appointments beforehand, create attention-getting stunts and more. Read the rest of this entry »

A daily thought to be said each and every day for PR pros.

Almighty gods of PR, May my day today be a success, with happiness and joy; Let my pitches be newsworthy and perfect, being loved by all; Help me create that amazing stunt, that will make someone go WOW; Please photograph Beyonce with my product, with the label facing out; Almighty gods of PR, May my day stay on target, and promise me some lunch; Let my server make it all day, without shutting down; Help me double check my subject lines, spell check doesn’t work; Please cut back on the hate mail today, sometimes it hurts my feelings; Almighty gods of PR, May my day go by smoothly, regardless of what comes up; Let my segments go unbothered, breaking news isn’t that important; Help my clients just understand, and get it without a fuss; Please have the Wall Street Journal* call me back today, because I was so nice. Amen *designates a fill in the blank

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had