Marketing RFP Issued By Lehigh Carbon Community College
Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) is initiating a process for the selection of a vendor to
provide the College with Marketing & Creative Services. The College is requesting written
responses to this proposal. The proposals are due by 2 p.m., Monday, March 28, 2022. No
proposals will be accepted after the proposal date.
Timeline
Proposal Due Date 2 p.m., Monday, March 28, 2022
Finalists selected and invited to present Monday, April 11, 2022
Finalists meet with selection committee Week of April 25, 2022
Recommendation to Finance & Facilities Committee Monday, May 16, 2022
Approval of Board of Trustees Thursday, June 2, 2022
Contract begins July 1, 2022
Contact Information
Questions concerning the RFP should be directed to:
Susan Lindenmuth, Purchasing & Contracts Manager
Phone: 610-799-1151
Fax: 610-799-1566
Submission of Proposal
Written proposals are to be received no later than 2 p.m. on Monday, March 28, 2022, at the
office of the Purchasing & Contracts Manager, Lehigh Carbon Community College, 4525
Education Park Dr., Schnecksville, PA 18078, (Attention: Ms. Susan Lindenmuth). One (1) paper
copy and a thumb drive of the proposal must be in a sealed envelope marked “Marketing &
Creative Services Proposal.” Electronic files will not be accepted.
General Information
Lehigh Carbon Community College is a community college with the main campus in
Schnecksville, Pa., and sites in Tamaqua and Allentown, Pa. Classes in the aviation program are
offered at the Lehigh Valley International Airport. The college was founded in 1966 and offers
associate’s degrees and certificates, as well as workforce training and community education.
Whether students are taking their first two years of their bachelor’s degree, preparing for
immediate employment or just exploring a new interest, LCCC offers programs for everyone,
including more than 90 degrees, certificates and specialized programs.
Student enrollment for 2020-21 was 8,979 credit and 2,805 noncredit/workforce students.
Background
Since its inception in 1966, Lehigh Carbon Community College has touched thousands of lives. From
associate’s degrees and certificates to workforce training and community education, LCCC’s influence in
the region has been profound. Whether students are taking their first two years of their bachelor’s
degree, preparing for immediate employment or just exploring a new interest, LCCC offers programs for
everyone, including more than 90 degrees, certificates and specialized programs. In addition to
academics, programs include custom training for business through the Center for Leadership and
Workforce Development. LCCC has four sites – main campus in Schnecksville, the Donley Center in
Allentown, the Morgan Center in Tamaqua and the Lehigh Valley International Airport.
Advertising and Marketing History
LCCC has utilized a variety of media outlets to deliver its multi-faceted message. Advertising plans have
ranged from traditional media, including billboards, radio, newspaper and direct mail, to new media
options such as social media and other online advertising methods. Traditional media are still used for
event-driven marketing, while online vehicles have been favored to promote branding, individual
programs and services.
The college’s mission is to provide affordable, accessible and high quality education. New marketing
strategies must be continuously developed to meet emerging challenges. In addition, expanding
technologies, shifting students’ needs and behaviors and evolving demographics demand that more
sophisticated, targeted, flexible marketing practices be developed.
Goals
The college is seeking a long-term partner to provide direction towards reaching our marketing and
advertising goals, and toward achieving the ultimate goal of increasing enrollment at LCCC. Consultation
on other areas related to communications and marketing will also be sought, on an as-needed basis.
Responding agencies will help guide creative direction to market the College and encompass the brand
strategy.
Our primary target is prospective students and their parents, high schools in the three-county service
region (Lehigh, Carbon and Schuylkill counties), adult students, workforce, etc.
Goals of the partnership include:
• To elevate LCCC’s brand positioning in its market.
• To recommend a strategic direction and tactics, to include digital, broadcast, print, outdoor,
direct, email blasts and other collateral. (Do not include costs of the media itself; those are
included in the college’s media budget.)
• To promote LCCC’s various educational opportunities throughout its market areas to multiple
target audiences, making it the college of choice.
• To develop strong advertising that further enhances LCCC’s brand equity in the community.
• To provide guidance and insight to other marketing activities to ensure consistency across all
marketing platforms including, but not limited to, marketing and publications, and the College’s
online presence.
• To increase new student leads and inquiries that feed into the Admissions funnel and result in
an increased market penetration in our service areas in Lehigh, Carbon and Schuylkill counties.
The expected increase will be determined in partnership with Admissions, College Relations and agency.
Project Elements
The successful vendor will deliver the following:
Creative Services
Develop appropriate messaging (i.e. tagline, advertising phrase) and design theme to appeal to target
markets in an annual advertising campaign. Design and theme recommendations should advance and
solidify the college’s brand and enable it to continue to compete strongly in a competitive marketplace;
Creative strategy and annual ad campaign should be able to be deployed across a variety of media,
including print, out-of-home, video, broadcast and digital, as well as the website, and can be used for
internal marketing collateral by college designers.
Provide recommendations and creative guidance on related collateral such as video production (used
for TV spots, streaming video, student testimonials on social, etc.), photography, website design, etc.
Marketing
Develop an integrated advertising and marketing strategy that encompasses general marketing of the
college, plus targeted marketing for 3-5 priority program areas, which are selected annually;
Provide recommendation and guidance to the college in regards to appropriate marketing mix and keep
abreast of emerging platforms and media;
Marketing and advertising plans should encompass traditional methods (print, radio, broadcast,
outdoor, etc.), with a significant portion dedicated to digital marketing and related landing pages.
(Currently, the media placement budget for annual media contracts is over $280,000, encompassing
print, TV, streaming and online/digital, out-of-home, radio, etc. This does not include additional funds
allocated to printing, local/high school advertising and sponsorships, ads in printed local educational
guides, miscellaneous contracted services);
Provide integrated digital marketing that includes paid digital marketing strategy and execution, paid
social media strategy and execution, search engine optimization, etc. Key deliverables regarding total
leads, target for goal completions, etc. will be determined;
Serve as college’s agency for outreach to media for advertising rate negotiations, recommendations, ad
placement and contract completion.
Propose and execute an annual media advertising campaign to drive enrollment, including planning,
buying, negotiating and trafficking. Please note the media spend is not part of this proposal;
Advertising strategy will include working with LCCC team to assess opportunities and challenges to
increase inquiries and then identify and recommend a strategy for LCCC’s paid advertising campaign;
At a minimum, provide internet marketing analysis and recommendations on a monthly basis;
Monthly meetings will be held with key members of College Relations team and successful agency to
check progress on goals and make necessary adjustments.
