Maryland Health and Mental Hygiene Issues Media RFP

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH or the Department), Prevention and Health Promotion Administration (PHPA) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide media buys for participating PHPA bureaus and programs. These media buys will cover gas station, tv, radio, billboard, transit, television, print and digital venues throughout the State of Maryland. These services will be linked to various media campaigns that promote PHPA programs while helping to fulfill PHPA’s mission to protect, promote, and improve the health and well-being of all Marylanders and their families.

The State is issuing this solicitation for the purpose of awarding contracts to entities that will conduct media buys for participating PHPA programs:

• Maryland Cancer Fund (MCF)
• Maryland Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
• Infectious Disease Prevention and Health Services (IDPHS)
• Maryland Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control (CCDPC)
• Advanced Directive Program at the Maryland Department of Health

Background:

Maryland Cancer Fund

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the State of Maryland. The American Cancer Society estimates that for 2017, nearly 31,820 Marylanders will be diagnosed with cancer and over 10,650 will die from cancer in Maryland. The CCDPC directs statewide cancer activities aimed at reducing the burden of cancer within Maryland. CCDPC administers the MCF.

The MCF is supported solely through direct donations to the fund from Maryland tax payers. The MCF is a resource for funding cancer treatment, prevention, and screening in Maryland. Since    the MCF was started in 2004, over 650 people have received cancer screenings and over 252 people have received cancer diagnosis and treatment services with this funding.

Previous media promotion has been employed to promote donations to the MCF. MDH believes that targeting taxpayers during the tax season is the best method to increase the amount of money donated to the MCF. If every taxpayer in Maryland donated even a few dollars, hundreds of Marylanders would benefit from cancer prevention, early detection, and cancer treatment.

Scope of Work:

Maryland Cancer Fund

General Requirements:

• Recommend to the Department a media strategy which will promote donations to the MCF during peak programming hours/viewership times and with television and web media venues while also maximizing the number of times the MCF message may be relayed to the Contractor’s audience. The total cost for the six-week MCF campaign should not exceed $24,000 annually for media buys only.
• Utilize the MCF logo, web banner, and pre-existing 30-second television commercial to secure television and web-based advertising to promote donations to MCF. The Contractor may need to update the pre-existing television and web-based commercial, which may include update to audio track with a new script, rearrangement of video, or updates to logos, tags, or disclaimers. The MCF will provide the MCF and Department logos and other mandatory tags or disclaimers to the Contractor. The Contractor will not receive additional compensation above the amount allocated in the MCF portion of the Financial Proposal Price for updates to the MCF donation messaging. All produced messages/advertisements will be the property of MDH. The Contractor must supply MDH with electronic copies of all commercials and web messaging produced in a format deemed acceptable by the Contract Monitor.
• All commercials and web messages must be approved by MDH Contract Monitor prior to placement. These items need to be received by MDH Contract Monitor at least six weeks prior to the start of the placement. Written approval will be issued to Contractor within five weeks after all material has been received.
• Provide a work plan outlining the media opportunities that includes a suggested timeline of placement of the MCF messaging. Contractor must be able to deliver a completed media schedule within five days of MCF’s request after Contract award to allow for review and approval by the Department. Contractor shall make edits to the work plan at the Department’s request.
• The Contractor will provide an end report to MDH Contract Monitor of when MCF commercials and web messages appeared and the number of impressions during the six-week time period. The report is due to the MDH Contract Monitor a week after the last commercial and web message is displayed.

Maryland Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

General Requirements

• The Maryland WIC program within the MDH is implementing a radio campaign for a period of five consecutive weeks to promote breastfeeding. The Contractor will solicit bids from broadcast radio stations (AM or FM) and the companies/individuals who have professional relationships with broadcast radio stations (AM or FM) that have a large listening audience of the target population (African American women from the ages of 18 to 35) within the target areas (Baltimore City and Prince Georges County.) The radio station will air 30-second breastfeeding spots owned and provided by the Maryland WIC Program. The spot shall be aired for five consecutive weeks, between the middle of August to the end of September. The Contractor will provide a schedule including days and times of where and when the spots will air, focusing on times of high listenership. The majority of listenership for selected channels shall be concentrated for the targeted area of population – Baltimore City and Prince Georges County, and on stations most frequented by the target population.
• Place the radio spots as per the approved placement schedule.
• Provide at least one additional value-added component – E.g., bonus buys, news story, interviews, affiliate coverage, web banner placement on affiliated station website, etc. – in which campaign messaging can be further promoted.
• Provide a work plan outlining the campaign that includes the specific timeline of the placement of each spot within the targeted areas – Baltimore City and Prince Georges County. The total cost for the contract should not exceed $100,000 annually for media buys only.
• The Contractor will provide a summary report due to the MDH Contract Monitor within five (5) days of the final spot airtime to include: (1) actual air times; (2) reach, frequency, and other measures, such as Gross Rating Points, that will demonstrate the impact of the spots; (3) a summary of any deviations, modifications, and/or ‘make-goods’ from the original placement schedule and work plan; and (4) a description of any added value components.

