North Dakota Issues Anti-Tobacco Marketing & Public Relations RFP

The North Dakota Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy has issued an RFP for marketing and advertising strategies, media placement, formative research and public relations.

The North Dakota Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy is a division of the Tobacco Prevention and Control Executive Committee. The Executive Committee administers the funding provided by Statewide Initiated Measure 3 that voters passed in 2008. Measure 3 established a comprehensive tobacco use prevention and control program using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Best Practices. CDC methods are based upon best practices determined by evidence-based analysis of scientific literature and outcomes of comprehensive state tobacco control programs and interventions. The Center’s website, www.Breathend.com, offers the latest news on issues related to tobacco use and secondhand smoke, its health consequences, and what can be done to protect all North Dakotans from secondhand smoke.

The Tobacco Prevention and Control Advisory Committee, appointed by the governor of North Dakota, is charged with developing and evaluating Saving Lives — Saving Money, North Dakota’s Comprehensive State Plan to Prevent and Reduce Tobacco Use 2016 – 2018. The plan’s goals are to significantly reduce tobacco use and its health and economic consequences by using policies and programs proven to keep kids from starting to use tobacco, help tobacco users quit, and protect everyone from secondhand smoke.

This RFP will identify a qualified firm to provide services for the North Dakota Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy and its partners. To meet the Center’s needs, this RFP may also address any of the following: countering pro-tobacco influences, media advocacy, earned media, social media, grassroots marketing strategies, public relations, counter-marketing strategies and exposing tobacco industry tactics.

In an effort to facilitate complete proposals, it is important that the Contractors know the overall goals of the Center and the need to maintain a comprehensive statewide tobacco control program. A comprehensive statewide tobacco control program is a coordinated effort to establish policies that promote tobacco free social norm change.

These policies promote and assist tobacco users to quit, and prevent initiation of tobacco use, and protect everyone from secondhand smoke.

The Center’s Health Communication Plan goals include:

1. De-normalize tobacco use to prevent youth from using tobacco products and to encourage tobacco users to quit.
2. Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.
3. Educate the public, policymakers and media about how the negative impact of tobacco in North Dakota and how the tobacco industry perpetuates the epidemic by causing death and disease in North Dakota.
4. Communicate to the public, policymakers and media changes in public beliefs, behaviors, accomplishments and the health and economic benefits of fully sustaining North Dakota’s comprehensive program.

By implementing the state plan: Saving Lives, Saving Money, North Dakota’s comprehensive tobacco prevention and control program, we can expect to see a sharp reduction in smoking and other tobacco use in the state. The number of people in the state who suffer and die prematurely because of smoking and other tobacco use will decrease; a healthier and more productive workforce will bolster our economy; and public and private dollars will be saved by cutting government, business, health care and household expenditures caused by smoking and other tobacco use.

Saving Lives – Saving Money is the Center’s pledge to the people of North Dakota.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in North Dakota:

Tobacco’s Toll in North Dakota

• Adults who die each year due to their own smoking: 1000
• Kids under 18 who become new daily smokers each year: 300
• Annual healthcare costs caused by smoking: $326 million
• Yearly tax burden from smoking-caused government expenditures: $823 per household
• Smoking-caused productivity losses: $232.6 million each year
• Annual tobacco industry marketing expenditures in North Dakota: $34.1 million

Scope of Work

Health Communications Marketing, Advertising and Media Placement Section:

1. Health Communications Marketing & Advertising
   • Develop a comprehensive, strategic and creative health communications marketing plan to further enhance the BreatheND brand and build upon the Center’s goals. The plan will integrate the requirements to meet CDC’s Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. The plan will maximize awareness of de-normalizing tobacco use; maximize awareness about the harms of secondhand smoke; educate the public, policymakers and media on the impact of tobacco use in North Dakota and changes in public beliefs as it relates to tobacco; raise awareness among audiences about the role of the tobacco industry causing death and disease in North Dakota.
   • Develop a budget for the comprehensive health communications plan. Use research to develop strategic campaigns, as well as research to improve on campaign delivery.
   • Provide creative services for a comprehensive advertising campaign, including production and concept development, which may include multiple traditional and non-traditional media including the following, but not limited to television, print, radio, digital, direct and electronic marketing materials.

2. Media Research, Evaluation, Purchase and Placement Services
   • Analyze, research, evaluate and recommend specific marketing mediums placed (both paid and unpaid).
   • Monitor placement to insure accuracy and completion of all paid and unpaid media schedules.
   • Pursue value-added opportunities, partnerships, earned media and media advocacy opportunities to extend budget reach.
   • Produce and/or assist the Center in digital and interactive mediums including research, strategic planning, management, direction and implementation to ensure electronic marketing efforts align with traditional methods.
3. Public Relations, Social and Digital Media Section
   • Ability to develop and provide insight on successful media relations campaigns with measurable objectives, which includes media release strategies, public relations strategies, social and digital media strategies and grassroots efforts.
   • Maintain a strong sense of how to position stories, identifying the correct media and securing positive coverage for the Center.
   • Provide activity reports with progress toward measurable objectives.
   • Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with media entities, journalists and the Center’s Communications Manager.
   • Evaluate and expand existing social and digital media strategies, including the www.breathend.com website and www.smokefreehousingnd.com, to engage and educate the target market. This plan should provide measurable components.
4. Research, Surveillance and Evaluation
   • Conduct formative research for the purpose of benchmarking, message testing and measuring campaign effectiveness.
   • Identify and strategically develop key messages and delivery approaches.
   • Conduct research to develop strategic campaigns, as well as research to improve on campaign delivery.
   • Conduct on-going surveillance of the tobacco industry to stay current on issues impacting counter marketing activities.
   • Provide market analysis, pre-test advertising concepts and understand target markets.
   • Measure and evaluate media relations campaigns, which include media release strategies, public relations strategies and social and digital strategies.
5. Account Management
   As authorized by the Center, successful Contractor shall implement and satisfy all requirements of the comprehensive health communications plan, including:
   • Make the Center aware of any savings that might be achieved through long-term commitments or other specialized programs. Any such commitments must be approved by the Center and savings must be passed onto the Center.
   • Negotiate value-added or bonus buys with media, which must be calculated as savings to the Center.
   • Conduct post buy analysis and audit placement of media on a per buy basis. The audit should focus on the measure of effectiveness of media buys in terms of cost, reach, and frequency. The successful Contractor shall report findings to the Center and use findings to refine current and future media purchases.

Proposal due by Monday, November 21, 2016 to:

North Dakota Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy
Attention: Samantha Doll
Request for Proposal (RFP): Health Communications Marketing Services
RFP Number: 305.17.001
1680 East Capitol Avenue, Suite A
Bismarck, ND 58501-5603