District administrators voice their frustrations over companies not living up to expectations–or simply not listening to them–in on-camera interviews with EdWeek Market Brief.
Tracking Why ‘Incumbent’ K-12 Companies Hold a Competitive Edge Over Newcomers
Track Records and Trust Top the List of Advantages, According to a Survey of 200 District Leaders

Nearly nine of every ten district leaders say that incumbent vendors hold an advantage over newcomers, according to an Edweek Market Brief survey of district leaders.
‘Class Clowns’ Author Outlines the Challenges of Mastering the K-12 Market
Jonathan Knee talks about the big strategic mistakes many companies make in trying to serve schools

Jonathan Knee, an investment banker and Columbia Business School professor, discusses his findings on the failures and successes of education businesses.
Twitter Tops Teachers’ Social Media Lists, But Other Tools in High Rotation, Too
Exclusive Survey of Educators Finds Facebook and Google Also Popular

Teachers report they are turning to Twitter, Facebook and Google most often for social media use around education, an EdWeek Market Brief survey finds.
A big North Carolina district is looking for marketing consultants. A Maryland district wants to buy digital math textbooks and electronic reading materials.
Email Marketing: Generating Sales Leads vs. Alienating Potential Customers
Many School Leaders Regard Email Solicitations as a Major Annoyance, But Companies See Solid ROI

To improve the effectiveness of email marketing, education companies should customize messages to specific groups and provide value such as product discounts or links to experts.
Lessons to Learn About the Design of Modern Classrooms
Educators Want Companies That Understand Why Flexibility Is a Critical Feature

Understanding how modern classrooms should be designed will help education companies better meet the needs of educators, two experts explain.
Weighing When and How to Sell to Small, Rural K-12 Districts
Vendors Can Experiment With Products and Pricing, and Work With Purchasing Cooperatives

Education companies face difficult decisions about whether to go after business in rural and small school systems, which typically offer little room to scale up.

When companies want to communicate their findings to K-12 officials, they often turn to white papers. We asked a researcher to explain the genre.
What School Districts Mean When They Tell Companies: ‘Do Your Homework’
Businesses Don't Need to Know Every Detail of District Policy, But They Should Grasp the Big Picture

Vendors can help themselves if they know the big picture of districts’ budgets and academic needs, and the policy interests of top administrators.