Public Health Social Media Outreach: HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Sue Mantica
Bureau of Contracts New York State Department of Health
Email Address: sue.mantica@health.ny.gov
Web link: https://www.health.ny.gov/funding/rfp/20264/20264.pdf
Due Date: April 17th, 2024 4PM Est
4.0 SCOPE OF WORK
This Section describes the services that are required to be provided by the selected bidder. The
selected bidder must be able to provide all of these services throughout the contract term.
PLEASE NOTE: Bidders will be requested to provide responses that address all of the requirements of
this RFP as part of its Technical Proposal.
The terms “bidders”, “vendors” and “proposers” are also used interchangeably. For purposes of this
RFP, the use of the terms “shall”, “must” and “will” are used interchangeably when describing the
Contractor’s/Bidder’s duties.
4.1 Tasks & Deliverables
The contractor must provide the services and deliverables as set forth in this RFP and meet the following
objectives to the satisfaction of the NYSDOH AI, as outlined through section 4.0:
1. Contractor will create person-centered, integrated public health social media campaigns to address some or all of the health topics included in the AIDS Institute’s portfolio, including, but not limited to: HIV, HIV testing, Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), STIs, HCV elimination, sexual health, LGBTGNC health and drug user health. Campaigns will be designed to reach the priority populations of young men who have sex with men of color, people of trans experience, women of color, and people who use drugs, in a way that is culturally and linguistically appropriate and demonstrates the intersection of HIV, HIV testing, PrEP, STIs, HCV elimination, sexual health, LGBTGNC health and drug user health to members of these
populations.
2. Contractor will conduct focus groups and stakeholder interviews to formulate original campaign concept slogans and graphics.
3. Contractor will create campaign materials including videos.
4. Contractor will create campaign content including social media posts, still ads, memes/ GIFs.
5. Contractor will provide the AIDS Institute and Stakeholders with social media strategies and
content to reach the various population(s).
6. Contractor will create and complete digital social media toolkits which include all of the still
images, videos, and associated original content for each campaign.
In support of these deliverables, Contractor staff and DOH representatives will meet monthly
throughout the contract period. The purpose of these meetings will be to discuss and review planning,
implementation, and evaluation activities related to each annual campaign. Each of these activities is
further detailed below:
a. Plan the campaign includes brainstorming campaign ideas, identifying the intended audience, considering how focus groups and stakeholder interviews might occur, and outlining the campaign timeline.
b. Implement the campaign includes finalizing campaign ideas, providing results/outcomes from the focus groups and stakeholder interviews, and discussing and finalizing a timeline to plan for when and how the campaign launch will occur.
c. Evaluate the campaign includes reviewing campaign data to identify what is working well, discussing social media engagement, and identifying improvement opportunities for any future campaigns.
To carry out the above identified work, the contractor will develop a workplan that will identify and
describe each of the 6 deliverables associated with an annual campaign as outlined in Attachment E –
Cost Proposal, including all related tasks for each deliverable. The workplan will detail the action steps
needed to complete each deliverable to meet the associated outcome. The workplan will track monthly
activities and progress related to each campaign and will be shared with DOH at monthly meetings
(and upon request). The workplan will be used to inform monthly reports and vouchering, as well as
confirm mutual understanding between the contractor and NYSDOH AI of the expectations
(deliverables) for this RFP. The contractor and NYSDOH will review the workplan during their monthly
meetings.
Meetings are generally held virtually, however, there may be instances where the contractor will be
requested to attend an in-person meeting at DOH AI’s offices in the Corning Tower in Albany.
The contractor will provide all the following deliverables for each campaign to NYSDOH:
4.1.1 Deliverable 1: Public Health Campaign Creation
Annually, and under the direction of the AIDS Institute, the contractor will create an integrated public
health campaign that will span some or all the AIDS Institute portfolio of topics including but not limited to HIV, HIV testing, PrEP, STIs, HCV elimination, sexual health, LGBTGNC health and drug user health.
