LeapFrog Solutions article in Washington Technology

Check out LFS in Washington Technology:

How one small business chipped away at the market and captured a $75M opportunity
By David Hubler
Dec 19, 2011

Contrary to its name, marketing and communications company LeapFrog Solutions didn’t immediately leap into the government market.

That happened in 2002, when Lisa Martin’s company won three small consulting contracts from the Federal Railroad Administration, Voice of America and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Others modest government awards followed from the Secret Service, National Credit Union Administration and Office of the Currency.

To read more - click here http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2011/12/19/leapfrog-fema-contract.aspx

Martin said she quickly realized that, like commercial entities, many federal agencies had websites that were not in sync with their mission statements. Also, activities such as direct mail, trade show appearances and ad campaigns also were disjointed because each operation was the responsibility of a different domain.

So for the government market, she said, “Our very ambitious goal was ‘make the message matter.’ Whether it was online, offline, we wanted to make the message consistent.”

LeapFrog’s big leap into the government arena began in 2008, when the Federal Emergency Management Agency set aside its marketing and communications contracting as a small-business award.

To read more, click here http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2011/12/19/leapfrog-fema-contract.aspx

HopToIt: Don't Make Your PowerPoint Pointless

By Mark Nelson

PowerPoint presentations are so ubiquitous in today's business world that I have difficulty remembering the last time I attended a live or online event where the speaker (or speakers) did not click through a deck of computerized slides overflowing with information, charts, graphs, diagrams, photos or illustrations.

The original PowerPoint was developed for Macintosh computers and called "Presenter." It was renamed PowerPoint in 1987 and its developers sold it for $14 million to Microsoft, which launched it three years later. Businesses worldwide quickly embraced it and used it to create computerized presentations that replaced clear plastic "foils" that were shown on overhead projectors.

Some speakers can't let go of their PowerPoints. A former colleague once announced his candidacy for Congress via PowerPoint. His friends joked that he probably would propose by PowerPoint.

I'm sure you have suffered through 60-slide presentations delivered in machine-gun style by speakers who attempt to cram an encyclopedia of information into their allotted 15 minutes, or worse, the hour-long presentation, usually delivered right after lunch in a darkened hotel conference room.

To read more click here

Happy Birthday Rich Gilroy!

Happy Birthday to our Account Director Rich Gilroy!

His words of wisdom - "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing!"

Just Another Friday at the Pond

Look who dropped by the pond!

It was great to see Jim Henry, former and forever froggy, today at the office. Jim was up for a rainy Nationals game and stopped by to check in on the team.

Glad to hear that you are enjoying retirement Jim!!!

Hop To It: Is It Time to Rebrand?

By Pam Long

Before we talk about rebranding, let's talk about what the word "brand" means. A brand is the essence or promise that a product, service or organization delivers to or is experienced by a buyer. Your brand confirms your credibility and connects your target audience emotionally. A strong brand will motivate and create loyal users. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions. Although your organization's name, logo and theme help to support the brand, they are not the only elements. Indeed, successful brands — such as Apple, McDonald's and Coca-Cola, to name a few — are represented by every aspect of their communications, from advertising to websites to press releases to promotions.

So what does "rebranding" mean? An organization goes through changes and evolves over time. As a result, sometimes the current brand does not align with whom and what the organization is, nor does the brand represent where the organization is heading. And sometimes an organization's relationship with its customers changes.

Another way to define rebranding is to think of your brand as the foundation of your organization. If your foundation has developed a few cracks, it may be time to lay a new one.

Keep in mind that rebranding is more than just enhancing your company logo. Rebranding means taking a hard look at your current positioning, messaging and values. Sometimes, for example, an organization's ownership and mission shift, and your values and priorities may shift as well. Sometimes, public tastes and attitudes change, and it's time to align your brand accordingly. In the late 1990s, for example, Target was viewed as just another low-price retailer, indistinguishable from Walmart or Kmart. Through exclusive deals with high profile designers and personalities such as Isaac Mizrahi, Giada DeLaurentiis, Michael Graves and others, Target positioned itself as "affordable chic" and began to stand out from its competitors. Today, Target is second only to Walmart in retail sales.

