Maximus
Opening a door to a new model of government
We all know government is complex and, yes, bureaucratic. That makes true change difficult to achieve.
But two recent events – one barely on anyone’s radar, one monumental – have provided a once-in-a-generation opportunity to truly remake government. Over a year-long engagement full of twists and turns, we helped our client, Maximus, make the most of it.
The rules have changed. Now what?
Our journey began with a shift in the law, opening the door for state programs to use contractors more. But this new guidance didn’t guarantee any buy-in from public health and social agencies, who often see contractors as a threat to government jobs.
To make inroads, Maximus needed a new approach to business development. Acting as a strategic consultant at every step, we helped them move from a reactive stance (renewing contracts, responding to RFPs) to a fully consultative selling approach.
Getting into the headspace of the government
From our in-depth interviews with various constituents – governors and their senior staff, legislative staffers, political appointees and career administrators – a new picture emerged of government buyers and how to move them.
One thing was clear. Government suffers from many gaps – in budget, talent, technology and citizen engagement. This insight informed our strategy and activation efforts, from highly choreographed sales support to a multi-layered marketing campaign.
A comprehensive marketing campaign provided the tools for a new way to sell
Enter COVID-19 and economic catastrophe
Halfway through execution, the unimaginable happened: COVID-19. Time for Plan B and an all-hands-on-deck effort to shift messaging and tactics to address the new challenge.
For struggling state agencies, this was a code red. Building on our work, already well aligned with audience pain points, we quickly pivoted to the new gaps that COVID-19 was causing – and showed why Maximus, now more than ever, was the go-to solution.
Making a real human difference
As a natural extension of our joint efforts, Maximus has now established a new public health practice, with the aim of educating government clients on the value of public-private partnerships to combat the country’s biggest health and social challenges.
We’re already hard at work on it, helping Maximus make the next big impact on government.
Results
5 state contracts
for contact tracing
12 state contracts
for unemployment claims
Federal partnerships
with the CDC, HHS, IRS and others
What we did
Strategy / Qualitative Research / Buyer Personas / Message Architecture / Communications Plan / Internal: Online Hub, Sales Playbook, Quick Reference Guide, Q&A Training Video / External: Email Announcement, Brand Video, Interactive Customer Presentation, Leave Behind, eBook, Case Studies, Blog, Web Microsite / COVID-related: Contact Tracing Videos, Web Pages, Blog Series, Marcom Content Updates