DUE DATE: Only those proposals received at FIT Purchasing Office, on or before, 1:00 PM, on January 12, 2024 will be considered.
. THE ASSIGNMENT
FIT seeks an advertising / marketing agency to develop a media buying strategy and create campaigns that reflect and support the college’s brand positioning and recruitment goals.
We seek to engage a variety of constituencies, including prospective undergraduate students and their adult influencers; non-traditional continuing education and transfer students, including high school students; credit and non-credit course takers; industry, donors, and supporters; alumni; educational leaders; museum attendees; and the general public. This will be accomplished by developing institutional marketing communications strategies, as well as specific campaigns per audience.
A. The agency will develop a comprehensive media strategy and develop creative for advertising and marketing the college. Social media and digital advertising will lead the campaigns, which at times may require integration of some or all of the following — print, out of home, broadcast, and other channels — into a comprehensive strategy. The agency will create, purchase, and analyze media in support of the college’s marketing priorities. The agency will accomplish this by:
• Regularly monitoring, researching, and reporting on marketing trends and opportunities for paid media in traditional and non-traditional outlets. This may include occasional audits of advertising campaigns from other colleges.
• Developing and implementing a media strategy per target audience such as:
- Adult learners, including those seeking higher-level career development, such as those at the executive level.
- Precollege: high school and middle school students
- Prospective undergraduate students and their influencers
- Prospective graduate students
- Online degree-seeking students
And other campaigns to enhance the college’s brand and reputation overall which may include:
- The Museum at FIT’s exhibitions and programs
- One-time events and programs hosted by FIT
- Custom corporate training programs
- Supporting creative executions and production for each campaign, including developing visuals, writing ad copy, and designing paid media
- Negotiating rates and purchasing media on the college’s behalf
- Monitoring ROI and providing regular and actionable reporting on all paid media, utilizing tools such as Google Adwords and Meta Business accounts
- Vetting and assessing media solicitations on behalf of the college and making appropriate recommendations
IV. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
All Proposers shall meet the following requirement.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
A. Specifically, the assignment includes three components (“Services”) for the Proposer(s) to which FIT awards the RFP (“Consultant”). Proposers must provide a response to all Services, but may do so either with fully in-house capabilities or they may work in collaboration with other companies and/or sub-contractors in order to address all areas of the scope. Consultant shall disclose the name of all outside partners and/or sub-contractors that it collaborates with for Services. FIT shall retain all ownership and possession of any reports or similar materials created by Consultant, its partners, and/or its sub-contractors used in fulfilling its Services to FIT.
Service Area One: Strategic Media Planning and Analysis
1. Develop media placement recommendations throughout the year to support:
• Brand and image campaigns and advertising to enhance the college’s reputation to a range of audiences
• An increase in the number of students taking courses through the Center for Continuing and Professional Studies and the Precollege program for high school and middle school students
• An increase in the number of students enrolling in online degree programs
• An increase in the number of students taking advanced career development courses
• Enhancement in the number and quality of inquiries for graduate school applicants
• Traditional undergraduate recruitment activities
• Marketing and promotion efforts for exhibitions and programs produced by The Museum at FIT
• Marketing and promotion of custom corporate training programs
• Campaigns in support of special programs, lectures, seminars, events, etc.
2. Recommend whether and how to best use some or all of the following marketing channels per audience:
• Social media advertising
• Online advertising
• Google keyword, SEM, and SEO
• Retargeting and aggregators
• Geotargeting
• Email marketing
• Direct marketing (print, social, and online)
• Buying mailing lists (both traditional and email lists)
• Print advertising
• Outdoor advertising (bus, subway, etc.)
• Broadcast media (television, radio, podcasts, etc.)
• Special events
• College guides and higher education publications
• Trade opportunities as they relate to FIT’s programs
• “Product” placement of FIT in the media
3. Track effectiveness and ROI on all activities and provide regular, detailed reports on all integrated marketing efforts with actionable recommendations. (If analytics are hosted on FIT’s platforms, the agency will be given access to FIT’s accounts. If analytics are hosted on the agency’s platforms, FIT must be given full access.)
4. Stay ahead of trends in social media, digital, and non-traditional marketing and make regular recommendations for incorporating all such platforms into any marketing plans and activities.
5. Manage supplied and purchased email lists and develop, send, and track outbound email marketing campaigns if required.
6. Recommend institutional inquiry tracking and fulfillment procedures.
7. Assist in conducting market research, focus groups, or developing surveys per campaign if needed.
8. Provide account services management including (but not limited to):
• Regular (weekly) reports of campaign activities and costs and wrap-up reports of completed campaigns.
• Creation and monitoring of schedules of production work per campaign.
• Provide account access to the client (if not hosted on client’s platform) to
review analytics and respond to questions and comments made on social media ads.
Service Area Two: Create Advertising
1. Design, write, and produce promotional materials, including social media ads, digital ads, print out-of-home, postcards and direct mailers, broadcast, and video, from concept through production including:
• Direct photography, illustration, video, etc., as needed to execute creative
• Write all copy to accompany social media posts
• Direct campaigns in support of special programs, lectures, seminars, etc.
Service Area Three: Media Purchasing
1. Act as the college’s authorized media purchaser by:
• Developing and maintaining relationships with media representatives
• Negotiating rates and paying for advertising in traditional, online, and social platforms on behalf of FIT
• Vetting all media advertising inquiries and making recommendations
• Managing billing with our media partners
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