Alexandria Renew Enterprises Seeks Public Relations Firm

The purpose for RFP 18-033 is to solicit formal proposals and, through competitive negotiation, establish a contract with a qualified firm to provide content strategy and creation, and public relations services and other such services as requested by AlexRenew. The Offeror selected to provide the Services will be required to create strategies for and deliver visual and written content on AlexRenew’s website and social media platforms. AlexRenew will also need content support for select internal and external print materials, and assistance with periodic efforts to publicize innovation or events to include distributing press releases and coordination efforts with the media.

Background:

Established in 1952 by the Alexandria City Council, AlexRenew’s chartered mission is to clean wastewater and protect public health and the environment. AlexRenew currently maintains capital assets valued at approximately $750 million and cleans approximately 35 million gallons of dirty water daily at our water resource recovery facility located within walking distance of Old Town Alexandria. AlexRenew is governed by an Alexandria City Council – appointed five-member citizen Board of Directors and is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia created under the Virginia Water and Waste Authorities Act. AlexRenew is an independent, special-purpose government unit with administrative and fiscal independence from the City of Alexandria.

Scope of Work:

• Contractor will support the marketing and branding efforts of AlexRenew and reflect the diversity of the City of Alexandria community. AlexRenew’s website and social media content engages visitors through storytelling and educational visuals with appealing infographics, photos, and videos. Text is always included using an appropriate and informative minimum.
• Contractor will engage stakeholders in the value of clean water, a sustainable water future, and our essential work to ensure public health and the health of our water environment. Contractor will engage through visual storytelling and infographics, the re-posting of engaging, stakeholder-friendly content created and posted by others, educational posts, and information about current events in the City of Alexandria.
• Contractor will ensure that all of our content creates an emotional connection with stakeholders through engaging education and outreach on STEM topics. AlexRenew’s content strategy targets a number of segments, including customers; community leaders; educators; legislators; families, organizations and students with an interest in STEM topics; and other stakeholders.

AlexRenew expects the Contractor to collaborate with AlexRenew on the development of a content strategy and execution plan, schedule, reporting format, and process; and the creation of a public relations editorial plan and calendar to support garnering positive publicity for its programs, projects, and other newsworthy items. In order to be successful in its media pitching ideas, the Contractor must have a deep and strategic understanding of AlexRenew, its vision and staff, and its community, and relationships with appropriate Northern Virginia media contacts.

Specific deliverables include:

Planning

• Insights and recommendations for improvement on past and current content work
• Best practices review of other water and utility entities’ content work
• Review of key audiences for content
• Content strategy draft/approach for AlexRenew
• PR strategy draft/approach for AlexRenew
• Recommendations for how to further engage fans/followers
• Recommendations for how to further grow website content stickiness and social media fans/followers
• Recommendations for additional social media sites to use to engage with stakeholders
• Strategies for injecting humor regularly into content

Execution

• A draft content calendar for each year with themes, how to amplify water events/days
• Editorial calendar for public relations efforts
• Detailed monthly content calendars for client review
• Posting of content to social media sites and web site (as needed)
• Crisis support, as needed
• Content support for industry and AlexRenew events/celebrations
• Press release drafting, Op-Ed drafting, and pitching appropriate media
• Creation of infographics and simple videos, as needed, to enhance content engagement
• Monthly and annual reporting on results and outcomes of content strategy and plan
• Ongoing partnership with AlexRenew strategic communications specialist to create and deliver content
• Participation in quarterly in-person meetings at AlexRenew, and annual content strategy review and brainstorm for the coming year

Due Date:

September 27th

Address:

Reception Desk of the AlexRenew

Environmental Center

1800 Limerick Street

Alexandria VA, 22314

PR firms who should  be considered includes Allison PR and Shift Communications.