Scope: To be eligible for consideration for a bid award, candidates must comply with the State of Colorado Policy on Digital Accessibility Standards (HB 21-1110). DCSD will require submission of the necessary documentation demonstrating compliance prior to the award of the contract.
Objectives
The primary objectives of this marketing campaign are to:
* Attract and enroll out-of-state familiesto the Douglas County School District.
* Enhance DCSD’s brand visibility and reputationas a top-performing school district nationally.
* Position Douglas County as a desirable place to live, work, and raise a family, emphasizing the quality of life alongside educational opportunities.
* Drive action and conversion, moving prospective families from initial awareness through to completed applications and enrollment.
Duration
Proposals will include an outline of a recommended multi-channel, full-funnel marketing campaign to take place over a period of 5-6 months. The campaign should guide families through distinct phases, from initial awareness to active consideration and ultimately, enrollment. The vendor who is ultimately selected for this project will develop and execute the plan in coordination with the DCSD Communications Department.
Target Audience
The marketing campaign must primarily target out-of-state families, particularly young families with school-age children, currently residing in high-cost urban or coastal markets. Targeting should be sophisticated, leveraging demographics, digital behaviors, relocation intent, and school preferences. Proposals will include recommendations for targets including states, along with reasoning for these recommendations.
Key Messaging Themes
Proposals should articulate how compelling narratives will be crafted around the following themes (and any additional themes the proposer believes should be included):
* Academic Excellence and High-Performing Schools:Highlighting DCSD’s national recognition, educational rigor, and high achievement (e.g. graduation rates, top academic scores in the Denver area).
* Innovative Programming and Student Opportunities:Highlighting unique educational programs and opportunities for children at all levels, including a broad array of options to prepare students for life after graduation (concurrent enrollment, career and technical education, IB and AP).
* Future Ready Graduates: Marketing should spotlight the extensive programs and courses offered within DCSD schools which prepare students for a successful life after graduation. These include Career and Technical Education, Concurrent Enrollment and Work-Based Learning opportunities within DCSD’s comprehensive high schools.
* Affordability and Cost-of-Living Benefits:Contrasting Douglas County with higher- cost urban centers.
* Safety and Supportive Communities:Emphasizing secure and welcoming neighborhoods.
* Family-Friendly Lifestyle and Outdoor Recreation:Showcasing the natural beauty, outdoor activities, and quality of life in Douglas County and Colorado.
* Emotional Connection: Resonating with the emotional decision of choosing a school and a new home.
DCSD is seeking a vendor who will recommend digital channels and tactics that are most likely to achieve DCSD’s out-of-state enrollment goals. Proposals should include a comprehensive, multi-platform media strategy, with a strong emphasis on digital channels, potentially including, but not limited to the following.
* Digital Advertising:
* Social Media: Campaigns on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts/Reels for storytelling and lead generation.Search Engine Marketing (SEM) / Pay-Per-Click (PPC):Google Ads to capture high-intent families actively searching for relocation and school information.Over the Top (OTT) / Connected TV (CTV) / Streaming Video:Targeted video content on platforms such as Hulu, Roku, and YouTube to build awareness.Programmatic Display & Retargeting:To maintain top-of-mind awareness and re-engage interested users across various websites and apps.Podcasts / Streaming Audio: Sponsorships or ads on demographically targeted family, lifestyle, and education-themed podcasts.Email Marketing: Sequences to nurture leads and provide information throughout the decision-making journey.
* Print Advertising
* Print advertising in publications targeted toward young families who may be considering relocation.Direct mail targeted toward young families who may be considering relocation.
Creative Elements
Proposals should detail creative strategies that may include, but not be limited to:
* Authentic Storytelling: Featuring real families, students, and educators from DCSD.
* Visually Compelling Graphics and Infographics:Highlighting school rankings, performance data, and lifestyle advantages.
* Branded Landing Page: Optimized for lead capture with clear calls-to-action.
* Multilingual Assets: Ensure accessibility of content via automatic translation.
* Creative Testing and Optimization:Plans for A/B testing formats, copy, and creative elements, with ongoing refreshes based on performance insights.
Performance Tracking, Data Capture, and Reporting
The successful proposer must demonstrate a data-driven approach, including:
* Comprehensive KPI Tracking: Measuring key metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), impressions, cost-per-lead (CPL), lead-to-application rates, and lead-to- enrollment rates.
* Geo-Tracking and Lead Journey Tracking:Identifying high-performing geographic markets and monitoring family progression through the enrollment pipeline.
* Real-Time Data Visibility: Providing DCSD with access to dashboards or regular, detailed reports (bi-weekly or monthly) summarizing campaign performance, analytics, and optimization recommendations.
* Constituent Relationship Management:DCSD does NOT have a CRM system, so the successful proposer will be able to demonstrate its own proprietary or third-party implementation of a successful constituent tracking system that can be used in lieu of a standalone CRM, and which provides real-time visibility to campaign-specific data. All data will be provided to DCSD in a format to be determined at a later date, and DCSD will retain ownership of all data.
Experience and Qualifications
Proposers should demonstrate extensive experience in:
* Education Marketing: With a proven track record of successful enrollment growth. If the proposer has worked with individual schools in the past, but not school districts, they should explain how their work scales from individual schools to a 92-school district.
* Full-Funnel Enrollment Strategies:Guiding families from awareness to conversion.
* Brand Engagement and Relocation Campaigns:Specifically targeting out-of-state audiences and understanding the emotional and practical aspects of relocation decisions.
* Multi-platform Acuity: Proven results in multiple media, advertising platforms and content-delivery systems (ranging from direct mail to Facebook to YouTube TV, for instance) with examples of when, how and why a client would pivot from one or more underperforming platforms to others that perform well.
* National or Out-of-State Reach:Experience in competitive or high-cost urban markets.
* Converting Interest into Enrollment:Providing case studies or examples of successful campaigns that achieved measurable enrollment increases
Budget
The maximum budget for this comprehensive marketing campaign, including all services and media spend, isnot to exceed $100,000. Proposers should provide a detailed budget breakdown within this limit, including percentages showing how much would be allocated to overhead (staff time/resources, client communication, consulting fees, etc.) along with proposed advertising spends on various platforms.
Due Date: 10/09/2025, at 2:00 PM
Contact: Tony Kerby 720-433-1133 http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/douglas-county-school-district-re-1