MARKETING RFP ISSUED BY GENEDGE

GENEDGE seeks proposals from qualified firms to furnish a wide variety of marketing, communications, customer relationship management, data management, and related services.

Background:

GENEDGE Alliance is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia. GENEDGE provides a variety of services to manufacturing and industrial companies across Virginia and the District of Columbia. It is one of 51 similar centers that are affiliated through cooperative agreements with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Program (“MEP”). For more information on GENEDGE, please go to www.genedge.org. GENEDGE is involved in multiple high-profile programs at the State level and the federal level. GENEDGE requires a certain amount of marketing, public relations, branding, website support, CRM support, data management, and similar services for a variety of efforts to execute those programs fully. Further, some of the clients that GENEDGE serves require similar services. Activities in support of GENEDGE range from the collection and management of data, research, and analysis, to development and planning of strategies for marketing and public relations campaigns, to branding and image elevation, to staging and producing video and audio content, social media, signage, and other digital and printed mediums. Since many advertising, marketing, and IT consultants have a specialty focus, this RFP provides for flexibility in responses and asks offerors to select the types of goods and services they wish to propose in response. It is not required that a contractor provide ALL types of goods and services sought. The included Attachment 5 – Price Schedule allows offerors to indicate which classifications of goods and services they intend to provide. These classifications are further detailed under Section IV. STATEMENT OF NEEDS, Subsection A. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. Actual projects and costs for these services will vary greatly and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Scope of Work:

GENEDGE is seeking to procure a wide variety of marketing, advertising, communications, public relations, CRM support, website support, and related services. The successful offeror(s) shall be responsible for providing these services as described below and in any terms and conditions and attachments referred to in this RFP. Each offeror should carefully read and review all such documents. A. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS GENEDGE projects vary from general marketing services and basic marketing campaigns to complex projects requiring strategic planning, research and/or analysis to develop strategies intended to achieve specific programmatic, client, or internal GENEDGE goals. Some projects may be short term, while others require ongoing support, monitoring, and other activities to be performed over a more extended period. GENEDGE goals may include market analysis, brand awareness, market penetration, methodologies to effectively market programs in the state, promoting or inspiring programs for economic success, and partnering with other institutions in the Commonwealth to support the manufacturing and industrial bases in Virginia. The successful contractor(s) shall efficiently and effectively execute all appropriate elements of a campaign or project and assist in evaluating its effectiveness, striving for maximum return on investment. Contractors shall adhere to GENEDGE visual communication standards where applicable. Any combination of the following services may be required. Offerors may propose providing goods and services under any combination of the following elements they are qualified and willing to provide to GENEDGE.

1. Data Gathering, Market Research and Analysis 

a. Contractor shall collect pertinent and relevant data, perform research, draft, and recommend advertising and additional marketing campaigns compatible with GENEDGE goals or program needs.

b. Qualitative research studies may be required to develop system-wide marketing strategies.

c. Marketing strategies must be based on sound research. The Contractor shall analyze and utilize marketing research information to:

i. Gauge changes in market conditions, and use the information to improve marketing, collateral creative, strategy development, and overall communications effectiveness.

ii. Where applicable, determine the number of inquiries and calculate the rate of conversion of inquires generated by a marketing program.

iii. Determine the overall effectiveness and return on investment a marketing program provides.

d. Market analysis, analytics, and data mining to help GENEDGE understand existing and emerging industry segments in different industries in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

2. Development of Communication Concepts and Planning 

a. The Contractor shall develop communications concepts based on GENEDGE marketing initiatives and goals, in consultation with the GENEDGE marketing team.

b. The Contractor shall work with the GENEDGE marketing team to determine what types of communications and/or messages that are most effective in communicating the desired message and apply this information to develop future communications.

c. Develop marketing concepts that communicate message points as stated in the campaign plan.

