Andrew Bryden (SRA International); Pava Cohen (Sage Communications); Larry Rosenfeld (Sage Communications); Sheila Blackwell (Decision Sciences); and Eileen Cassidy Rivera (Harris)
The WashingtonExec MARCOM Committee hosted its final event for 2014 to a packed room and lively dialogue. Committee Chairpersons Sheila Blackwell (Decision Sciences); Alan Hill (Serco, Inc.); Eileen Cassidy Rivera (Harris); and Andrew Bryden (SRA International) led the heavily-debated topic of “Insourcing v. Outsourcing: What’s Best for Your Organization.”
The collaborative roundtable, sponsored by Sage Communications,the Washington area’s leading marketing and public relations firm, was held in Tysons Corner to provide an opportunity for MARCOM industry professionals to discuss how marketing dollars can be best spent-including whether or not a today’s government contractor organizations should hire one internal marketing person or a public relations firm, or if a company should target mass publication reporters or focus on earing coverage with industry-specific trade publications.
“It was a pleasure to host the WashingtonExec MARCOM Committee roundtable. It was a great experience to hear directly from distinguished marketing professionals their views on developing and implementing campaigns for government contractors. I look forward to sponsoring this dinner again next year,” said Larry Rosenfeld, CEO of Sage Communications.
The active discussion caused many attendees to draw from personal experiences on what brings companies the most success when deciding whether to insource or outsource certain initiatives, such as media relations/PR, graphics & collateral, trade shows & events, or web and video. “The edge of having a mega public relations agency on-all is gone,” remarked one attendee. “Specialized firms for specific projects is the new normal.”
Many agreed that if a company plans to insource blog postings and online campaigns, the company must first have an established social media presence. More often than not, social media provides a platform for customers, employees and partners to receive updated news in a clear and concise manner. Additionally, if the company uses a blog to disseminate information, a social media site must be activated first to present the blog content. Having a website is no longer enough.
The general consensus of the evening was public relations is not rocket science, but it does require dedication and commitment from all parties involved, from the C-Suite, to the program manager and to the PR or advertising firm.
