Branding the Beltway

Lead generation in GovTech has become increasingly complex. Government buyers are overwhelmed with messaging, buying cycles are longer, and traditional marketing tactics are no longer enough to consistently create qualified pipeline. 
In this episode of Branding the Beltway, host Stacey Piper sits down with Lesley Rogers, Director of Marketing at FedHIVE to discuss DemandGen in GovTech.  
Lesley discuss why many GovTech organizations generate significant marketing activity but struggle to translate that effort into qualified opportunities. They explore common challenges across the funnel, including disconnected campaigns, inconsistent follow-up, and outdated approaches to measuring marketing success. Lesley shares how companies can rethink demand generation by focusing on the full buyer journey, creating stronger sales and marketing alignment, improving nurture strategies, and balancing automation with personalized engagement. 
The discussion highlights the shift from chasing leads to building relationships—and how GovTech companies can create marketing programs that drive measurable growth by shifting focus from a lead volume and toward strategic engagement, account-based approaches, buyer-centric nurturing, and measurable marketing impact. 
The conversation explores how companies can better align marketing efforts with government buying behaviors to improve lead quality and conversion rates to turn marketing activity into meaningful business outcomes. 
Key Takeaways 
Lead generation success is about quality and influence—not just volume, so measure impact through pipeline contribution, account engagement, and revenue outcomes. 
Long buying cycles require long-term engagement, so build strategic integrated marketing campaigns to supports prospects throughout the longer government buying journey. 
Lead conversion depends on alignment and process, so work to establish clear ownership, strong sales and marketing collaboration, CRM discipline, and consistent follow-up to move leads through the funnel. 
To connect with Lesley, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about FedHIVE by visiting their webpage here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.

In this episode of Branding the Beltway, host Stacey Piper speaks with Carolyn Ford, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at OWL Cyber Defense, about how organizations can use podcasts to build thought leadership, strengthen industry relationships, and increase brand visibility in the GovTech and GovCon markets.
The conversation explores why podcasts have become an effective platform for executive visibility and community engagement, particularly in industries shaped by long sales cycles, evolving regulations, and relationship-driven business development. Carolyn shares key considerations for brands considering starting their own podcast, as well as practical guidance for marketing leaders call upon to produce those podcasts.
Key Takeaways
Podcasts create value beyond downloads by building relationships, increasing brand recognition, and positioning executives as trusted voices in the market.
In B2G and B2B, podcasts can serve almost as a community service, sharing knowledge with and across the industry.
Successful corporate podcasts require executive commitment, consistency, and a clearly defined focus area aligned to audience interests and business goals.
Organizations should measure podcast success through audience growth, guest quality, brand visibility, and engagement — not solely through lead generation metrics.
Producing a high-quality podcast requires meaningful operational investment and rigor.
Marketers should extend and repurpose podcast content across channels to get the most value from their investment.
While talking tactics, Carolyn graciously offered to provide her weekly episode operational planning spreadsheet, which listeners may download here.
To connect with Carolyn, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about OWL Cyber Defense by visiting their webpage here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.

M&A doesn’t fail on the spreadsheet—it falters in the seams. In this episode, host Stacey Piper sits down with Paul Frommelt, VP of Marketing & Communications at Integer Technologies, to unpack the often invisible work of brand strategy and integration that ultimately determines whether an acquisition builds momentum or erodes trust. Drawing on multiple acquisition cycles, Paul makes a clear case: brand strategy cannot be an afterthought. From early-stage brand audits to decisive brand architecture choices, this conversation highlights how intentional planning sets the foundation for integration success.
Paul brings a practical, GovCon-focused lens to what happens after the deal is signed—how to prioritize what gets integrated first, where marketing investment is essential, and how to preserve the value of acquired companies without diluting them. The result is a candid look at the role marketing plays in maintaining credibility, aligning cultures without forcing monoculture, and creating the “runway” that enables business development, recruiting, and long-term growth.
Key Takeaways
Brand is a business decision, not a cosmetic one. Early clarity on brand architecture (hold, fold, or evolve) directly impacts integration speed and market confidence. Full brand integration improves focus and scale, but timing should account for customer recognition and employee sentiment.
Integration is a communications challenge as much as an operational one. Internal confusion shows up externally. Consistent, transparent messaging reduces risk with customers and partners. Leadership narrative alignment is critical, but success depends on how quickly that clarity reaches delivery teams, BD, and customer-facing staff.
Trust is the real currency post-acquisition. Customers aren’t just evaluating capabilities—they’re watching for continuity, reliability, and cultural fit. Successful integrations preserve meaningful traditions and practices while selectively scaling best practices across the organization.
Done right, M&A becomes a growth accelerant. Highlight the “why” behind the deal and move toward alignment swiftly and purposefully.  When brand transitions and integrations are handled strategically, companies see higher retention of customers and employees, faster pipeline conversion, stronger partner alignment, and increased market pull.
The conversation explores all corners of merging marketing teams, what content to update first, outsourcing for surge support and the importance of the first 100 days. Remember, strong marketing plays a crucial role in M&A success, particularly in government contracting where brand strength provides a "runway" for business development and recruitment.
To connect with Paul, follow him on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Integer Technologies by visiting their webpage here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.

