The Community Foundation of Frederick County, in collaboration with Frederick County Government, Ausherman Family Foundation, and other community partners, is leading a public awareness campaign to help food insecure households learn where to obtain food and other assistance. This campaign will be based on the Frederick County Food Distribution Map. The Community Foundation is requesting proposals from marketing firms to support this campaign. The firm shall provide professional services to plan, design, facilitate, execute, and evaluate the public awareness campaign. Preference will be given but not limited to marketing firms within Frederick County.
Background:
Many families in Frederick County are experiencing food insecurity and do not know where or how to access food. The COVID-19 pandemic has made food insecurity worse for the community resulting in more residents seeking assistance from a variety of nonprofit and governmental providers of food throughout the county. Many residents experiencing food insecurity often do not know where, when, and how to obtain free and available food from the many food providers offering this support.
Scope of Work:
The selected marketing firm shall provide professional services for a public awareness campaign that helps food insecure households learn where to obtain food and other assistance. Elements of the public awareness campaign could include but are not limited to paid media via multiple channels (social media, mass media, etc.), earned media, community-based outreach, billboards, bus advertisements, and any other appropriate strategies to effectively reach residents experiencing food insecurity, case managers, and community members. Central to this campaign is branding that readily identifies the vast array of providers of free food throughout the Frederick County community. These include but are not limited to food pantries, free meals intended for those experiencing homelessness or food insecurity, food distribution sites, and food programs for children and seniors. The public awareness campaign shall be inclusive of all populations regardless of language, literacy, and cultural considerations. Successful applications will demonstrate knowledge of innovative and novel means of marketing and communications, a history of engagement with communities most impacted by food insecurity, and expertise around reaching the focus population. Successful applications must demonstrate how they would reach appropriate stakeholders. Monthly reports shall be provided during the campaign to track progress and outcomes.
Requirements for Firm Qualification The marketing firm shall have experience with community mobilization, contemporary marketing practices, including social media, geographic information system (GIS) mapping, media literacy, public campaigns, and knowledge of food insecurity issues in the Frederick County community. Response Materials and Submittal Please prepare your response as follows. The total response should not exceed five pages.
1.) Cover Letter. Include a cover letter no longer than a single page, 12-point font.
2.) Proposal Response.
Scope of Work
Describe the objectives of your marketing firm’s proposed campaign. Include a description of the approach to brand development, community engagement, design and implementation of the public awareness campaign, and strategies to ensure cultural diversity in reaching all populations regardless of language, literacy, and cultural considerations. When completing this section, please address the following questions:
a.) How will you approach cultural diversity in your public awareness campaign, and how will your marketing firm engage with target populations in your work?
b.) What is your firm’s approach to branding, and how will you incorporate community voice, particularly those most impacted by food insecurity in Frederick County, food providers, and funders in the development of branding and public awareness campaign materials?
c.) What are your firm’s proposed communication channels, including any media buys?
d.) What are your firm’s anticipated outcomes and metrics, and how will you know objectives are attained?
3.) Timeline for completing the scope of work within the allotted budget.
4.) Proposed Budget. Line items will include but are not limited to mass media communications, social media, and design/production costs. Budget proposals should be designed with the fact that $125,000 will be available to spend until December 31, 2021.
5.) Relevant experience. Please provide examples of three projects completed within the last five years that closely align with this public awareness campaign’s objectives. Please include examples of:
a.) Social media campaigns
b.) Mass media campaigns
c.) Community-based outreach campaigns
d.) Public campaign marketing materials (posters, transit campaigns, websites, etc.)
e.) Public campaign messaging and slogans with the goal of reaching diverse audiences
f.) Materials for community engagement
Please submit your proposal as a PDF to Max Cole, Director of Marketing and Communications with The Community Foundation of Frederick County, at m.cole@FrederickCountyGives.org. Submissions are due by Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Interviews with finalists will be conducted the week of March 15, 2021. A final decision will be made on or before March 22, 2021.
Due Date:
March 10, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.
Address:
The Community Foundation of Frederick County, at m.cole@FrederickCountyGives.org.
Relevant agencies include Magrino PR and MWWPR.