SUNY Schenectady County Community College -Schenctady Public Relations and Marketing Services

SUNY Schenectady County Community College
Schenctady Public Relations and Marketing Services, RFP 2025-03

RFP# 2025-03

RFP Release Date: November 22, 2024

Deadline for Bidder Questions: December 12, 2024, 2:30 pm 

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF BIDS: January 8, 2025, 2:00 pm ET 

1INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

SUNY Schenectady, created in 1969 by the Schenectady County Legislature, is a public community college within the State University of New York. SUNY Schenectady provides quality, comprehensive education for transfer, careers, training and workforce development to a diverse population in a student-centered environment. The college is committed to an accessibleand affordable education. Utilizing innovative practices and contemporary technology, the college fosters success through excellence in teaching and support services.

An estimated 3,775 students are enrolled at the college, and approximately 383 full and part-time employees work here. Classes take place from 8 am to 10 pm Monday-Friday and Saturday mornings, late August through the third week of May; most sites see a reduced course load during the summer months and winter break. There is no student housing, but there is a privately-owned housing facility across the street that is occupied by both SUNY Schenectady and non-SUNY Schenectady students and non-students. Classes are conducted at several facilities around the Capital District.

Additional academic, programmatic, fiscal information, and demographic information may be found on our website at www.sunysccc.edu and on the National Center for Education Statistics website at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RFP

Questions regarding this solicitation should be sent to purchasing@sunysccc.edu

SCOPE OF SERVICES SUNY 

Schenectady is seeking eligible firms to provide public relations and marketing services. The successful bidder must understand the higher education market, strategic planning, best practices, trends in public higher education. Eligible firms should have meaningful experience working with other higher education institutions. Greater consideration will be given to firms with community college experience. We seek a qualified public relations and marketing firm/individual that can provide results-oriented, efficient, cost-effective, and customized public relations and marketing strategies and deliverables. 

The selected firm(s) are expected to work closely with the college’s Office of Marketing and Public Relations (OMPR) to primarily develop and implement public relations initiatives, with the potential for ad-hoc marketing or digital content creative support that will enhance student enrollment, increase institutional awareness, improve community perceptions, and further institutional goals. The OMPR consists of an Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations, a Graphic Designer, a Public Relations and Social Media Specialist, and an Executive Assistant. The selected firm(s) would work with all members of the OMPR, as individual project needs warrant. 

The selected firm(s)/individual(s) must be capable of, but not limited to, providing comprehensive ongoing public relations and marketing consultancy services, ranging from strategic counsel; pitching stories to the press; tactical implementation support for press events including on-site representation for SUNY Schenectady, managing reporter interactions, distribution and follow up of media advisories and press releases, or photography and/or video support at events; crisis communications; ad-hoc communications activities; and act as the primary contact for all press engagement and act as the intermediary for SUNY Schenectady. All public relations and marketing partners are expected to produce quantitatively measurable results identified by SUNY Schenectady. Respondents to this RFP must be able to validate capacity to complete the tasks listed within this document. 

The public relations and marketing firm(s)/individual(s) is expected to measure, manage, and advise on each campaign/program/activity in order to maximize the desired outcomes. 

The successful Bidder will be required to provide all standard public relations services normally associated with promoting an institution of higher education, and more specifically a community college. The public relations and marketing services shall be delivered on an on-going basis throughout the term of the contract, on an as needed basis. 

The selected firm(s) shall review and assess the College’s current public relations and marketing strategies in relation to assigned projects. The firm(s) shall create targeted public relations campaigns to achieve college goals for assigned projects. The successful bidder will work directly with the Office of Marketing and Public Relations, and is expected to support the Office SUNY Schenectady Public Relations and Marketing Services of the President as needed, and engage with other college leadership, faculty, students, alumni, or college community members to prepare media pitches, conduct interviews, or prepare other content for public relations. Services shall include, but may not be limited to, the following: 

1. Public Relations and Media Services

1. Assist with development of overall communications campaign 
2. Provide public relations assistance, planning and participation in regularly scheduled bi-weekly status meetings 
3. Develop and distribute press releases for the College; provide reporting on results of press release identifying what media channels picked up the release
4. Identify digital media opportunities such as bloggers and content websites that will promote the college
5. Respond quickly and nimbly to developing “stories”
6. Explore and maximize free media opportunities
7. Pitch and distribute to key reporters and outlets regionally as well as nationally
8. Help respond to media inquiries and interview set-up/preparation
9. Develop newsworthy special events
10. Create media relations strategies and develop content for various college events, programs, or activities
11. Identify opportunities and contacts for media coverage, develop pitches for use by the SUNY Schenectady team, and measure effectiveness of results
12. Nurture positive relations with reporters and news outlets
13. Media monitoring and reporting of press release placements, follow up with reporters for interview or story schedules and placements, identification and reporting of planned and unsolicited placements or mentions of the College 

1. Public Affairs Services Public affairs planning and participation in regularly scheduled meetings may include:

1. Preparation and execution of public meetings, hearings and briefings 
2. Community affairs and community relations
3. Identify public speaking opportunities for President and Board to promote the College and its programs
4. Speechwriting or public affairs-related correspondence writing
5. Develop and implement strategies for regional promotion and growth
6. Identify key stakeholders in government and business, potential donors and community leaders, and develop regular communications with them
7. Identify partnership and sponsorship opportunities
8. Provide monthly reporting on communications outreach showing placements, audience reached, impressions, views and other metrics as necessary to review campaign effectiveness. 

1. Other Services 

1. Promotion and logistical support of press events or special appearances, including oncampus and off-campus locations or in-studio
2. Crisis communications as needed
3. Other public relations, media and communication services as requested SUNY Schenectady Public Relations and Marketing Services
4. Develop public relations that include research, audience, goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics 
5. Develop relevant messaging for current opportunities and events that can be used by the SUNY Schenectady marketing team in timely/relevant channels including earned media, social media and paid media to reach and connect with key audiences and drive desired actions
6. Creative strategy and design as needed to support the OMPR team with related initiatives
7. Content development, including writing web content, social media posts, feature articles, communications, and other editorial content for public relations and marketing

Firm(s) may be asked to develop campaigns and strategies for unique or niche audiences within the College’s market. Examples may include, but are not limited to, multicultural and immigrant communities, non-native English language speakers, international students, the business community, specific industries or employment sectors, the philanthropic community, and others as needed and defined by SUNY Schenectady.

The firm(s) will be responsible for creating clearly defined relevant and meaningful metrics for each element of a campaign for determining a return on investment. It should be noted that strategic plans, creative strategies and other input will come in large part from the Office of Marketing and Public Relations, in coordination with the selected firm(s). In addition, the firm(s) should be able to recommend strategies to expand the impact of public relations and marketing campaigns, allowing for the broadest possible exposure to the target audiences within the available budget. 

1. Staffing 

The staff members assigned to SUNY Schenectady will work closely with college personnel on delivery of the services outlined in this Scope of Services. Bidders must identify an Account Executive in their proposal who will be responsible for overall account management and who will be the primary contact for SUNY Schenectady. The Account Executive will hold periodic status meetings with SUNY Schenectady, at mutually agreed upon times. The Account Executive will maintain a telephone/text number and e-mail address through which SUNY Schenectady may contact him/her in emergency/crisis situations, and an alternate or secondary contact must be identified to provide coverage if the primary Account Executive is unavailable.