You may have noticed the recent addition of several agency marketing briefs to our reports page.  We have released two marketing briefs for each of several federal agencies: one on top of mind IT companies and most valued vendor attributes by federal IT decision-makers and a second report on the most popular sources of IT information. These unique and affordable agency briefs are designed to help you better allocate your marketing dollars and impact your bottom line. 

Marketing briefs are already available for the following agencies:
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Treasury
- Department of Energy
- Department of Defense

And look out for marketing briefs in the upcoming months for:
- NASA
- USDA
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Justice Department
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Veterans Affairs

Be sure to visit www.marketconnectionsinc.com to order your copies today and keep checking our website over the next couple of months for additional agency reports!

Last year several employees from Market Connections attended the Market Research Association’s annual conference in Washington DC.  One of the many interesting break-out sessions I attended was titled “Exploring General Privacy Issues”.  The presenter was from The Council for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR), a non-profit organization that works on behalf of the survey research industry. 

The presentation outlined a number of best practices for market research firms regarding telephone, email and online privacy issues.  The first thing the speaker did was ask how many people in the audience had a written privacy policy.  Less than a quarter raised their hands.  Only one or two people indicated having a designated privacy policy officer.  Over coffee I spoke with several others that attended the session and queried them about their policies.  All actually complied with privacy best practices but when it came to having something in writing and posted on their websites – that was a different story.

Following the seminars, I did some informal investigating on my own.  I googled the term “market research firm” and visited about 40 market research firms’ websites looking for companies’ privacy policy statements.  Usually the link can be found at the very bottom of the home page in fine print.  My informal investigation resulted in about five websites with their privacy policies posted.  Most were very simple. One was very elaborate and was pages and pages long.  I was surprised that not more of the firms had posted privacy policies, particularly among the larger firms.

So the next time you are shopping around for a provider for a market research project, make sure you check out their privacy policy.  If it is not posted, ask. Market Connections’ policy can be found on the bottom of our home page or by clicking here.

For the past several years, Market Connections has conducted an annual survey of federal IT decision makers to gain insight into the top federal agencies.  In an effort to better serve the Market Connections community, we decided to gather all of our data from the past few studies to bring you a brand new series of snapshot marketing briefs for various federal agencies. 

Each agency will be reported on separately to give you the ability to focus only on those that interest you. There will be two marketing briefs for each agency: one on best-known IT companies and most valued vendor attributes by federal IT decision-makers and a second report on the most popular sources of IT information. These unique and affordable agency briefs are designed to help you better allocate your marketing dollars and impact your bottom line.   

The first two agencies that will be featured are the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation.  Be sure to visit www.marketconnectionsinc.com next week to order your copies and keep checking in over the next few months for additional agency reports!

The Ford Edsel. Just saying it brings to mind one of the greatest product flops in history. It’s the thing business case studies are made of and has become synonymous with falling short of expectations and pure rejection from the consumer. As noted by Dan Neil in the September 17th edition of Time magazine, this month marks the 50th anniversary of the Edsel’s ill fated unveiling. The Edsel has become the cautionary tale of over promising and under delivering. Ford spent, at the time, unprecedented money and time on promoting and marketing the Edsel leading up to its release. Ford looked at all the feedback they and other car companies received from consumers and designed a car to supposedly satisfy them all. Edsel was supposed to be the answer to all the problems, concerns, and desires of the driving public. Rather than focusing on just one or two top needs of the consumer, Ford wanted to do it all. Wanting to satisfy all the needs of the public was not their biggest sin, though. It was the fact that they actively promised that it would do it all. What product could live up to that level of hype?

We will often hear that from the folks we interview. Their service provider just couldn’t deliver on all their promises. Rather than focusing on the great innovation or new feature of a new product or service, the consumers can only see those things that the company said they could deliver, and ultimately didn’t. It doesn’t matter that the specific failed feature wasn’t of great importance; ultimately promises were broken and expectations were not met. Our focus groups and surveys often identify scores of needs and desires of the market. Our challenge at that point is to help our clients identify those 2-3 features that are most important. Making promises on 2-3 features and ultimately delivering on them ensures avoidance of making the Edsel mistake.

It has now been 6 years since the events of September 11th. I certainly remember the moments as vividly now as when I witnessed them for the first time. It’s something I’ll never forget, nor ever should.

In the years following the launch of the War on Terrorism, the President and Congress brought together numerous agencies under one umbrella, the Department of Homeland Security. Securing our homeland against future attacks became mission #1 for all working for, or with, the Federal government, regardless of agency. Incorporated in every strategic plan from 2002 on were certain milestones and goals related to securing the agency infrastructure.

After the newness of DHS settled down, Market Connections surveyed over 1,000 Federal government employees in 2004 and 2005 about the homeland security missions within their agencies. We knew that security was important, but we wanted to find out more about how it affected them from a technology perspective. The participants were asked how important certain initiatives were in meeting their agencies’ homeland security mission and who could, or would, be most helpful in meeting these security goals.

