Is B2G Marketing Important? The need to stretch marketing dollars further has businesses questioning whether government is a worthwhile audience. Here are some reasons why the investment could pay off. Getting the largest buyer, employer, and rule maker in the United States to like you is no small task. Whether it’s federal, state, or local government, this audience has a reputation for being late adopters who make decisions at a snail’s pace. So why use precious marketing dollars on branding to the government? Simply because there’s likely no other entity that can both propel your business forward or stop it in its tracks with the stoke of a pen. And whether you want to do business with the government as a client or not, that’s a significant concern. The investment is critical. Consider these factors: 1. Most businesses are materially impacted by regulations. The federal government produced 75,000 pages of regulation in 2014, and state and local governments collectively produced more than that. Regardless of the fact that the rulemaking process may seem to be impassable, regulators and lawmakers do gather information from interested and affected parties before establishing new regulation. It’s critical that the value of a company’s products and services are considered in this process, and the only way to do that is to message to government entities. 2. There is pressure on the government to be more innovative. This provides companies offering new technologies the perfect opportunity to market their services and nab grants such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SRIR) grants, Investing in Innovation (i3) grants, and Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grants. 3. Chances are your competitors and other industry players are actively messaging to the government. Whether your competitors are head-to-head or in a legacy space that might be replaced, competitors will use their influence to block a new entrant. For example, the taxi industry has had a definitive impact on blocking Uber’s growth in certain markets. Uber has entered the conversation not only by highlighting its technology, but also its social relevance, which is essential whether a company wants to win contracts or merely wants to persevere against unfavorable regulation. Marketing your company’s social value and favorable effect on the local and broader economies can counter negative messaging and help overcome regulatory hurdles. April 3, 2015 © 2015 Gide Confidential Property of Gide LLC