TITLE: Creative Marketing and Media Advertising Services
NIGP Commodity Code: 91501
ISSUE DATE: March 2, 2023
SEALED PROPOSALS DUE BY: March 29, 2023 – 5:00 PM EST
STATEMENT OF NEEDS
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is seeking a single Contractor (Offeror) or multiple
Contractors (Offerors) to serve as DVS’s creative agency of record (Creative Contractor) and paid media agency of record (Media Contractor) to work with DVS’s Communications Department for strategy and execution ofintegrated marketing programs. The statement of needs will be divided into two major components:
Component
1 – Creative Agency of Record, and Component 2 – Paid Media Agency of Record. The purpose of dividing the work into components is to provide DVS greater access to the most creative, innovative, and efficient offerors.
Additional services will be identified under each component. It is understood that there will be overlap among tasks that will fall within each component.
The components allow Offerors the flexibility to submit a Proposal in response to a single component or to submit individual Proposals for each component for which they wish to be considered.
The contracts will be non-exclusive. DVS reserves the right to otherwise provide or contract for any of these services via some other source, and to award multiple contracts for one component, at DVS’s sole discretion.
Unless otherwise directed by DVS, the Contractor(s) shall develop communications concepts based on DVS’s Brand Vision and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) goals and produce creative for recommended media and other projects as assigned. The call to action for all marketing communications will be www.dvs.virginia.gov,
relevant phone and text numbers/QR codes and other DVS digital properties such as social media channels.
The Contractor shall efficiently and effectively execute all appropriate elements of a campaign and assist in the evaluation of its effectiveness, striving for the maximum return on investment.
Contractor shall identify, evaluate, and utilize VDSBSD-certified small business suppliers and talent when
possible. This shall include VDSBSD-certified women-owned and minority-owned businesses when they have received VDSBSD small business certification. NOTE: For the purposes of this RFP and any resulting
contract(s), “VDSBSD-certified” means that the business has been certified by the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity.
DVS requires a broad range of services and expertise and may contract with other outside vendors for any of these services from time to time at DVS’s sole discretion. The Contractor(s) may be required to subcontract services upon DVS’s request from time to time. In some instances, the Contractor(s) may choose the subcontractor to perform these services; at other times DVS may request the hiring of a specific subcontractor.
In either case and in consultation with DVS, DVS will look to the Contractor(s) to provide project management and vendor oversight for quality assurance and productivity tracking. DVS has the final approval of all subcontractors chosen.
A. Component 1: Creative Agency of Record (Creative Contractor) (Project Manager)
The Contractor selected for Component 1 may be required to provide any or all the following services.
1. Strategic Planning and Management
a) Contractor shall analyze veteran-centric data and research for strategy and execution of DVS’s integrated marketing programs to include, but not limited to advertising, digital marketing, public relations, and social media
b) In consultation with DVS, the Contractor shall assist in the ongoing strategic marketing planning,
execution, and consistent metric analysis. In consultation with DVS, the Contractor shall identify and
select, or recommend to DVS for selection, any subcontracted vendors that will be required. The
Contractor shall continually oversee and manage the workflow of said vendors.
2. Account Services
a) Contractor shall have staff adequate to handle frequent client contact, including project management, strategy adherence, creative review, follow-up analysis, and client billing.
b) Contractor shall maintain and utilize a detailed Rights Management Program for photography, video,
music, and talent. Contractor shall work on this in coordination with DVS staff to incorporate required
DVS policies already in place to procure DVS’s required ownership and usage rights. Contractor shall
be expected to make senior level staff readily available for DVS consultation and shall maintain on-call
availability.
3. Creative
Contractor shall develop and execute creative concepts based on strategic analysis, research, and input from DVS, and as agreed upon by DVS Brand Management. These vehicles shall include but are not limited to broadcast/video, direct mail, digital, print, event and brand activations, social media activations, text messaging and robocalling campaigns, radio, earned media, over-the-top, and out-of-home.
4. Production
a) Contractor shall execute advertising and marketing campaigns that accurately address DVS product and brand positioning utilizing proven capabilities for high quality and cost efficiency.
b) Contractor shall maintain timelines and meet deadlines while keeping all appropriate DVS staff informed of project status.
c) Contractor shall maintain DVS approved production budgets. No budget shall be exceeded without prior written approval of DVS.
d) Contractor shall, upon DVS’s request, manage the creation and/or production of marketing material
including, but not limited to print advertising, copywriting, collateral material, video (broadcast, digital
and all other uses), and all forms of digital design.
e) Contractor shall perform trafficking duties for paid media and other needs for delivering creative files, in collaboration with the Media Contractor.
f) Contractor shall include the following services in the retainer as part of the overall management of the
DVS account: travel, formal presentations, regular status meetings, and occasional planning sessions
with DVS and coordination with Media Contractor.
