Branding the Beltway

Marketing as a Strategic Growth Driver in GovCon with Liz Anthony

What happens when marketing stops being a support function and starts driving strategic growth? In this episode of Branding the Beltway, Stacey Piper sits down with Liz Anthony, Managing Director, Federal Market & Competition Strategy at Maximus for a dynamic conversation about transforming marketing inside government contracting organizations.
 
Together, they unpack how aligning marketing with sales, business development, technology and growth strategy enables greater agility and measurable impact. Liz shares her perspective on why marketers need a real seat at the table—and how embedding them into delivery teams creates stronger insights and faster responses to shifting agency needs.
 
They explore how traditional annual marketing plans are no longer enough in today’s fast-paced environment. Liz advocates for agile planning tied to both long-term business goals and near-term opportunity pipelines, with regular monthly reviews that allow teams to pivot quickly. She also emphasizes the importance of building trust across departments, equipping marketing teams with diverse skill sets, and fostering a “test-and-learn” culture that not only improves outcomes but also helps retain top talent.
 
Throughout the conversation, Liz offers practical examples of how to move from messaging about capabilities to messaging about outcomes—and how tools like video content, marketplace communication, and social listening can drive customer engagement and brand relevance. She also highlights the metrics that matter most when marketing is treated as a true business investment, from brand awareness and deal influence to customer engagement and pipeline contribution.
 
This episode is a must-listen for CXOs who want marketing to play a more strategic role and for marketing leaders looking to elevate their team’s influence in the GovCon space.
To connect with Liz, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Maximus by visiting their webpage here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.
If you liked listening to this episode, click here to view more in this series. To view all of our podcast series, visit our podcast page.

The Authentic Edge: Standing Out in a Saturated Market with BTI360's Michael Collins

In this Branding the Beltway episode, Stacey Piper talks with Michael Collins, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications at BTI360. They discuss the critical need for authenticity in marketing, particularly for Business-to-Government (B2G) companies. Michael, highlights that low-production, candid content often outperforms highly polished, professionally produced material in terms of engagement, a counterintuitive lesson he learned from both commercial and B2G experiences. He shares how BTI360, despite a challenging year with COVID, earned a "Best Places to Work" award by sharing highly connected content prioritizing employee well-being - a message that resonated deeply because of its authenticity to boost engagement and earn trust within their target audience segment.
To connect with Michael, follow him on LinkedIn here.Learn more about BTI360 by visiting their website here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.

Go-to-Market Gold: The Power of Sales-Marketing Alignment with Hunter Gros

In the debut episode of Branding the Beltway, host Stacey Piper sits down with Hunter Gros, Director of Marketing and Client Services at vTech Solution, to unpack what true sales and marketing alignment looks like, especially in the high-stakes, long-cycle world of federal contracting.
With a background in both sales and marketing, Hunter brings a dual perspective to this CXO-level conversation. He emphasizes why research is the cornerstone of any go-to-market strategy and how marketing should function as both a brand builder and strategic enabler for business development and capture teams.
From newsletters and LinkedIn strategy to field research and conference presence, Hunter offers tangible KPIs and tactical takeaways for marketers and C-suite leaders alike. The discussion highlights how human connections, thought leadership, and smart content delivery can make your brand memorable and measurable, even in a space where everyone "does IT and cybersecurity."
To connect with Hunter, follow him on LinkedIn here.Learn more about vTech Solution by visiting their website here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.
If you liked listening to this episode, click here to view more in this series. To view all of our podcast series, visit our podcast page.