These decision-makers rated IT security as most important. Physical security to agencies’ facilities was also of top importance.

Now, with 2-3 years under our belt since these questions were asked, were these really the priorities you witnessed on a daily basis? An even better question might be: Did the money follow this pattern? If we asked these questions again today what initiatives do you think would be most important?

Approximately 70% of respondents said that either integrators or manufacturers would be helpful in meeting their goals. We have witnessed some examples of how this community has stepped up, but where do we go from here? There is always hope for a silver bullet; some new technology or process that a creative entrepreneur will develop that will help solve our problems. Looking back, who do you think was most helpful to the Federal government in meeting their homeland security initiatives? I invite your comments on this and other homeland security topics. Where does the government/contractor partnership go from here?

If you order your copy of the Market Connections’ 2007 State and Local Public Sector IT Marketing Report by August 31st, you’ll save 20%! This report will enable your organization to get into the minds of education and state and local government IT decision-makers to better understand what drives their purchasing decisions. For meaningful insights on how to tailor your marketing to the state, local, and education IT markets, order your copy today!

Do you ever struggle in writing a request for proposal (RFP) for research? I know I used to when I was on the client-side of the table, and I have found that clear communication is the key to success in this effort.

One of the most important things to provide upfront in your RFP is a comprehensive overview of your organization (e.g., mission statement, clients, competitors, history with research projects). Don’t forget to include any unique information that may be pertinent to the project, but may not be found on your website.

It is also perfectly acceptable to think big, just remember to include the details. Be sure the goals of your research are as specific as possible. Or, if you need a bit of assistance determining your project objectives, why not invite a conversation with a potential research vendor.

As research providers, we often have a specific course of action in mind; however, I encourage you to be open to different methods. Ultimately, you are asking for solutions to help you identify and address your organization’s opportunities and challenges – take full advantage of innovative approaches that may assist your efforts.

Wait! Before we go any further, we must discuss the end game – how will you judge the responses to your RFP? It sounds elementary, but be clear about the selection criteria, at least in your own mind, before you send your RFP. Determine in advance which issues are most important to you (e.g., price, reputation, and experience). And, if you share your priorities with competing research vendors, they are in a better position to offer a proposal focused on your needs and requirements.

When determining your selection criteria, I highly encourage you to set guidelines. Many RFPs limit the number of pages or types of information you wish to receive, giving you more time for evaluation. Also, if you establish a clear timeline for review, you won’t be bombarded by e-mails and phone calls from bidders asking about the status of their proposals.

Finally, be sure to lay out your budget. If at all possible, give a range of how much you have to spend for the research. This is understandably challenging for some projects, but it can help the bidder narrow down potential recommendations, saving both parties time and money.

I hope these recommendations save you a bit of heartburn the next time you have to write a request or review a proposal for research. We would love to hear what you like to see in proposals. If you have any pointers, please be sure to leave us a comment!

With the summer season upon us, I like to retire to the beach for a little while to read, relax, and recharge. And, like most people, I always have a stack of reading material that I haven’t gotten to over the year. Recently, I did pass on James Patterson and catching up on the new Harry Potter and instead looked at the summer 2007 issue of the QRCA, Views from the Qualitative Research Consultants Association. I know, maybe not your cup of tea, but it has always been important to me, and the company, to stay on top of what is new and different.

What caught my eye was the article Intimate Strangers, by Laurie Tema-Lyn. Tema-Lyn talked about that magic moment in focus groups when a set of strangers coalesces into an intimate group and really begins to talk about their personal experiences. Now, Tema-Lyn conducts groups on some very personal issues relating to disease and other life issues, but I see the same things happen in the business groups that we conduct on a regular basis.

This is the truly rewarding moment of the job: when the natural defenses of participants drop and people really start talking about their problems and issues – sharing their personal frustrations with colleagues who feel their pain. This is insight for a company that a sales rep will rarely ever hear because of the nature of the customer-vendor relationship. When a group of business people reach that moment of sharing, of becoming “intimate strangers”, I know I have done my job well.

This is what keeps me going back to the office, when the ocean calls. That said – where is my sun screen…..?

Market Connections recently conducted a national survey of education and state and local IT professionals, and will release the findings in a report available on its website on Tuesday, August 14th.�

The report gives insight into the state and local public sector’s top IT priorities, IT challenges, top future IT investment areas, most valued vendor attributes, most popular sources of IT information, and the IT procurement process.�

This report is an excellent investment for those wishing to better understand the workings of the education and state and local IT markets.� Make sure to visit www.marketconnectionsinc.com next week to order your copy of the 2007 Guide to IT Challenges and Priorities: State and Local Public Sector IT Marketing Report!

I just wanted to let you know that Market Connections’ July newsletter� will be going out next week on Tuesday, July 24th.� This month the focus is on best practices for customer satisfaction improvement and the differences between quantitative and qualitative research.� Please click here if you’re interested in signing up to receive it!� �