Advertising and Marketing RFP Issued by Piedmont Health District Request for Proposal

1. The proposal must note the provision of strategic consulting, communication, advertising, and marketing services to be provided to the Piedmont Health District over a twelve-month period. These services should include:
   • Strategic consulting, communication, advertising, and marketing services related to influenza season and COVID-19 preparedness. Services should promote vaccination and containment operations by utilizing strategic campaigns focused on enhancing coverage and ensuring greater equity and access to relevant resources. Specific populations and community centers are considered to be top priority.
   • Strategic consulting, communication, advertising, and marketing services focusing on key facts in order to produce the greatest positive impact for influenza and COVID-19 containment, testing, and immunization efforts.
   • Strategic consulting, communication, advertising, and marketing services focused on creating sustainable communication systems designed to positively impact public health within the Piedmont Health District.
   • Strategic consulting, communication, advertising, and marketing services focused on strengthening partnerships between public health, hospital infection control, and clinical labs.
   • Marketing approach will be grounded in:
   o Community and stakeholder engagement
   o Storytelling, celebration, and an abundance mindset
   o Recommendations to include public relations as well as traditional and digital media channels
   Associated costs must be based on a monthly estimation of traditional (radio, television, etc.) and social/digital media outlets as well as average strategic and consulting services.
2. Proposal must include an initial review of the Piedmont Health District’s current advertising and marketing activities in order to identify new and more efficient and productive opportunities. This should include:
   • Initial intake of the Piedmont Health District’s current advertising and marketing strategy/campaign as a whole to include communication channels, marketing and organizational goals, and ad campaign development
   • Connection to and auditing of current communication channels (website, social media, etc.)
   • Providing strategic advertising and marketing recommendations to expand reach to desired audiences within the Piedmont Health District.
   • Create a prioritized action plan, focusing on containment/testing and vaccinations to boost overall reach and impact of the Piedmont Health District
   • Set up of software reporting to track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
   o Meltwater (Public relations reporting and research software)
   o Super metrics (Integrated tracking and reporting of reach and impact of digital presence)
   o Etc.
3. Acting as an agent of the Piedmont Health District, vendor will operate as an extension of the Piedmont Health District’s internal marketing team and in collaboration with all applicable staff. Vendor will support the Piedmont Health District by executing its advertising and marketing campaigns and by providing strategic consultation throughout the duration of the contract. Campaigns will be adapted and updated over time based on results achieved as needed. Vendor will detail all methods, tools, and practices to achieve this requirement. Associated costs must be based on a monthly estimation.
4. Vendor will manage advertising and marketing campaigns for both containment and vaccination efforts by the Piedmont Health District. All advertising spending must be established in the targeted campaign marketing plan and will be pre-approved prior to placement. Media costs will be billed monthly and 30 days in advance of placement. Payment of bills will be based on net 30 payment terms. These costs must be based on a monthly estimation.
5. Vendor must list total consolidated costs in two categories:
   a. Containment and Testing Campaign for Influenza and COVID-19:
   i. Marketing Costs
   ii. Advertising Costs
   iii. Consulting Costs
   b. Vaccination Campaign for Influenza and COVID-19:
   i. Marketing Costs
   ii. Advertising Costs
   iii. Consulting Costs
   

Cancellation of Contract:

The purchasing agency reserves the right to cancel and terminate any resulting contract, in part or in whole, without penalty, upon 60 days of written notice to the contractor. In the event the initial contract period is for more than 12 months, the resulting contract may also be terminated by the contractor, without penalty, after the initial 12 months of the contract period upon 60 days written notice to the other party. Any contract cancellation notice shall not relieve the contractor of the obligation to deliver and/or perform on all outstanding orders issued prior to the effective date of cancellation.

Award

The Commonwealth will make the award on a total sum basis to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder that is a DSBSD-certified micro business if such a bid is received, provided that the bid is up to and including $10,000 and the agency in its sole discretion determines that the bid price is fair and reasonable. Otherwise, the award of the contract shall be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder that is a DSBSD-certified small business if such a bid is received, provided that the bid is not more than $100,000 and the agency in its sole discretion determines that the bid price is fair and reasonable. If, in the agency’s opinion, the criteria in the previous two sentences are not present, then award shall be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder of any size, provided the agency in its sole discretion determines that the price is fair and reasonable. If applicable, unit prices, extensions and grand total must be shown. In case of arithmetic errors, the unit price will govern. If cash discount for prompt payment is offered, it must be clearly shown in the space provided. Discounts for early prompt payment will not be considered in making awards. The State reserves the right to reject any and all bids in whole or in part, to waive any informality, and to delete items prior to making an award