5. Subcontracting
a) Contractor shall evaluate, hire, administer and provide payment to all subcontractors under this contract.
b) Contractor shall subcontract with Virginia based businesses/professionals for primary production, talent, and other advertising/marketing related services if possible.
6. Staffing for Component 1 – Creative Contractor
a) Contractor’s senior level staff shall provide the services in the areas of creative, copywriting and digital always unless otherwise approved by DVS in advance in writing.
b) Contractor shall provide a minimum of 2 full time account service personnel to service DVS’s programs.
c) Contractor shall include, but not be limited to, the following types of resources to service integrated
marketing programs:
1. Advertising – AE’s, media, creative, production, copywriting
2. Digital Marketing – AE, some media, digital
3. Research – DVS requires that all advertising strategies be based on sound research. The Contractor
shall evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of advertising/outreach placed on behalf of DVS. The
Contractor shall work with DVS’s in-house research staff in conjunction with the Contractor(s) own
data assets where beneficial to DVS.
7. Additional Services/Special Projects Upon DVS Written Request for Component 1 – Creative Contractor
a) Presentation and Event Support
b) Contractor shall be capable and willing to support DVS’s AV and multimedia needs for presentations
and special events, upon DVS’s request. This includes, but is not limited to, supplying equipment
(speakers, laptops, projectors, etc.), coordinating setup with vendors and managing the development of
and execution of presentations.
c) Third Party Contracting/Subcontracting of Additional Services
d) The following are marketing functions within DVS where Contractor’s full services are not required but may be requested from time to time:
1. Research – In addition to the requirement that Contractor shall evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of
advertising placed on behalf of DVS, The Contractor may be requested at times to work with DVS’s
contracted research firms, to analyze and utilize marketing research information.
2. Partnership Marketing – Contractor may be called upon to develop material designed to build
collaboration with the private industry. Materials may range from videos to printed publications.
B. Component 2: Paid Media Agency of Record (Media Contractor)
The Contractor selected for Component 2 may be required to provide any or all the following services.
1. Contractor shall translate advertising and marketing goals and strategies into effective media plans and buys which may include but is not limited to television, radio, direct mail, print, digital advertising, promotions, social media, robocalling, text messaging, earned media, and events.
2. Contractor shall provide a schedule of media buys to the DVS in advance for written approval.
3. Contractor shall develop and implement post-media buy evaluation and reporting methodology to provide to DVS the return on investment (ROI) for each buy. Contractor shall also help provide a holistic view of marketing metrics in collaboration with DVS’s communication team.
4. Contractor shall provide analytics, data and ROI measurement and insight services to DVS.
5. Contractor shall provide monthly analysis and presentation deep-dive presentations of DVS marketing
initiatives including, but not limited to, paid media, social media, public relations, paid search, and website metrics, and shall provide key involvement in strategic planning and media planning initiatives.
6. Contractor shall provide services to place, verify, measure, and make timely disbursements for all
advertising placements.
7. Overall, Contractor services shall include but are not limited to strategy/media concepting, negotiation, placement, invoice management/reconciliation, budget management, analytics/ongoing results analysis, weekly account updates, paid media plan, on-going client communication and on-call availability, consistent planning sessions with DVS and coordination with the Creative Contractor.
8. Subcontracting
a) Contractor shall evaluate, hire, administer and provide payment to all subcontractors under this contract.
b) Contractor shall subcontract with Virginia based businesses/professionals for primary production, talent, and other advertising/marketing related services if at all possible.
9. Staffing for Component 2 – Media Contractor
a) Contractor’s senior level staff shall provide media strategy services.
b) Contractor shall provide a minimum of 2 full time media personnel to service DVS’s programs.
c) Contractor shall include, but not be limited to, the following types of resources to service marketing
programs.
10. Additional Services/Special Projects Upon DVS Written Request for Component 2 – Media Contractor
a) Presentation and Event Support
Contractor shall be capable and willing to support DVS for presentations and special events, upon
DVS’s request. This includes, but is not limited to, supplying equipment (speakers, laptops, projectors,
etc.), coordinating setup with vendors and managing the development of and execution of presentations.
b) Third Party Contracting/Subcontracting of Additional Services
The Contractor may be required to subcontract specific additional services to meet DVS’s demands upon
DVS’s request from time to time. In some instances, the Contractor(s) may choose the subcontractor to
perform these services; at other times DVS may request the hiring of a specific subcontractor. DVS has
the final approval of all subcontractors chosen.
c) The following are marketing functions within DVS where Contractor’s full services are not required but may be requested from time to time:
1. Research – In addition to the requirement that Contractor shall evaluate the ongoing
effectiveness of advertising placed on behalf of DVS, the Contractor may be requested at
times as may be required to work with DVS’s contracted research firms, to analyze and utilize
marketing research information.
2. Partnership Marketing – Contractor may be called upon to develop material designed to build
collaboration with private industry. Materials may range from videos to printed publications.