The Amtower ReportVolume 5, #16, May 1, 2006(The Amtower Report is an e-journal on the Business-to-Government market featuring the opinions of Mark Amtower, and occasionally reader comments. This newsletter is only sent to those who request it. Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.FederalDirect.net and if you like this newsletter, please pass it along to your colleagues. To unsubscribe, see directions below. The newsletter is posted each Monday at www.FederalDirect.net, and the latest “Off-Center Observations” is on the home page. All back issues available at http://www.federaldirect.net/newsletterarchives.html)
In this issue:
1) Amtower Off-Center Observations
2) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
3) Smart Pay Update
4) Events Worth Attending
AMTOWER OFF-CENTER OBSERVATIONS
Item: Last week I interviewed copywriter Bob Bly on my radio show, The Amtower Marketing Report. We discussed his new book, The White Paper Marketing Handbook for the entire show. This is a great book and I suggest you all get it. This is truly a complete guide to the White Paper process. The interview will be posted at www.GovernmentExpress.com within a week or so. This afternoon I will be interviewing Lisa Dezzutti, president of Market Connections, on the 6th Annual Federal IT Marketing Report. If you are in Maryland you can listen at 5 PM on WBIS, 1190 AM. If you are at your desk, you can listen to the simulcast on www.WBIS1190.com . This interview will also show up at www.GovernmentExpress.com soon. Otherwise, go to www.marketconnectionsinc.com for details on the report.
Item: I enjoyed GovSec, but not necessarily for business reasons. I got several of my first editions signed by SEAL legend Cdr Richard Marcinko, and I also got a picture of me with the retired USN hero- very cool. He was one of several authors GovSec had at the exhibit hall bookstore run by the Spy Museum. I think book signings and book sales add value to the events, at least for those of us who still read books (instead of blogs, see below). I got mixed reviews from exhibitors on the quality and volume of traffic for the show.
Item: I keep seeing hype in seminars, enewsletters, and even hardcopy magazines that say blogs are the inevitable be-all, end-all of the web. I heard Nostradamus may have predicted blogs, too. If these pundits are correct, webolution (web-evolution) can come to a screeching halt, because we have arrived at….what I referred to last October (10.24/05) as intellectual haggis. More accurately I was asking a question, to wit (from Oct/05): Any thoughts on good or bad corporate blogs? I know the publications have them, but at least those are literate and provide a venue for reporters and editors to display some depth and attitude. After viewing a few company blogs, here is my thought: Blogs are intellectual haggis (that oh-so Scottish delicacy), the parts you really do not know what to do with, the detritus few people will eat or read anyway.
You need to understand the blingo (b-language) of bloggers to get through most of this crap, too. These are probably the same people who declared in 2005 the widespread adoption of RSS, the haggis delivery vehicle. So what do we have for RSS in 2006? Less than 7% of the web world using RSS, and the curve seems to be flattening, like their brain-scans.
Not that I have an opinion.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY: GOV LOVE READERS COMMENTS
(From last week)To be Discussed: A full page advertisement in 4/10/06 Federal Computer Week, featuring a 1960s vintage yellow VW bus covered with flowers and with flower power written on the side. Banner over the front of the bus: Gov Love.. Top text reads: To our Federal Customers we just wanted to tell you how much we enjoy working with you! You can continue to expect more from GovConnection. Thank you for all that you do. And thanks for showing us the love, man.
Reader Feedback:
Comment 1: Funny bit about GovConnection.. I was at (company) a while back, and know GovConnection very well. They had my product on GSA. Long story short when they got pulled (off Schedule), they lost a ton of very good reps, many of whom had been there with the original company that PC Connection purchased, and along with those reps went years of connection, access, etc. I think it is going to be very difficult for them to regain where they were!
Comment 2: Re- Gov Love - I haven't seen the ad, man, but it could (ought to) be the start of a cool theme of ads that pique interest and drive home a lighthearted, yet relevant, message about the love (i.e., value) the reader can receive. Otherwise, it's a bummer, dude.
Comment 3: Hey Man, If this is going to be their marketing angle and are planning on using the late 60's and early 70's for there branding, I feel it is unique and as long as they continue in one direction with their branding, (like Geico and their Gecko) it might work. Not that I have an opinion.
Comment 4: The GovConn ad is a stupid waste of money. No wonder they turnover executives each month. That ad is a perfect example of what happens when creative types are put in charge of making business decisions. But, their ad is no more silly than PCMall calling an IBM thinkpad a "solution." I get the BestBuyforBusiness catalog for my business. I compared several printers and faxes from HP and Brother that I recently bought. BestBuy is $100-$500 higher than office depot. That is laughable.
Amtower comment: without continuity of this (questionable) theme, there is no lasting value to this ad. If they continue the theme, we will revisit and I will ask for more comments. MA
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SMARTPAY (CREDIT CARD) UPDATE
(Repeated from last week): Five months are reported for FY 2006 on the SmartPay small purchase credit card, with a total of $6.65 billion. A good number, but about $37 million less than this time last year. There are currently 298,822 cardholders vs 303,184 cardholders for this time period in 2005. There are also almost 800,000 fewer purchases YTD. If this trend continues we will have 2,000 fewer purchases on the credit card this year, and the spending will be flat, or down slightly. The average per purchase amount, because of fewer cardholders and fewer purchases, will be up.
Fair Warning: if any verbally flatulent candidate for public office uses this program as a scapegoat in the upcoming campaign, they will hear from me in as many ways as I can come up with. I am a big fan of this program, and do not appreciate in any way someone using an occasional misstep as an occasion to make political hay.
EVENTS WORTH ATTENDING
Beware of the schlock vendors, producing minimal value events, events that eat your money with no significant return! The events listed below are among those I think are worth your time, money and effort. Just because an event is not listed below does not imply it is not worth attending. If you want my opinion on a specific event or producer, call me. This topic is addressed more thoroughly in the members section at www.GovernmentMarketingBestPractices.com.
May 2-4, 15th Annual Global INFOSEC Partnership Conference http://www.fbcinc.com/event.asp?eventid=Q6UJ9A00AYU6
May 2-5, Air Force Space Command Information Assurance Summit 2006, http://www.fbcinc.com/iasummit/default.asp
May 9, Smart Marketing--The Prime Perspective on Teaming, ENC Marketing www.encmarketing.com
May 16, Medical Credentialing: Are We Ready? ITAA http://www.itaa.org/events/event.cfm?EventID=1621
May 16-17, Getting Results from the Government-Contractor (Multisector) Workforce, http://www.digitalgovernment.com/
June 6, 2006: Coalition for Government Procurement Spring Conference, McLean Hilton, www.thecgp.org
June 15, Government Leaders at the Helm, Women in Technology, www.WomenInTechnology.org
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As always, your comments, questions and suggestions are welcome.
Thanks
Mark Amtower
The Amtower Report is published by Amtower & Company, and is written for companies targeting the government marketplace. The opinions expressed are those of Mark Amtower unless otherwise noted. Contact us at Amtower & Company, PO Box 314, Highland, MD 20777-0314 (301-924-0058). This material is copyrighted and may not be duplicated, reprinted or otherwise replicated without written permission of the publisher. Email subscriptions are free by request: sign up at www.FederalDirect.net
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