Let’s say you’re looking for a PR agency that specializes in marketing technology to the government. What’s most important to you? Is it sound technical chops? Deep public sector experience? Both?
In most cases, you’ll be hard pressed to find an agency that does all of that. That’s because most PR agencies either have strong technical expertise or government fluency, not both.
That’s what makes REQ different. We not only have both, we’ve had both for a long time. It’s that unique combination of extensive government and technology expertise that allows us to bridge B2B and B2G tech PR in a way that few other firms can.
How REQ Bridges B2B and B2G Tech PR
Since I joined REQ in 2011, we’ve built on more than three decades of public sector experience to become a preeminent B2B and B2G tech PR agency. That history means close relationships with government and technology leaders across enterprises, non-profits, and federal, state, and local agencies, and a real understanding of what makes B2G technology PR different from traditional B2B marketing.
Standard commercial messaging doesn’t translate to the public sector, no matter how well it performs with B2B audiences. Every agency is driven by specific mission priorities, and messaging that doesn’t connect to those priorities won’t land. Getting through requires an agency that understands those objectives, anticipates regulatory shifts before they hit, and knows how public sector buyers think, speak, and consume information. That’s what REQ brings to the table.
Relationships built over years, not campaigns
Of course, none of that matters without great relationships with public sector reporters. Just like the relationships we have cultivated with our clients over the years, we’ve also built valuable connections with the top media covering federal, state, and local government issues.
Thanks to these connections, we don’t have to spend a lot of time getting to know the people who cover the space. We know who covers the space and can get our clients’ stories in front of the right people quickly, in the manner they prefer. We know the angles they like, the beats they cover, and how to shape a story that gets their attention.
We don’t just talk to them when there’s a story to tell, either. We often host reporter round-tables and webinars to get their ideas and insights on what’s making the most impact right now. Check out this recent one we did with award-winning public sector journalists.
Full-service creativity, even in a regulated space
But today’s PR is more than just media relations; it’s also about great content. After all, government employees are people, too. They enjoy being informed in an engaging way just as much as the next person. Maybe that’s through a compelling infographic that illustrates a highly technical topic in a graphically appealing way; a short, highly visual eBook that’s easy to consume; or a more technical white paper that digs deep into a particular topic.
To do any of these things, you need to know your audience and how to create a narrative that works for them. We do that through social media, search engine optimization/generative engine optimization, and creative services. Meanwhile, our Narrative Studio combines all of these elements and merges them with thought-provoking, creative storytelling that distinguishes our clients to their public sector buyers.
The approach depends on the client and the topic, but the underlying principle holds across the board: even in a regulated, mission-driven space, the best communication strategies are both informative and creative.
Why B2B tech PR experience matters here too
At the end of the day, though, our B2G work is built on a foundational knowledge of the technology that makes government go. AI, cybersecurity, open source, all of it – we know how agencies are using these tools, what they’re looking for when they’re buying them, and how to make messages stand out in these increasingly crowded fields.
Take AI as an example. The case for why a given AI solution matters, efficiency, accuracy, reduced manual work, is largely the same whether you’re pitching a commercial enterprise or a public sector agency, but the context needs to change. A commercial pitch might lean on productivity gains or competitive edge; a public sector pitch has to connect that same capability back to mission delivery or constituent service instead. Having a team that moves fluidly between B2B and B2G every day, often for the same underlying technology, means that translation happens naturally instead of being reverse-engineered for every new engagement.
Think of it this way. If we’ve been doing that for more than three decades, that means we’ve deftly navigated the B2B, B2G, and technology worlds everyday for more than 11,000 days. But today is a new day, with new priorities, new technologies, and new ways for the government to serve the public. The expertise we’ve built over that time isn’t something we simply look back on; it’s what we apply every day as the landscape continues to change, and what will guide us as we help our clients own what’s next.
What to look for in a public sector PR partner
- The ability to craft messaging that speaks to mission priorities, not generic commercial language
- Working knowledge of acquisition, budget cycles, and evolving compliance requirements
- Established, long-standing relationships with reporters covering federal, state, and local government
- Full-service capability (content, creative, SEO/GEO) alongside media relations
- Broader B2B tech expertise that translates technical solutions into public sector language
REQ has applied this model directly with a wide range of public sector industry leaders, for example our work with Carahsoft.
If you would like more information about how REQ’s model bridges the gap between B2B and B2G tech, please feel free to contact us.