Based on trends in public health, the NYSDOH AI seeks to develop holistic, “person-first” public health
campaigns related to different overlapping topics within its portfolio of HIV, HIV testing, PrEP, HCV
elimination, STIs, sexual health, LGBTGNC health and drug user health. Person-first language is a
respectful way to communicate with and about a person with a disability. It emphasizes the person first,
not the disability (CDC website: Communicating with and About People with Disabilities). Examples
are illustrated on the NYS DOH website, in the document titled “Recommendations for Improving
Language and Establishing Stigma-Free, Supportive, Service Delivery Environments.” The contractor
must have the capacity to build a public health marketing campaign designed to meet the needs of one
(1) or more of the NYSDOH AI’s priority populations and create campaigns which address emerging
health issues and the ways in which they intersect.
In creating each campaign, the contractor must:
• Meet with internal staff in different divisions at NYSDOH AI to gain an understanding of areas that are emerging issues;
• Meet with the NYSDOH AI contract manager to collaborate and select an area of focus for the campaign based on meetings around emerging issues; and
• Develop a detailed internal timeline, that reflects the workplan, to be provided to the NYSDOH AI contract manager to include when each deliverable will be met.
The NYSDOH has an established media buyer (OpAd Media), therefore, the contractor will only be responsible for creative development, not purchasing of media. Final products must be made available to the contract manager via an agreed upon file sharing service or email.
4.1.2 Deliverable 2: Campaign Slogan and Graphic Development
The contractor must develop an original campaign concept slogan and graphic related to the focus area
of the public health campaign described in Section 4.1.1. The contractor will conduct focus groups and
stakeholder interviews which will assist with creation of the campaign slogan. Once ideas are developed, the contractor will meet with NYSDOH AI to finalize the slogan. Each campaign slogan and related creative materials must:
• Be developed in English and Spanish for NYSDOH AI consideration, with different content for
the English and Spanish slogans; and
• Incorporate NYSDOH AI feedback on the selected campaign creative concept.
As part of the work for Deliverable 2, the contractor will will develop a plan, with guidance from the
AIDS Institute, to conduct formative research related to campaign message development, including 3
in-person focus groups annually and 5 virtual stakeholder interviews annually with the target audience.
These focus groups and stakeholder interviews will provide input from members of the priority
populations and identify culturally appropriate approaches to conveying the topic and public health
objective.
4.1.3 Deliverable 3: Video Campaign Materials
Upon selection of campaign concept slogans, the contractor will develop supporting campaign materials,
including videos, as follows:
• Develop a minimum of four, 30-45 second high quality resolution videos, one of which must
have original Spanish content (i.e. not translated from English);
• Develop a minimum of four, 10-15 second videos, one of which must have original Spanish content (i.e. not translated from English);
• Submit draft storyboards to NYSDOH AI for review;
• Incorporate NYSDOH AI edits to the storyboards; and
• Finalize the script. As part of the finalization process, the contractor must identify whether a
model (defined as a face for the campaign with vendor or NYSDOH supplied content) or
ambassador (defined as a face for the campaign with content in their own words) is more
appropriate. Upon DOH approval of a model or ambassador, the contractor will recruit such
talent, conduct photo shoots in a professional studio or other agreed upon location, develop
computer-generated graphics, animation, and other audio/ visual material needed for video and
graphic ad production, and reimburse talent.
Final storyboards for all video series shall be submitted for NYSDOH AI review and approval. All
storyboards must include an outline of key content learned during formative research, use of model(s),
community ambassadors, or computer generated graphics and script.
All participants (“talent”) appearing in materials produced under the contract must also complete a
liability waiver and a talent release, provided by the NYSDOH. The selected contractor may also
choose to provide their own releases in addition to the NYSDOH supplied forms. All signed documents
will be maintained by the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute and copies made
available to the Department of Health’s Bureau of Marketing and Creative Communications. The
contractor, in collaboration with NYSDOH AI, is responsible for ensuring these specific talent releases
have been signed by all parties before any photo or video shoot occurs.
