MARKETING RFP ISSUED BY STATE OF COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
The purpose of this documented quote (DQ) is to solicit responses from organizations, agencies, and/or creative teams with expertise in developing and implementing a digital marketing campaign targeting families with eligible school-aged children.
Background:
The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program (P-EBT) provides federal funds to support families with children who would have typically received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) but did not due to COVID-19 related school closures. P-EBT was created under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (H.R. 6201) and amended by the Continuing Appropriation Act of 2021 to extend P-EBT into the 2020-2021 school year. Through P-EBT, eligible school children receive temporary emergency nutrition benefits loaded on EBT cards that are used to purchase food. Last spring, The Colorado Department of Human Service (CDHS) administered the P-EBT program to support healthy and wholesome meals for more than 180,000 children who would have typically received free or reduced-price meals while in school during March, April, and May of 2020, but did not due to COVID-19. More than $50 million of P-EBT benefits were distributed to support families buying food. The issuance of P-EBT for the 2019-2020 school year, CDHS partnered with an advocacy group, Hunger Free Colorado, and a marketing agency to create a digital campaign to promote P-EBT. This campaign included digital advertisements, web banners, targeted advertisements to smartphones, social media advertisements, and radio advertisements. This initiative resulted in 3,815,099 impressions, 2,896 clicks, and a clickthrough rate of .08%. This work was not funded by CDHS as P-EBT was implemented without any administrative funds in the 2019-2020 school year. With the reauthorization of P-EBT for the 2020-2021 school year administrative funds were included providing CDHS the opportunity to formalize and expand upon a digital marketing campaign to prompt PEBT. CDHS has also been provided funds through the State of Colorado to quickly initiate this work. This campaign shall include the use of digital marketing, digital ads, target social media ads, radio ads, and short video promotions to be shared through cable media and digital media avenues. The funding for this digital marketing campaign will come from state funding. The maximum amount available for this project is $150,000, which includes, but is not limited to, the costs for any additional research needed for message and creative development and testing, administrative costs, personnel costs, overhead, as well as the full media buy needed to reach target audiences.
Scope of Work:
The awarded vendor will be responsible for creating and implementing a digital marketing campaign that will launch by May of 2021. The scope of services outlined below shall be completed no later than May of 2021. The awarded vendor will be responsible for completing the following tasks:
1. Development and supervision of a digital marketing campaign to create and deliver a campaign for the target audience.
2. Creative development of digital marketing campaign including, but not limited to:
a. Digital media, such as campaign graphics, banner advertisements, newsletter and PowerPoint graphics, social media graphics, video promotional cards, and other needs for video promotion.
b. Awarded vendor will build upon previous graphics and designs from the 2019-2020 P-EBT campaign.
1. Video production of the campaign, to include recruitment and coordinator of appropriate, highly visible and trusted local personalities, filming, editing, and production of a 15 or 30 second promotional video.
2. Implementing a statewide digital media campaign using digital messages and media, targeting urban and rural Coloradans with children eligible for P-EBT in English and Spanish. This includes but is not limited to:
a. Full media buys in order to promote P-EBT to targeted audiences.
3. A minimum of one weekly meeting with CDHS staff ensuring deliverables are on track to be completed. These meetings shall include collaboration with CDHS, and CHS partners and funders such as Emerson Collective and Hunger Free Colorado, as requested by CDHS.
4. Prepare and submit a final report to designated CDHS staff summarizing the results of the digital marketing campaign including demonstrations to fulfill the performance requirements as defined by CDHS staff, the reach of the campaign (e.g., impressions, views, clicks), and recommendations for future efforts by October 1, 2021.
Quote should not exceed 5 pages, not including any pages required from this quote.
A. COVER PAGE Provide a summary on the following items:
1. An overall understanding of the proposal and approach to meet campaign objectives.
2. Describe your current contractual workload from the perspective of how your work with other customers may interact with the performance of the work specific herein.
3. Summarize the administrative approach and project management techniques that would be employed during the contract to ensure the coordination and timeliness of the work.
B. BUSINESS PROPOSAL The Business Proposal should present a full and complete description of how you propose to meet the requirements set forth in this DQ. Use this section to describe how you will create a digital marketing campaign which fits within the Colorado community representing both urban and rural communities. Your proposal should address the tasks and deliverables set forth in the Statement of Work, followed by a response describing the approach and how the requirement will be met by you or any team members you engage to join you in the DQ response. Here is an overview of the deliverables detailed in this DQ:
1. Development and supervision of a digital marketing campaign to create and deliver a campaign for the target audience.
2. Creative development of digital marketing campaign.
3. Video production of the campaign, to include filming, editing, and production of a 15 or 30 second promotional video.
4. Implementing a statewide digital media campaign using digital messages and media, targeting urban and rural Coloradans with children eligible for P-EBT in English and Spanish.
5. A minimum of one weekly meeting with CDHS staff ensuring deliverables are on track to be completed. These meetings shall include collaboration with CDHS, and CDHS partners and funders such as Emerson Collective and Hunger Free Colorado, as requested by CDHS.
6. Prepare and submit a final report to designated CDHS staff summarizing the results of the digital marketing campaign including demonstrations to fulfill the performance requirements as defined by CDHS staff, the reach of the campaign (e.g., impressions, views, clicks), and recommendations for future efforts by October 1, 2021. Indicate in detail the scope of services included in your proposal and identify any items requested by the State that are not included in your proposal. Preference will be given to the proposal that provides a team that carries out all aspects requested of the DQ.
Due Date:
4/29/21, 4:00 p.m. MT
Address:
Agencies to consider include Ruder Finn and Finn Partners.