Infectious Disease Prevention and Health Services

General Requirements

• IDPHS via the Contractor will be conducting a campaign, delineated below:
• Recommend to the Department a media strategy which will promote awareness and service utilization for all the campaigns – Maryland AIDS Drug Assistance Program enrollment, STD Awareness, HIV Testing, HIV Care-Adherence, HIV Awareness and Stigma Reduction and HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis. The total cost for all should not exceed $350,000 annually for media buys only.
• Provide a work plan outlining the media opportunities that includes a suggested timeline of media placement. Contractor must be able to deliver a completed media schedule within 15 days of IDPHS request after Contract award to allow for review and approval by the Department. Contractor shall make edits to the work plan at the MDH Contract Monitor request.
• Contractor to provide a report of IDPHS media appeared and the number of impressions during each time frame within two (2) weeks to the MDH Contract Monitor.

Maryland Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control

General Requirements

• Recommend to the Department a media strategy which will promote healthy lifestyles in Maryland citizens at high risk of chronic disease and encourage participation evidence based chronic disease prevention and control programs during peak programming hours in radio, television and web media venues while also maximizing the number of times the chronic disease message will be relayed to the Contractor’s audience. The total cost for the six week campaign should not exceed $100,000 annually for media buys only.
• Utilize the pre-existing 30-second radio and television commercials that will be provided. The Contractor will develop appropriate healthy lifestyle and evidence based chronic disease prevention and control program messaging spots for radio television and web messages to include any required logos or tags or disclaimers as needed. The existing web messaging material may require minor edits. The CCDPC will provide the CCDPC and Department logos and other mandatory tags or disclaimers to the Contractor. All produced messages/advertisements will be the property of MDH. The Contractor must supply MDH with electronic copies of all commercials and messages produced in a format usable in industry standard files/formats for print, digital, video and radio content to MDH.

Advanced Directive Program at the Maryland Department of Health

General Requirements

• Recommend to the Department a media strategy that will increase awareness of advance directives, including electronic advance directives, and motivate Marylanders to create or update their advance directive. The campaign should be at least six-weeks in duration and not exceed $100,000 annually for media buys only.
• Utilize pre-existing creative materials to be provided by MDH and/or the creative developer. The Contractor may be asked to obtain creative materials directly from the creative developer. The existing material may require minor edits. MDH will provide Department logos and other mandatory tags or disclaimers to the Contractor. All produced materials will be the property of MDH. The Contractor must supply MDH with electronic copies of all material produced in a format usable in industry standard files/formats for print, digital, video and radio content, etc.
• Provide at least one additional value-added component – e.g., bonus buys, news story, interviews, affiliate coverage, web banner placement on affiliated station website, etc. – in which campaign messaging can be further promoted.
• All media must be approved by MDH Contract Monitor prior to placement. Written approval will be issued to Contractor within one (1) week.
• Provide a work plan outlining the media opportunities that includes a specific timeline of media strategy, placement, and messaging. Contractor must be able to deliver a completed media schedule within five days of contract award to allow for review and approval by the Department. Contractor shall make edits to the work plan at the MDH Contract Monitor’s request.
• The Contractor will provide a summary report of when media appeared and (1) impressions, reach, frequency, and other measures that will demonstrate the impact by media strategy, as applicable; (2) a summary of any deviations, modifications, and/or ‘make-goods’ from the original placement schedule and work plan; and (3) a description of any added value components.

Due Date:

September 12th

Address:

Maryland Department of Health

(See RFP Section 5.2) 201 West Preston Street, Room 416D

Baltimore, MD 21201

Attention: Dana Dembrow

W2O Group is a strong healthcare agency that should be considered for this assignment.