In determining whether to rebrand, you might consider an internal analysis of your brand by looking at its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). It is also a good idea to determine if your brand has "equity." Brand equity is the existing value of how and what you do, plus your reputation with you customers, staff and other stakeholders. You can measure your brand equity by looking at the following attributes:

Brand Reputation — Exactly how is your organization perceived and viewed?

Brand Awareness — Is your target audience aware of your organization? Do your competitors get more attention than you do?

Brand Momentum — Is your brand stale or is it growing? Have you outgrown your current brand? Does your brand have a negative issue associated with it?

A key to a successful brand is to understand the needs of your target audience and prospects. Remember, if you do not create your brand, your customers will create it for you.

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Pam brings over 20 years of industry experience in marketing communications and branding. She is a successful manager of complex projects at every phase of marketing and specializes in developing and fostering strong client relationships in understanding their needs and business objectives to align with the appropriate marketing strategies and tactics.

Job Opening: Web Development/IT Manager

JOB SUMMARY:

LeapFrog Solutions, a woman-owned small business, strategic marketing communications firm on a very fast growth track with the federal government, seeks a highly organized and experienced Web Development/IT Manager. Successful candidate will have expertise in information technology and website development, leadership, management, interpersonal and problem solving skills. This is a multi-faceted position requiring hands-on management, initiative, adaptability and excellent follow-through. The Web Development/IT Manager will have technical oversight of website development for a large federal government contract. This individual will oversee our web development partners and ensure deliverables meet client technical specifications. In addition, the Web Development/IT Manager will be responsible for managing all aspects of the company’s IT needs and is responsible for managing the IT service providers. The candidate must have a working knowledge of various programming languages and content management systems and be up to date with the latest Web, cloud, and desktop technologies.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employee in this position. It is not to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this position.

• Participate in existing and prospective client meetings and prepare documentation of technical requirements and specifications.
• Work with web designers and programmers in the conceptualization and development of client websites, software programs and applications.
• Manage web development staff and IT service providers.
• Conduct research on emerging application development software products, languages, and standards in support of procurement and business development efforts.
• Interact with project management group to ensure accurate and comprehensive understanding of projects.
• Provide issue escalation and resolution as well as timely execution of deadlines.
• Conduct market and product research as needed for latest and most cost-effective IT solutions.
• Maintain project documentation.
• Manage IT budget.
• Recommend, schedule, and/or perform software improvements and upgrades on LFS internal work stations.
• Install software and hardware products for LFS internal users as required.
• Be available during off-hours in the event of critical network, hardware, or software issues that need immediate attention.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in information technology, computer science, business administration, or a related field and/or 6 years equivalent work experience.
• Five or more years development experience with classic ASP, ASP.Net, PHP, HTML, SHTML, XML, VBScript, JavaScript, and other programming languages.
• Three or more years of experience with SQL Server 2000 / 2005 including designing database schemas, building and deploying databases, writing complex stored procedures, queries, and views.
• Government experience is preferred, but not required.
• Experience developing, installing, and training personnel on custom and/or off-the-shelf content management systems (CMS) for use by LFS clients.
• Flexible and adaptable in regards to learning and understanding new technologies.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Self-directed and proactive; thinks beyond the immediate problem.
• Flexibility, ability to change priorities quickly, and capacity to handle multiple tasks.
• Work directly with both internal and external resources to ensure timely completion of assigned deliverables.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment. Keen attention to detail.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience working both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment.
• Hands-on experience, willingness, and ability to support detailed individual user IT needs.
• Prior security clearance
• Candidate must be able to pass background investigation

COMPENSATION:

Competitive and commensurate with experience. Relocation assistance is not offered for this position.

To apply for this position, please send a resume and cover letter to lfs_careers@leapfrogit.com with “Web Development/IT Manager” in the subject line.

LeapFrog Solutions, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of LeapFrog Solutions, Inc. to provide opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, creed, color, religious belief, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, or veteran's status.