4.1.4 Deliverable 4: Creation of Other Campaign Materials (social media content, still ads, memes/
GIFs)
The contractor will create other supporting campaign materials, including social media content, still ads,
memes, and GIFs, as follows:
• Develop a minimum of four graphic ads and social media messaging which will be compiled into an easy to use Social Media Toolkit (see 4.1.6 for more details on toolkit) which includes the content created in Spanish;
• Address and incorporate comments or edits that may be required as a result of all levels of NYSDOH AI review and approval;
• Develop a series of at least four original (i.e.: not stock photo) graphic ads (at least one in Spanish) featuring the campaign slogans and messages in sizes that are acceptable for a minimum of three different commonly-used social media platforms;
• Develop at least four posts in the digital format of memes and GIFs and provide digital files including graphics and text; and
• Create social media posts related to the content of the videos and campaign. Each video must have a minimum of 3 associated posts (24 posts total); each graphic ad must have a minimum of 3 associated posts (12 posts total) for a total minimum of 36 posts to be featured in the toolkit (as described in deliverable 4.1.6). At a minimum, posts must be developed to conform to the requirements of the following platforms: Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram.
4.1.5 Deliverable 5: Social media strategies and content
NYSDOH AI’s goal is to take all campaign materials developed in this contract and distribute them
widely in a way that is easy for community partners (funded providers, community-based organizations, clinics, hospitals, etc.) to post on their websites and agency social media accounts. To support
NYSDOH AI’s efforts, the contractor must:
a. Research similar campaigns’ distribution plans and use that information to develop the best and
most cost efficient way for campaign materials to be distributed widely by the NYSDOH AI;
b. Assemble campaign materials in a way that is easy to follow and distribute for agencies who
may not have significant experience with using NYSDOH AI’s assets (e.g.: jpg files, video files,
etc);
c. Create a detailed timeline that is agreed upon by the NYSDOH AI. The timeline has two uses.
(1) Internal use: for NYSDOH to know when to expect assets from the vendor. (2) External use:
for funded agencies to know when to post assets on their social media and when to conduct any
follow up and evaluation.
d. Identify and share with AI and other stakeholders the best method for evaluating whether
organic (not paid) social media posts were successful;
e. Address and incorporate comments or edits that may be required as a result of all levels of
NYSDOH AI review and approval;
f. Finalize all materials and partner with NYSDOH AI staff to post materials on the live NYSDOH
website;
g. Partner with the DOH media buyer to develop an overall social media marketing strategy; and
h. Modify fully approved creative materials to meet the design requirements for various social
media or out of home (billboards, subway, convenience stores, magazine, etc.) advertising
platforms. DOH staff will work with Contractor staff to ensure that the Contractor is familiar with applicable legal, editorial, social media, design, photography, and printing policies that govern the work requested in this RFP.
4.1.6 Deliverable 6 – Social Media Toolkit
The contractor will create a social media toolkit, which must contain all the still images, videos, and
associated original content developed as part of the preceding five contract deliverables. To create the
toolkit, the contractor must:
• Collaborate with the NYSDOH AI to identify the most appropriate and accessible way to
structure the social media toolkit;
• Include all English and Spanish content that was developed;
• Package all of the above materials into a social media toolkit that will appear on the NYSDOH
website, can be disseminated by the NYSDOH and used at no cost by NYSDOH AI funded
community partners in their social media efforts; and
• Plan and present 60-minute Zoom webinars with capacity of up to 200 participant stakeholders,
that will be recorded and archived on existing AIDS Institute training platforms, to guide
NYSDOH AI and its community partners on best ways to utilize the social media toolkit to reach
specific priority populations.
o Planning includes working with NYSDOH on finding an agreed upon webinar date, brainstorming ways to advertise the campaign, advertising the campaign if applicable, outlining the content and pacing of the webinar, the creation of presentation slides and ability to play videos during the webinar if applicable.
o The webinar will take place on a NYSDOH system and vendor will not be responsible for monitoring registration, attendance, and giving out attendance certificates.
