MARKETING RFP ISSUED BY PENINSULA COLLEGE

Peninsula College has a need for marketing and advertising services. The College is requesting qualified vendors to submit proposals to provide the needed services in accordance with the specifications, terms and conditions contained herein. The Request for Proposal (hereinafter referred to as RFP) includes desired services used by the College. Within this RFP are instructions for submitting the proposal, the evaluation and award criteria by which a Vendor will be selected, and the contractual terms that will govern the relationship between the College and the selected Vendor. The terms and conditions contained in this Request for Proposal will govern the performance of any contract resulting from this solicitation. Proposals submitted shall remain in effect a minimum of 45 days from the RFP due date. Responses to the RFP must conform to the format provided in this document. Vendors wishing to provide alternative proposals should demonstrate the vendor’s unique, cost-effective, or innovative approach to the requested services where feasible, or additional services offered which may not be specifically requested

Background:

Peninsula College is located in Port Angeles, Washington with other locations in Forks, Washington and Port Townsend, Washington. The College service district encompasses Clallam and Jefferson Counties—an area of over 3,600 square miles of land—and extends from the Pacific Ocean at Neah Bay to Brinnon on the Hood Canal, a distance of about 140 miles. The area’s topography is notable for its forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, and numerous watersheds, which have been central to its history and culture. The region is home to six Native American tribal reservations, which are dispersed across the North Olympic Peninsula. Peninsula College served approximately 3,362 students (1,857 FTE) in the 2019- 20 academic year. It offers numerous associate degrees in arts, sciences, and professional/technical specialties, as well as a bachelor’s degree of applied science. The college recently launched a new accelerated associate in arts degree, and students may pursue a variety of certificates.

Scope of Work:

13.1 The college is seeking an advertising and/or marketing vendor to:

• Strengthen the competitive position of Peninsula College 

• Increase interest and applications from diverse communities

• Support recruitment and retention efforts 

• Promote pathways to careers and other college programs 

• Assist in building community awareness and engagement 

13.2 Professional Services (will include the following but are not limited to):

• Market research, data-driven analysis and recommendations 

• Custom-built marketing plans and creative solutions 

• Paid and unpaid advertising: concept, planning, design, development, production, and evaluation

• Content creation for various platforms: graphic design, video production, writing

• Media buying, placement, and monitoring 

• Data tracking, evaluation, and reporting 

• Monitor and advise on emerging marketing trends and technologies

13.3 Target markets 

1. High school students seeking and parents of high school students seeking

a. A degree and/or certificate for a trade or occupation 

b. To transfer to a four-year university to obtain a bachelor’s degree

c. To obtain a bachelor’s degree without leaving the North Olympic Peninsula by completing an AA at Peninsula College and either a Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management at Peninsula College or a bachelor’s degree with a partner university 

2. Adult learners seeking 

a. New career opportunities or switching careers 

b. Completing the college education they started, but didn’t finish

c. Upskilling or advancing a career 

d. Adult basic education/GED® prep 

3. Underserved students 

4. Community members seeking 

a. Workforce development 

b. Community education 

c. Arts and Culture programs

13.4 How the college currently gets its message across Paid digital and traditional marketing and advertising:

• Local newspapers: print and digital 

• Local radio and audio streaming apps 

• Streaming TV 

• Direct mail 

• SEM (search engine marketing) 

• Social media channels/social media marketing and optimization

• Location-based display advertising on mobile devices 

• Digital media advertising 

• Outdoor: billboard, gas station toppers Unpaid media (owned and earned)

• College website, blog, social media channels 

• Publicity 

13.5 The selected contractor would be expected to:

• Collaborate with the college’s Strategic Marketing and Community Engagement team to develop an integrated marketing plan to position the college as a first-choice college for target audiences and as an educational leader in the region

• Analyze demographic data to determine primary, secondary, and tertiary marketing targets for purposes of recruiting students who will apply and register for courses at Peninsula College

• Identify both traditional and innovative ways to reach target audiences in an effective way

• Develop an advertising placement/purchasing strategy for contract period that is designed primarily to recruit students and secondarily to enhance the reputation of Peninsula College. Said strategy can include, but is not limited to, a combination of traditional and non-traditional channels. Said strategy should include a detailed calendar of media placements and data compilations built around the college’s enrollment periods and ongoing recruitment efforts.

• Negotiate competitive rates to maximize effectiveness of placements and provide Peninsula College with consolidated billing for all ad placements that also specifies costs per campaign or program as needed

• Provide detailed written specifications of all media buys and media placement recommendations to the college for approval prior to placing any media buy

• Purchase media on behalf of the college during the contract period

• Manage projects effectively and communicate clearly and regularly

• Assist in, or solely develop creative designs based on strategic plan goals

• Resize, rearrange, add to, and otherwise alter advertisements as needed. All creative content should be fresh and modern graphic design and adhere to Peninsula College’s brand standards.

• Brand promise clarification and effective communication of coordinated, consistent brand execution messages.

• Provide ongoing return on investment information that specifically demonstrates the effectiveness of every facet of the ad strategy. The ROI data should be provided regularly in an easy-to-understand, easy-to-access manner (i.e. dashboard concept or report form) and include comparisons to industry standards/expectations in each medium.

• Make data-informed recommendations to continually improve marketing effectiveness

• Advise the department and college on rapidly changing market conditions, marketing, marketing technologies, and media consumption

Due Date:

February 12, 2021

Address:

Chris Wood, Procurement Specialist Phone: 360-417-6233 Email: cwood@pencol.edu

Relevant agencies to consider include Kaplow PR and Finn Partners.