Education Focused Marketing RFP Issued

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Edinboro University has issued an RFP for Strategic Marketing, Digital Advertising, Media Planning and Buying Services, Out-of-Home Advertising. Edinboro University was founded in 1857 as the Edinboro Academy, a private training school for Pennsylvania teachers. The school was funded and governed by the citizens of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, who paid just $200 for one acre and $3,200 to construct its lone two-story, six- room building, which still stands on EU’s campus as the remodeled Academy Hall. Joel Merriman was the Academy’s first principal.

In 1861, the Edinboro Academy affiliated with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to become the second State Normal School in Pennsylvania, known as the Northwest State Normal School.

Purchased from the original stockholders by the state in 1914, the school was renamed Edinboro State Normal School. While a state normal school, Edinboro continued to educate much-needed teachers, and by 1927, with the advancement of academic programs to include liberal arts study, the school was renamed Edinboro State Teachers College.  Further development of the liberal arts to include degree programs outside the field of education resulted in Edinboro becoming Edinboro State College in 1960. Twenty-three years later, in 1983, Pennsylvania established the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, of which Edinboro is part.

That same year, continued development of undergraduate liberal arts programs and advanced graduate degrees earned Edinboro university status.

Today, Edinboro University sits on 585 sprawling acres and has an additional 26-acre campus, Porreco College, in Erie, Pennsylvania. As led by President H. Fred Walker, it continues to develop and evolve as northwestern Pennsylvania’s largest university. The institution’s name has changed and its focus has expanded over the decades, but its core mission of challenging and supporting students in their pursuit of academic excellence remains constant.

Scope of Work:

1. Digital marketing: Online marketing, including Google Advertising and Retargeting, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pandora, Facebook, and YouTube creative development, advertising placement, metrics/analytics and other online marketing initiatives (currently represents about 25.3% of the budget);
2. Broadcast marketing: Including TV and radio creative development and media buying (currently represents about 33.7% of the budget);
3. Outdoor advertising: Including billboards, mall sky banners, airport advertising boards, and/or other venues (currently represents about 10% of the budget);
4. Print marketing: Including news and magazine educational and school guides, special interest advertising such as cultural district billboards, diversity venues, adult learning venues, etc., transfer ads in community colleges, summer and winter session advertising in other college news venues, and direct mail (currently represents about 9.5% of the budget).

Due Date:

August 29, 2017 to:

Address:

Darla Spaid
Director of Purchasing and Contracts Edinboro University
220 McNerney Hall
300 Scotland Road
Edinboro PA  16444

Strong PR firms for this assignment could include Burson Marsteller or Ketchum PR.