Marketing Communications

At APCG, when it comes to marketing communications, we take an "integrated" perspective. In other words, we focus on how to combine the various elements of an organization’s promotional and communications mix to deliver a "total" communications program that sends a consistent message to audiences: Stakeholders, customers, and employees.

While many government managers associate marketing with advertising and sales promotion, integrated marketing communication does serve an important purpose for federal agencies. Integrated marketing communications emphasizes the strategic interdependence of various communication channels and their critical role in developing and managing constituent relationships.

The private sector’s shift to integrated marketing communications is in response to a changing environment characterized by technology, continuous improvement, and the "need for speed" in serving customers. These business drivers are also impacting the federal government and, as a result, agencies are seeking alternative and innovative ways to communicate with their constituents through various communication channels and media. Government agencies are looking beyond their traditional public affairs function and embracing additional communication vehicles to reach widely dispersed audiences with differing information needs. The key to success is effectively coordinating these vehicles so they create synergy, maximum impact, and return on investment.

APCG’s consultants understand these trends and the role of integrated marketing communications in the federal environment. To us, marketing isn’t a "bad word" when it comes to public service. Rather, it underscores a level of sophistication in adopting and tailoring time-tested tools such as direct response, database marketing, campaign management, public relations, creative messaging, visual information design, and online marketing in a strategic mix for positive change.

We draw on extensive experience across all areas of marketing communications -- particularly in the B2B and G2G arenas -- from branding and positioning, collateral and presentations to advertising, direct marketing, customer relationship management, online and interactive communications, and strategy development.

We determine the appropriate mix of marketing communications based on our clients’ appropriate and available communications channels, as well as new outlets that our clients may not have considered. That’s creative thinking. We consider "market" (audience) segmentation a critical aspect of formulating an integrated communications program, and it all starts with our understanding of your desired business result.

Our communications are business-oriented, not sales-focused. We are realistic in our communications program design, being careful to always account for federal policies, regulations, the views of stakeholders, and an agency’s unique organizational cultures. In other words, we think, create, and write effective, integrated marketing communications in your language, not ours.