In this episode, host Stacey Piper sits down with Megan Battaglia, Vice President of Marketing at Thundercat Technology, to discuss what it really takes to scale the marketing function inside a growing GovCon organization.
Drawing on Megan’s journey helping Thundercat evolve its marketing capability, the conversation explores how leaders can evolve marketing from a reactive support role to a proactive growth driver. Stacey and Megan unpack how marketing maturity develops over time, why CXOs should treat marketing as an operating model, and how internal alignment, messaging clarity, and strategic positioning drive real revenue impact in the federal market.
Listeners will hear how marketing maturity directly impacts revenue velocity and competitive positioning, the inflection points when GovCon firms must rethink their marketing strategy, and how CXOs should prioritize messaging, demand generation, and thought leadership at different growth stages.
Megan also shares practical advice for “department-of-one” marketers implementing account-based marketing, when to keep strategy in-house versus leveraging outside partners for amplification, and how marketing can influence the pre-RFP phase to help shape agency demand.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Podbean.
To connect with Megan, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Thundercat Technology by visiting their webpage here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.

In the B2G market, growth rarely happens alone. It happens through the right partnerships—activated with intention. In this episode, host Stacey Piper, Founder of Piper Strategies, speaks with Lauren Oh, Senior Manager Partner Marketing at Zscaler to explore the nuances of partner marketing in the GovCon sector. Lauren breaks down how government technology and software companies can build a high-impact partner marketing program that drives pipeline, deepens relationships, and supports long-term positioning in a complex federal ecosystem. Designed for GovCon CXOs and government marketers, this conversation goes beyond theory. We explore what growth-minded partner marketing actually looks like in practice—from aligning with BD and capture to creating campaigns that benefit both organizations and the customer.
What you’ll learn:
How to align partner marketing with growth strategy, capture priorities, and contract vehicles
The difference between logo-stacking and true co-marketing activation
Ways to build trust and clarity with strategic partners
Metrics that matter for measuring partner marketing ROI in B2G
Practical steps to launch or mature your partner marketing function
If partnerships are part of your growth strategy, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Podbean and start building a partner program that moves the needle.
To connect with Lauren, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Zscaler by visiting their webpage here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.

The latest episode of Branding the Beltway, produced by OrangeSlices AI, features Stacey Piper (Piper Strategies) in conversation with Karen Scott, Director of Federal Marketing at Denodo. The discussion centers on how in-house marketers can operate as strategic leaders by thinking bigger, aligning tightly with executive priorities, and driving measurable business outcomes. Karen shares practical lessons from her career leading federal marketing inside a corporate ecosystem, including how to collaborate across departments, optimize outsourcing, and translate marketing activity into pipeline impact. Throughout the episode, she emphasizes the importance of acting like a business leader first, remaining adjustability and using data to justify decisions.
Key Takeaways:
Adopt a big-picture mindset, understanding the full customer journey, and aligning marketing with business priorities and growth goals.
Focus on metrics leadership cares about, such as pipeline contribution and revenue influence, rather than tactical and/or vanity metrics.
Identify gaps in the funnel, propose solutions, and champion wins across the organization.
Build credibility by connecting marketing activity to outcomes using their language, not yours.
Treat vendor engagements as pilots—track results and use the data to justify scale or pivot.
Orchestrate vendors carefully, avoiding duplication and maximizing existing corporate talent.
Accelerate growth by taking on responsibility beyond your role—think strategically and learning from experimentation.
Download, listen, or stream on your favorite podcast platform, and subscribe to Branding the Beltway to get automatic alerts when new episodes drop.
To connect with Karen, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Denodo by visiting their webpage here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.