3. Creative Services; Strategic Planning and Management 

a. Contractor shall propose a creative approach to the strategic planning and management of GENEDGE’s information, branding, communications, promotional and marketing subject matter and materials.

b. In consultation with the GENEDGE marketing team and practice managers, the Contractor may assist strategic marketing planning including, but not limited to recommending print and electronic marketing campaigns, based upon sound brand management strategies and research. 

c. Contractor shall translate marketing goals into creative strategies and then into marketing communications concepts that provide maximum exposure, impact and return on investment.

d. Developing overall campaigns based on marketing strategies based upon approved goals.

e. Evaluating, hiring and administering subcontractors, as requested by GENEDGE, including, but not limited to, software and social media firms; market research firms; digital media specialists; photographers; and graphic designers.

f. Developing direct marketing strategies to support GENEDGE campaigns or programs.

g. Leveraging GENEDGE resources with current and potential partners.

h. Providing Graphic Design work as requested by GENEDGE. 

4. Electronic/Digital and Direct Mail Marketing 

a. Develop electronic/digital marketing programs to work in concert with GENEDGE marketing initiatives, if requested.

b. Develop innovative integrated marketing/re-marketing approaches to link GENEDGE outbound messaging through email, social media and website to response and follow up through CRM systems.

c. Develop direct mail marketing programs to work in concert with GENEDGE advertising and marketing initiatives and goals, including obtaining and providing audience-specific mailing lists and creating mailings as needed.

d. Provide or coordinate printing services for annual reports and other direct mail marketing efforts.

e. Provide GENEDGE with any other related Digital and Print Marketing services as needed.

5. Website Design, Management, and Webmaster Services 

a. Contractor shall provide webmaster services to GENEDGE, which include but are not limited to the performance of operations and maintenance, to include antivirus, security patches, routine minor version software updates, some level of effort for help desk services, hosting account management, cloud network system and server administration, and ensure GENEDGE is in compliance with applicable regulations. This includes webmaster services for GENEDGE’s microsite(s).

b. Work with GENEDGE to find creative ways to integrate GENEDGE’s website with Salesforce.

c. Provide GENEDGE with an assessment of its website content and provide recommendations/solutions to improve its performance.

d. Work with GENEDGE staff to make any major changes to its website.

e. Provide GENEDGE with any other website related services not stated above that GENEDGE may need to accomplish programmatic, strategic, and operational needs.

6. Customer Relationship Management Services (Salesforce) 

a. As a note, GENEDGE uses Salesforce and complimentary apps as its CRM System.

b. The Contractor shall have the capability to code within Salesforce to create custom solutions where necessary.

c. Work with GENEDGE to integrate GENEDGE’s website, social media, and other methods of collecting data with Salesforce.

d. The Contractor shall be knowledgeable of not only Salesforce, but also applications that work well with Salesforce and satisfy GENEDGE’s needs.

e. Make recommendations to GENEDGE on how to improve its efficiencies within Salesforce and related applications after fully understanding GENEDGE’s workflows.

f. Evaluating, hiring and administering subcontractors, as requested by GENEDGE.

g. Work with GENEDGE to effectively manage, migrate, and utilize its data from its legacy Customer Information System (IBM Notes) and the data generated from its use of Salesforce.

7. Legacy Customer Information System (IBM Notes) 

a. Provide anti-spam and antivirus related services and solutions, such as the SpamSentinel software solutions for IBM Domino.

b. Work with GENEDGE to effectively manage, migrate, and utilize its data from its legacy Customer Information System (IBM Notes).

c. Make recommendations to GENEDGE to improve its operational effectiveness through coding solutions and other related solutions.

d. Execute coding solutions as requested by GENEDGE. 

8. Additional Related Services 

a. Tracking, Measuring, and Monitoring of Outcomes and Performance Metrics.

b. Preparation and submittal of project-specific written reports and/or meeting summaries, outlining research findings in support of the implementation or revision of specific GENEDGE-wide or program specific marketing strategies.

c. Present conclusive findings, reporting, and recommendations to the GENEDGE leadership team and/or other decision-making bodies.

d. Work with GENEDGE partners and stakeholders to develop and complete special projects as assigned.

Due Date:

October 22 

Address:

A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership dba GENEDGE Alliance 32 Bridge St. S. Suite 200 Martinsville, VA 24112

Relevant agencies to consider include Ruder Finn and RF Binder.