Monday, November 16th, 2009
Few organizations have come through the past two years untouched by the recession. Even in the government market – one of the more stable sectors of the economy – spending is being more closely watched. Changes to the contracting process mean that established relationships with agencies are not a guarantee of future business. Equally important, competitive landscapes are in flux, as many companies struggling in their core commercial markets vie for a presence in more lucrative government markets.
For some, these new dynamics pose an even greater need for replacing outdated assumptions with accurate and current business intelligence that can drive smarter decision-making.
Market Connections recently completed an Attitude, Awareness and Usage (AA&U) study in which we asked our client’s federal audiences how they perceived the company and its competitors. Interestingly, our client was unaware that it was competing against the company that respondents most strongly perceived as its competitor. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by John Kagia in Current Trends 
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
We were recently asked to gather perceptions around the issue of going green. Companies want to better understand how important this issue is to their current and prospective customers, the best ways to deliver “greener” services and solutions, and how to effectively communicate the ripple effect of those green benefits to their customer organizations.
This issue is of particular relevance to government contractors, as the Obama administration has made it clear that green and alternative energy sources will be a focus over the next four years. Certainly global warming is a primary reason for this focus. But, cost cutting is another important driver, as government agencies and contactors can lower expenses and improve the bottom line through the adoption of responsible resource consumption programs. Equally important, green programs offer contractors a compelling discriminator in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Read the rest of this entry »
No Comments Posted by Laurie Morrow in Current Trends
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
This week it was announced via this message that access to social networking sites (such as Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, and Twitter) was officially banned on NIPRNET, the Marine Corps enterprise network.
While use of these sites had not been banned across the Marine Corps prior to this announcement, there were already many facilities for which access was restricted or denied. Additionally, concerns continue regarding the security breaches that could be caused by allowing access to these sites. The sites have had many security issues as use increased; just today, Twitter reported a denial of service attack, in which a hacker accessed documents that should have been secure. Given the sensitive nature of the information accessible through NIPRNET, this seems like a necessary step, until such time that cyber-security measures can catch up with the sites and tools available.
It has been noted that there may still be some use of social networking sites, for recruiting or communication with families, for example. With official approval processes in place, there will be increased control over how sites are used, and access will be much more secure. Additionally, steps have been taken to provide approved, secure, DOD-only social networking sites for use by soldiers, employees, and military families.
Considering the risks to secure, classified information, and the efforts by the Marine Corps to provide alternative social networking solutions for soldiers and employees, this policy change seems justified.
Whether or not other military branches will follow suit remains to be seen.
What do you think? Is it appropriate to ban use of social-networking sites? Do you think this will lead to improved security for NIPRNET? Leave a comment and let us know!
No Comments Posted by Lisa Dezzutti in Current Trends, Government
Friday, May 29th, 2009
Today the White House released their much-anticipated 60-day cyberspace policy review.
According to the report, the review team found Cybersecurity to be lacking overall. The White House team has already promised action. On the White House Briefing Room blog, Melissa Hathaway, Cybersecurity Chief at the National Security Council, writes, “”¦we need a safe Internet with a strong network infrastructure and we as a nation need to take prompt action to protect cyberspace for what we use it for today and will need in the future. Protecting cyberspace requires strong vision and leadership and will require changes in policy, technology, education, and perhaps law.”
For more information on this topic, check out www.whitehouse.gov.
No Comments Posted by Karen Quesenberry in Current Trends, Government
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
On Monday, John Monroe with FCW Insider wrote an interesting post outlining five ways the use of social media sites (such as Facebook or Twitter) will change the way federal employees work. He presents the case for allowing,?? and sometimes even requiring,?? use of social media at work, saying these types of sites could actually increase productivity, create more cross-agency collaboration, and increase interaction with the citizenry.
Leave a comment and tell us what you think! Will sites like Twitter and Facebook change the federal workplace, or are they merely a passing fad?
No Comments Posted by Karen Quesenberry in Current Trends, Government
Monday, January 12th, 2009
Today FEMA is trying something new and interesting.
From 3:00-3:30pm FEMA will hold a press conference discussing where they are and where they are going. The interesting part is, this press conference will be held via Twitter.
To learn more go here.
Click here to check out FEMA’s Twitter page, FEMAINFOCUS.
No Comments Posted by Karen Quesenberry in Current Trends, Events, Government
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009
Breakthrough scientific research currently underway at Carnegie Mellon University allows researchers to read the minds of their subjects. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology, researchers were able to scan the brains of participants and determine which of a predetermined set of pictures the subject was thinking about.
Granted, this is a far cry from the ability to scan someone and determine innermost thoughts and desires, but it is a baby-step toward a whole new level of marketing research. Just imagine the possibilities! In the future you may design a new advertisement and present it to a test panel in an fMRI setting to determine whether people are focusing on your logo, your tagline, or simply the attractive model in the picture.
This fledgling idea is still in development, and is still much too expensive to be practical. However, this research could have interesting implications for the future of marketing research efforts.
Follow this link to find out more.
No Comments Posted by Molly Huie in Current Trends, Market Research
Monday, December 29th, 2008
In this time of financial crisis, the Federal Reserve has unveiled a fun, new way to make sure youth (and those not-so-youthful, too!) understand how the U.S. banking system works. The new online trivia game, called FedClue, has eight mini-cases that explain the Fed’s mission, tools, and responsibilities. Follow this link to try it out!
1 Comment Posted by Karen Quesenberry in Current Trends, Government, Humor
reached new heights! 
y of having some of the funniest, most engaging advertising seen on television all year. These are the kind of commercials that people remember, so much so that a study by Millward Brown Optimor showed that one Super Bowl commercial generates as many sales as 250 regular television spots. Not every company can spend 3 million dollars for a 30 second spot during the most anticipated sporting event of the year, but every company can learn from Super Bowl advertising. Make your advertisement memorable, engage your audience, and target those who have a need for your products and services. Market Connections can help you test all facets of your advertising and messaging campaigns; it may not make the Super Bowl, but it could definitely make a touchdown for your organization!