In the latest episode of Branding the Beltway, host Stacey Piper speaks with Brian Wagner, Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Tria Federal. They explore how the PESO model—Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned—can transform GovCon marketing into a strategic growth engine, offering actionable insights on aligning communications, amplifying employee voices, and connecting marketing to real business outcomes. Brian frames Gini Dietrich's PESO model not as a rigid methodology but as a practical framework to organize communications, coordinate teams, and measure results across the long federal sales cycle. Stacey and Brian discuss how building marketing strategies and content using the PESO framework can help GovCons tailor messaging to audiences and integrate with account-based marketing and capture strategies, while leveraging employee visibility and storytelling to build credibility and brand value. They also share practical steps for implementation, staring with Owned and Shared media, expanding to Paid and Earned, and embedding PESO into daily operations to drive measurable impact.
Key Takeaways:
Acts as a force multiplier for capture and brand growth while applying to organizations of any size or maturity.
Aligns marketing and business development around measurable goals rather than operating in silos.
Guides creation of relevant messaging based on customer insights.
Amplifies technical expertise to enhance reputation and build credibility.
Creates a compelling brand narrative to strengthen the company story and attract top talent.
Helps to track early success metrics like audience growth, engagement, and pre-RFP brand recall to demonstrate influence before revenue is realized.
Download, listen, or stream on your favorite podcast platform now, and subscribe to get automatic alerts when a new episode airs.
To connect with Brian, follow him on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Tria Federal by visiting their webpage here.

In government contracting, content is more than marketing collateral—it’s the currency of trust. On the latest Branding the Beltway episode, host Stacey Piper spoke with Edyn Segura, Microsoft’s Federal Events & Experiences Marketing Director,  about how federal contractors can leverage content strategically to build credibility, influence buyers, and accelerate pipeline, all while navigating long buying cycles and limited resources.
Key Takeaways for GovCon Marketers and CXOs:
Content builds trust: Consistency and thought leadership are critical for long buying cycles.
Engage SMEs smartly: Provide feedback, recognition, and programs that make participation meaningful.
Repurpose to scale: One long-form asset can create multiple outputs for different channels.
Event content matters beyond the booth: Pre-event, on-site, and post-event activities sustain engagement.
Balance gated vs. open content: Use metrics to decide when gating supports pipeline vs. visibility.
Leverage AI strategically: It accelerates tasks but doesn’t replace strategy or human judgment.
Frame content as revenue enablement: Show measurable impact on pipeline, deals, and buyer movement.
Tailor to company size and stage: Focus content efforts on where they will have the greatest influence in the customer journey.
In short, content strategy in the federal space isn’t just smart marketing—it’s a necessity.
To connect with Edyn, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Microsoft by visiting their webpage here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.

Branding the Beltway, hosted by Stacey Piper, dives deep into the evolving role of websites in the world of government contracting with Alex Love, VP of Marketing and Strategic Communications at RIVA Solutions. Together, they unpack why a website is far more than a digital brochure—it’s a strategic growth engine and a 24/7 gateway for self-service, customer engagement, and brand credibility.
From lessons learned in rebrands and redesigns to case studies that showcase marketing effectiveness, Alex highlights the real-world impact of investing in your digital presence. She shares how buyer expectations have shifted in the past five years, revealing that websites serve multiple audiences: recruits, evaluating customers, and strategic partners.
Stacey presses on the questions government contractors wrestle with daily: How do government buyers use websites to validate a vendor? How often should content be refreshed? And what does it take to align marketing and sales with the long, complex government sales cycle?
The episode also covers practical challenges—from outsourcing website redesigns gone wrong to building an internal “tiger team” to refine messaging and content. Alex emphasizes the importance of governance, content planning, and shifting from activity-based marketing metrics to value-driven storytelling.
If you’re a government contractor, marketer, or leader trying to bridge the gap between branding and business growth, this episode offers strategies you can implement today.
To connect with Alex, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about RIVA Solutions by visiting their webpage here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.

In this episode of Branding the Beltway, host Stacey Piper sits down with Okta’s LaRel Rogers, Staff Product Marketing Manager, Federal, to unpack what makes marketing technology products to government buyers unique. From navigating strict compliance requirements to shortening the gap between product launch and federal availability, LaRel shares how storytelling, data-driven planning, and cross-functional collaboration fuel success.
They dive into strategies for tracking pipeline health, aligning content to the sales funnel, and leveraging AI and events for market insights. Whether you’re in a small business developing your first product marketing campaign or scaling a larger federal program, this conversation offers practical frameworks for driving credibility and growth in the GovCon space.
To connect with LaRel, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Okta by visiting their webpage here.
Get in touch with host Stacey here, or visit Piper Strategies here.