Tallahassee Community College Request for Proposal (RFP) Consulting Services for Rebranding
DUE DATE: July 29th, 2023 1:45PM
SCOPE OF SERVICES SOUGHT
A. Proposal Request
Tallahassee Community College (TCC) seeks proposals from qualified firms to provide branding, research, strategy, and design services. TCC is seeking a qualified strategic communications and marketing partner(s):
- Providing a report that evaluates TCC’s current brand through research, surveys, and focus groups to gain greater knowledge of the current brand’s effectiveness, strengths, and challenges to determine if the current brand should remain or be updated.
- Developing and testing a new name and logo that keeps with the College’s mission and vision, reflects the already-defined brand position, and helps to improve its position and strength in the market.
- Develop primary logo variations and additional branding for departments and initiatives as a secondary tier that complement the new look and feel.
- Provide a rebrand communications strategy and implementation plan for execution by the task force.
B. Background
TCC originally opened in 1966 as ‘Tallahassee Junior College’. The name was later changed in 1970 to better reflect its community orientation and involvement.
Now in its 57th year, TCC is one of the top-ranked two-year institutions in the nation having earned prestigious recognitions from organizations like the Aspen Institute, the American
Association of Community Colleges, and Achieving the Dream. The College is most often recognized for being the top transfer institution to Florida State University and Florida A&M University, for its agility in offering in-demand workforce training, and for its outstanding reputation in the community.
TCC enrolls more than 15,000 credit and non-credit students each year and offers more than 70 credit degree and certificate programs and 48 non-credit programs. Most recently, the College announced it would add three new baccalaureate degrees in Business Administration, Elementary Education, and Exceptional Student Education. These are in addition to the existing Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree that was added in 2014. With these new upper-level degrees, the College is now assessing the need for a rebrand of the institution to better reflect our evolving institutional status and broadening impact in the state.
C. Scope of Branding Project
The scope of this project is to explore the need for a rebrand of TCC through market research, and to provide recommendations for a new name and logo. The chosen firm will provide the College’s Rebranding Project Task Force with a comprehensive research report that adequately describes the current view of TCC among its stakeholders, a new brand package including name, logo and identity toolkit, and an implementation plan framework.
Before a new name and logo can be fully implemented, it must first be approved by: 1) the President of TCC, 2) the District Board of Trustees, and 3) the Florida Legislature. The next session of the Florida Legislature begins January 2024.
It should also be noted, TCC’s current strategic plan will expire in March 2024, and the College will be initiating the process for a new plan thereafter. TCC will also be celebrating the 60th anniversary of its founding in 2026. Planning for the diamond jubilee is expected to begin in 2024. Both of these milestones will coincide with the anticipated implementation of the rebranding of the College, if it is recommended and approved.
D. Scope of Services
Research (September 1 – October 27, 2023)
- Conduct qualitative research exploring the value proposition and perceptions of TCC among key stakeholders, and sentiment regarding the College and its programs and offerings among target audiences, particularly prospective students who make decisions about enrollment. This should include focus groups with students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
- Reaffirm existing evidence of student bias against community colleges among prospective students.
- Study and review existing College branding in order to better understand the institution.
- Provide a comprehensive research report that includes a SWOT analysis of the current brand.
Identity Recommendation (DUE: October 31, 2023)
- Provide recommendations for the College’s name and primary visual identity, along with a complete brand toolkit and logo variations, if it is determined from the research that a rebrand of the institution is appropriate.
Brand Strategy, Positioning, Messaging, and Identity (If Approved by the TCC District Board of Trustees and the Florida Legislature)
- Provide a complete approved brand strategy, including positioning, differentiation, and value proposition that is unique to TCC.
- Provide an updated Identity and Branding System procedure.
- Provide a communications plan for the launch of a new brand that encompasses all key stakeholders and target audiences as well as media strategy and planning.
- Provide implementation plan framework.
- Revise secondary marks (College departments, programs, initiatives) to be consistent with College branding, as needed.
Ongoing consulting services as required to implement brand positioning strategy.
E. Deliverables
- Minimum weekly communications outlining significant meetings, discussions, actions and results.
- Research report with qualitative analyses of current brand and its positioning.
- Recommended new name and logo.
- Brand strategy, positioning, messaging plan, and identity documents.
- Implementation plan framework for brand identity applications, including an anticipated schedule based upon available research and best practice.
- Presentation of the proposed brand identity recommendations including the elements listed above.
- Final written report outlining the elements listed above.
