RHetoric

If you do business with the government, and 2009 was decent for your business, get ready for a blockbuster 2010.  Because of the delayed effect of the stimulus, 2010 will introduce us to the businesses that will lead the government market into the coming decade.

That is because most of the stimulus money has not even found its way through the labyrinth of red tape that exists between the passage of the Recovery Act early this year, and the actual awarding of contracts to prime and subcontractors in cities and towns across America.

We know this because our client, Onvia, is tracking this stuff closely - more closely than even the federal government itself.  When the administration proclaimed the stimulus had created or saved hundreds of thousands of jobs already, the analysts at Onvia were wondering how that could be possible given that much of the stimulus had not left Washington - and the money that had was still a long way from reaching the contractors that actually crate or save the jobs.

Democrats and Republicans in Congress have really gone after the administration on this point.  It makes for tantalizing news stories - but the good news for businesses in the government space is that 2010 is where it’s at.

So now is the time to get ready.  Get your competitive messaging down, make your brand more relevant to the times, enhance your web site with simple video and social media tools, get your customer testimonials in place, start talking to reporters and bloggers about your offering, and equip your salesforce with good research tools.

If you wait until January or February you will be playing catch-up in a furiously competitive - and potentially lucrative - market.

A new study is out today that shows 48% of a tech company’s brand value is tied to media coverage.  Other sectors such as automotive, financial services and apparel rely less on PR to build brand.

The study appears to focus primarily on consumer perceptions, so while it is informative for B2B marketing it may not be entirely representative.  However it’s still a good data point to factor into marketing planning.

Recently, I walked down the block and noticed a change.  A storefront that once read Kinko’s, then FedEx Kinko’s, said Fedex Office.  And there it was.  Without any regard for the long nights spent finalizing proposals and presentations. Without any memorial, a brand as ubiquitous and meaningful as Kleenex was no more. Just another case of a company merger resulting in one brand dominating and the other being exterminated.

But, this instance is different.

In past mergers, old prominent brands had been cast aside with little fanfare. Though respected and well known, these extinct brands seldom rose to prominence in our collective conscious as an adjective, adverb, or verb.  Using a Kleenex.  Opening the Frigidaire.  Putting on a Band-Aid.  Fed-Ex’ing.  But now we are losing one of the best known office and campus brands.

No more Kinko’s moments, Kinko’s nights, Going to Kinko’s.  And I certainly can’t replace Kinko’s with going to Fedex or Fedex Office.  FedEx already means something that is distinctly different.

I certainly understand the negatives associated with dealing with a “tired” brand for a company that wants to re-invent itself.  I just hope that Puffs doesn’t buy Kleenex.  Then what would I ask for when I need to blow my nose - “May I have a facial tissue please?”